Connor Franta Photographed Could Ever's Debut Single Imagery

In case you've missed it, Connor Franta has been doing some exciting behind-the-scenes creative work. Though he rose to fame in front of a camera on his ever-popular YouTube channel, he's increasingly shown off his talents as a photographer, regularly showcasing his artistic eye on his own platforms as well as collaborating with several publications—even L'Officiel USA, for last year's Calvin Klein x Andy Warhol online feature. In addition to lensing compelling imagery, Franta has also shown off his discerning ear through his work at Heard Well, the music label he co-founded in 2015. The star's latest project is an example of how these creative interests can come together, as he created the track artwork for Heard Well artist Could Ever's debut single, "I Got It Wrong."

Franta's vision is evident in every aspect of the new visual project, as he conceptualized, created, and photographed both the track art itself and the press photo. Using his penchant for visuals and desire to reflect the intent of Ian Watt (the artist behind Could Ever), the multihyphenate created a title image with a compellingly broken appearance, and the accompanying black-and-white photo of Watt visually interprets movement and emotion.

Watt wrote his new track in the car as his child was sleeping, and the finished product is fittingly ready for a contemplative evening drive. Featuring powerful synths and meaningful lyrics, it at once has a familiar presence and provides the perfect backdrop for coming to some revelations. There's something deeply human and relatable about the song, setting Could Ever up for a strong start and providing rich material for Franta to visually accompany. The YouTube-famous creative certainly delivered, so we briefly caught up with him to learn a bit more about his creative choices, the experience of collaborating with Watt, and the two's common connection in Los Angeles-based indie pop band LANY.

How did you and Could Ever meet and what drew you to sign him to HeardWell?

Ian played a show years ago with my friend Paul [Klein] from the band LANY, so that’s where I first heard of his music. We were reintroduced more recently by an employee at my record label, Heard Well, and we decided to sign him soon after. It felt like fate. After hearing about how he writes, records, and organizes all of his music himself in his one-of-a-kind car studio late at night while his two kids sleep, I couldn’t not fall for his music.  

What inspired the artwork for this track? 

There’s a certain tension between the song’s light synths and the deeply poignant lyrics. I was trying to address that juxtaposition through a sort of damaged end result. 

How was it interpreting another artist’s work and creating something that captures the aesthetic?  

Luckily, we've become buddies, so the whole process was very collaborative. He was open to my interpretation of his work, but I was desperate to stay within the bounds of his own creative vision. I think the end result reflects us both in harmony, which is quite beautiful, really.