We had the good fortune of connecting with Cannon Rogers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cannon, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
As generic as it sounds making art with my friends both makes and keeps me happy. Working on our latest record (a collection of b-sides made up of spoken word pieces, live sessions, and demos old and new) there was a sea change in how I viewed the creative process, and it was so incredibly fulfilling working with my roommates tracking at home, bouncing ideas back and forth with painters we worked with, and just spending time utilizing all of the people I love and their talents for a piece of art we’re trying to make. We took this idea of a mixed bag of recordings that had never been released and turned it into an 11-song record, and in that process I was reminded of why I loved recording and creating in general. Between Hayden (Johnson, our drummer and my writing partner) and our string players I have spent the past few months in pandemic-land falling back in love with creating, and that’s totally because of my wonderful friends who I get to work with.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been writing songs since 2015 (at age 15) and releasing them for nearly as long. I’m super proud to say that in all of those years I’ve played with some amazing musicians at some amazing venues, but I’m most proud that we as a group have maintained honesty in what we’re trying to accomplish with our songs. We have had more than a few gigs on college campuses get cancelled for our “brash thematic material” and have been kicked or kicked folks out of more than a few bars because we don’t shy away from topics that might not be super popular across the south such as politics or religion. It’s not to say we’re provocateurs, because that couldn’t be farther from the truth, but we know what we want to say and we use our art to say it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I might be the odd one out here being a current resident of Athens, but as a high school student a few years back in rural Northwest Georgia, little five points was heaven. Between Rag-o-Rama for some t-shirts or Criminal Records to hit their used CD section little five has never disappointed, and I have so many friends that live off of Moreland around there. There is a coffee shop that’s in a little strip near the main parking lot by Rag-o-Rama, and they have a small outdoor patio you can access once you get in that I have read many poems/smoked too many cigarettes in. I play pedal steel in a Grateful Dead cover band for fun with my roommates and some friends, and we’ve had a bunch of great times playing in Reynoldstown and Kirkwood, including an amazing show at a polling place the day of the senate run-off elections. I might not have the best advice for a day on the town, but I can at least point you in the right direction! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a shoutout to the man, the myth and the legend, the good Doctor Mr. Hunter S. Thompson. He’s most famous for his novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” which I love a whole lot, but the past few months have found me obsessing over various novels of his and his writings on cultural events like 9/11 – his piece in ESPN following the attacks is chilling. He is one of the few authors I profoundly wish was around today to give us his take on what the hell is going on, and I have spent hours upon hours in prose and song chasing his narrative style. Obviously I am beyond thankful for my friends, family and bandmates, but I truly think the world would be a better place if everyone picked up some Thompson from time to time.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannonandtheboxes/?hl=en

Youtube: https://youtu.be/zRJHaAmp27M

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sVRRygxoLDHNydy8kT967?si=0cP32HmwQEumwXPhWYHRng (spotify)

Image Credits
personal photo by Charlotte Strazis other photos by Diana Ward, doso.jpeg & Avery Brooks

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.