Dan Donnelly
Encyclopedia
Daniel Thomas Donnelly is a singer-songwriter
.
Growing up in Belfast
, Donnelly played in a number of local bands, finding success in Ireland with Watercress, a four piece acoustic folk-rock band for whom he played guitar
, mandolin
, percussion and "plumbing" (a home-made didgeridoo
). They released six EPs between 1995 and 1998, when they released their one album, Bummer, all on their own local label, Creeping Herb. The Donnelly penned Candlemaker reached the No.1 position on the Irish Indie Chart. Watercress disbanded in early 2001 due to internal personal problems.
After the demise of Watercress, Donnelly moved to New York to pursue a solo career. He has so far released two studio albums, Bootleg (2005), and Yearning a Living (2007), which has received extensive airtime on BBC Radio, as well as one live album Live in NYC (2008). Donnelly has also played as a session musician for several artists including Joy Zipper
. His recording and touring live band are known under the name, "Sonovagun".
In 2009 he returned to the UK to live, and settled in Exeter. In mid 2010 he revealed he had signed with record label IRL. In October he released the single 'Running', followed by the album Country & Northern in May the next year. He then relocated to Middlesbrough in the North East of England.
Dan has toured extensively, performing solo shows and supporting artists such as The Levellers
, Oysterband
, Seth Lakeman
, Damien Dempsey
, and Duke Special
. He has also performed as part of the live bands of The Levellers
, Oysterband
and Joy Zipper
. His own live band, Sonovagun, has included Ali McMordie
of Stiff Little Fingers
on bass guitar
and television composer Roy Harter
on keyboards
and theremin
.
Donnelly has become a favorite act on the UK summer festival circuit, having performed at Glastonbury Festival
's Leftfield stage, Beautiful Days
festival, The Big Session, and various festivals throughout Europe.
As a boy, Donnelly's main musical influence was The Beatles
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
Growing up in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Donnelly played in a number of local bands, finding success in Ireland with Watercress, a four piece acoustic folk-rock band for whom he played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, percussion and "plumbing" (a home-made didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
). They released six EPs between 1995 and 1998, when they released their one album, Bummer, all on their own local label, Creeping Herb. The Donnelly penned Candlemaker reached the No.1 position on the Irish Indie Chart. Watercress disbanded in early 2001 due to internal personal problems.
After the demise of Watercress, Donnelly moved to New York to pursue a solo career. He has so far released two studio albums, Bootleg (2005), and Yearning a Living (2007), which has received extensive airtime on BBC Radio, as well as one live album Live in NYC (2008). Donnelly has also played as a session musician for several artists including Joy Zipper
Joy Zipper
Joy Zipper is an American indie pop duo from Long Island, New York, made up of Tabitha Tindale and Vincent Cafiso, who are also a married couple. The duo has been playing dream pop since the late 1990s...
. His recording and touring live band are known under the name, "Sonovagun".
In 2009 he returned to the UK to live, and settled in Exeter. In mid 2010 he revealed he had signed with record label IRL. In October he released the single 'Running', followed by the album Country & Northern in May the next year. He then relocated to Middlesbrough in the North East of England.
Dan has toured extensively, performing solo shows and supporting artists such as The Levellers
The Levellers (band)
The Levellers are an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England. Their musical style is said to be influenced by punk and traditional English music.-1988-1990:...
, Oysterband
Oysterband
Oysterband is a British electric folk or folk rock band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976.-Early history:...
, Seth Lakeman
Seth Lakeman
Seth Bernard Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who is most often associated with the fiddle and tenor guitar, but has also mastered the viola and banjo...
, Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk with contemporary lyrics to deliver social comment on the positive and negative aspects arising from Ireland's Celtic Tiger society.-Early life:...
, and Duke Special
Duke Special
Duke Special, real name Peter Wilson, is a songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he has a distinctive look, with his long dreadlocks, eyeliner and outfits he describes as "hobo chic"...
. He has also performed as part of the live bands of The Levellers
The Levellers (band)
The Levellers are an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England. Their musical style is said to be influenced by punk and traditional English music.-1988-1990:...
, Oysterband
Oysterband
Oysterband is a British electric folk or folk rock band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976.-Early history:...
and Joy Zipper
Joy Zipper
Joy Zipper is an American indie pop duo from Long Island, New York, made up of Tabitha Tindale and Vincent Cafiso, who are also a married couple. The duo has been playing dream pop since the late 1990s...
. His own live band, Sonovagun, has included Ali McMordie
Ali McMordie
Alistair Jardine "Ali" McMordie is a bass guitarist, who made his name with, and was a founding member of, Stiff Little Fingers...
of Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and television composer Roy Harter
Roy Harter
Roy Harter is a New York Emmy award-winning, sound designer and audio mixer, best known for his work in television and film. He is also a multi-instrumentalist for various performing and recording artists...
on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
.
Donnelly has become a favorite act on the UK summer festival circuit, having performed at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
's Leftfield stage, Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS in 2001. It stars Lee Byung-hun and Choi Ji-woo.- Synopsis :...
festival, The Big Session, and various festivals throughout Europe.
As a boy, Donnelly's main musical influence was The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
Discography
- Bootleg (2005)
- Yearning a Living (2007)
- Live in NYC (2008)
- Country & Northern (2011)