Every Wednesday, the ugly hug shares a playlist personally curated by an artist/band that we have been enjoying. This week we have a collection of songs put together by Chicago-based songwriter Conor Lynch.

Recently making the move from Michigan to Chicago, Conor has become a staple in the Midwest roster of beloved DIY artists that a few places are lucky enough to claim. Writing from the barebones of a certain folk-antiquity, Conor’s words fill a room, offering something easy to latch on to and pocket for later. Starting over ten years ago with SoundCloud releases and sparse single drops, each release since has seen the swift and natural progressions in his growth as a writer. Counting the telephone poles out the car window, following the changing rhythm as it speeds and brakes along the stretch of road, Conor’s songs revel in these moments of commute and rumination; finding some peace within the balancing act of holding the steering wheel steady, brushing the crumbs off your lap and stuffing the wrappers from your snacks into the cup holder, the collection growing larger between each pit stop until you get home. 

About the playlist, Conor shared;

“I really love that ugly hug is using YouTube for these guest playlists because for over a decade now YouTube has been one of my most fruitful pathways for discovering new music. There are so many incredible YouTube channels doing legitimate archival work by uploading lost/deleted projects, demos, live show footage, etc. I tried to find songs in my liked videos that aren’t on other streaming platforms besides maybe Bandcamp or the former GOAT, SoundCloud… Also, huge shoutout to all “youtubetomp3″ sites.”

Listen to Conor’s playlist HERE.

Conor also was one of the first musicians to remove their catalog off of Spotify in protest of the company’s treatment of artists and the funding of AI music and weapon manufacturers.

You can purchase Conor’s full discography now on bandcamp.