Dan Kelly (musician)

Last updated

Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly at Rockwood Music Hall.jpg
Dan Kelly performing in New York City in September 2011
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Kelly
Born1974 (age 4950)
Origin Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Genres Rock, Australian rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2003–present
Labels ABC Music, In-Fidelity Recordings, Shock
Website dankelly.com.au

Daniel O Kelly (born Daniel Kelly; 1974), known as Dan Kelly, is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released music as part of Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males.

Contents

Biography

1974–1999: early years

Dan Kelly grew up in Queensland, on the Gold Coast, attended a Catholic school, in Beenleigh, and was the second oldest of six children. [1] He learnt the guitar at thirteen and later studied Environmental Science at Griffith University in Brisbane. [2] He formed his first band, Nord, in Brisbane before moving to Melbourne in 1996.[ citation needed ]

Kelly reflected saying "I moved down to St Kilda in '96 and lived with my uncle [Paul Kelly] and aunt and worked as a dishwasher for years. Then I was the kitchen-hand and after that I worked as a cook. I was making my way up through that world, just meeting people and trying to play in bands, and by the end of that period, probably around 2000, I had made enough friends and played in enough bands that I built a little bit of confidence to write my own songs." [3]

2000–2003: first solo recordings & Man O Mercy

In 2000 he started playing solo shows under the name Dank Alley, [4] not wanting to trade on his famous uncle Paul Kelly's name. [2] In 2002 he released his first solo EP, Man O Mercy, which spawned the radio hit "Countermeal Kim".

2004–2007: Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males

In 2004 he formed a new band, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, comprising Kelly with Gareth Liddiard & Christian Strybosch (The Drones) and Tom Carlyon (The Devastations). [4] They were best known for Kelly's Australian slacker-esque guitar sounds, his falsetto vocals and vivid lyrics. The Alpha Males appeared at The Falls Festival in Melbourne and Tasmania and selected Big Day Outs. In March 2004 they released their debut album, Sing the Tabloid Blues , on In-Fidelity Recordings. [ citation needed ]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004, Kelly was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Male Artist, with the band receiving two ARIA nominations: for Best Adult Contemporary Album and for Breakthrough Artist-Album. [5]

Kelly said "The songs were basically taken from jokes said around the kitchen table and they all referenced my flatmates. We were slightly mad back then. The songs are still pretty gag-heavy but we didn't want the album to be a joke. I didn't want to be a joke writer, a comedy writer, that's a whole different world – I didn't want to hang out with comedians the rest of my life." [3] He performed in his uncle's band, Paul Kelly and the Boon Companions, recording on the 2004 album, Ways & Means . [4]

In 2005, Liddiard and Carlyon travelled to Europe with their respective other projects, with Aaron Cupples, Dan Luscombe and Lewis Boyes joining the Alpha Males. The band then released an EP, Pirate Radio, in October 2005, which saw Kelly receive his second nomination for ARIA Award for Best Male Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2006. [5]

The band gained significant press coverage in mid-2006 with their single "Drunk on Election Night" – a reflection on the disillusionment many experienced during the evening of the 2004 Australian federal election. The song was hand picked by Neil Young to be included in his Living With War Songs of The Times. [6]

Their second album, Drowning in the Fountain of Youth , released in August 2006, was awarded Album of the Year by Melbourne-based music magazine Inpress. Kelly received his third nomination for ARIA Award for Best Male Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007. [5] The album was also short-listed for the 2006 J Award. [7]

In early 2007, Kelly announced his backing band, the Alpha Males, were to disband for an undecided amount of time to allow the individual members to focus on other projects, a pertinent example being the addition of Dan Luscombe to the line up of The Drones. Kelly again joined his uncle, performing on his 2007 album, Stolen Apples and subsequent national tour, and has often returned to his touring band since.[ citation needed ]

2008: Dan Kelly and the Ukeladies

In 2008 Kelly teamed up with Melbourne faux Hawaiian duo, The Ukeladies, to release "The S.U.V Song", undertaking a number of headline shows and support shows with Augie March, in October and November 2008. [8]

2009–2014 : Dan Kelly's Dream Band

In late 2009 Kelly commenced work on a new album, Dan Kelly's Dream. The first single, "Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam", was released in April 2010. Kelly undertook a national tour with a new line up called Dan Kelly's Dream Band comprising Dave Williams & Kiernan Box (Augie March), Indra Adams (Ground Components) and Ryan Nelson (SubAudible Hum). Dallas Packard (Ground Components) and Kelly's teenage cousins Madeleine and Memphis Kelly (daughters of Paul Kelly) also featured on the album, with the girls frequently joining the touring band on stage to provide backing vocals.

Dan Kelly’s Dream made a number of best album of the year lists, notably Faster Louder, Mess and Noise and The Age. At the EG Awards of 2010, Kelly won the award for Best Male artist and was nominated for Best Male Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2010. Dan Kelly’s Dream was nominated for the 2010 AMP award for best Australian album.

2015–present: Leisure Panic!

In October 2015, Kelly released Leisure Panic! on ABC Music. [9] The album was recorded over two years in East London, Northern New South Wales, Melbourne and Sydney with members of the Dream Band and long time collaborator Aaron Cupples. The album spawned the singles "Never Stop the Rot" and "Everything's Amazing". It was met with critical acclaim culminating in its nomination for the 2015 AMP award for best Australian album. [10]

In 2016, Kelly embarked on the 'Australian Dreamers' national tour with Alex Gow (Oh Mercy), with both artists taking the stage together. [11]

In 2019, Kelly celebrated 15 years of Sing the Tabloid Blues by performing the album in Australia. [12] [3]

Discography

Albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[13]
Sing the Tabloid Blues
(as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males)
Drowning in the Fountain of Youth
(as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males)
  • Released: 12 August 2006
  • Label: In-Fidelity Recordings (INFCD-125)
  • Format: CD, digital download
Dan Kelly's Dream
  • Released: 16 July 2010 [14]
  • Label: Dan Kelly, Shock Records (DK003)
  • Format: CD, digital download
100
Leisure Panic!
  • Released: 9 October 2015 [15]
  • Label: ABC Music, UMA (4749804)
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming, LP

Extended plays

TitleDetails
Man-O-Mercy EP
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: In-Fidelity Recordings (IF002CD)
  • Format: CD
Pirate Radio
(as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males)
  • Released: October 2005
  • Label: In-Fidelity Recordings (INFCD-124)
  • Format: DD, CD

Singles

YearTitleAlbum
2002"Countermeal Kim"Man-O-Mercy EP
2004"Step Forward"
(as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males)
Sing the Tabloid Blues
2005"Drunk On Election Night"
(as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males)
Pirate Radio EP
2005"Drowning in the Fountain of Youth"
(as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males)
Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth
2008"The S.U.V Song"
2010"Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam"Dan Kelly's Dream
"Dan Kelly's Dream"
2015"Never Stop the Rot"Leisure Panic!
2016"Everything's Amazing"

Awards

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. They commenced in 2006.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2010 [16] [17] himselfBest Independent ArtistNominated
Dan Kelly's DreamBest Independent AlbumNominated

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Kelly has been nominated for six awards. [18]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2004 Sing The Tabloid Blues Best Male Artist Nominated
Breakthrough Artist - Album Nominated
Best Independent Release Nominated
2006 Pirate RadioBest Male ArtistNominated
2007 Drowning in the Fountain of YouthBest Male ArtistNominated
2010 Dan Kelly's DreamBest Male ArtistNominated

Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. It commenced in 2005.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2010Dan Kelly's DreamAustralian Music PrizeNominated
2015LeisureAustralian Music PrizeNominated

EG Awards / Music Victoria Awards

The EG Awards (known as Music Victoria Awards since 2013) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2010 [19] [20] himselfBest Male ArtistWon

J Award

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2006 Drowning in the Fountain of YouthAustralian Album of the YearNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowded House</span> Australian pop rock band

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members include Neil Finn's brother, Tim Finn and sons Liam and Elroy, as well as Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod, with Neil Finn and Seymour being the sole constant members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Kelly (Australian musician)</span> Australian musician

Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five. Kelly's music style has ranged from bluegrass to studio-oriented dub reggae, but his core output straddles folk, rock and country. His lyrics capture the vastness of the culture and landscape of Australia by chronicling life about him for over 30 years. David Fricke from Rolling Stone calls Kelly "one of the finest songwriters I have ever heard, Australian or otherwise". Kelly has said, "Song writing is mysterious to me. I still feel like a total beginner. I don't feel like I have got it nailed yet."

Alexander Lloyd is an Australian singer-songwriter. Four of his albums, Black the Sun, Watching Angels Mend, Distant Light and Alex Lloyd, released between 1999 and 2005, made the top ten on the ARIA charts. Lloyd has also won the ARIA Award for Best Male Artist on three occasions.

Dallas Crane are a triple ARIA Award nominated Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne. Their self-titled third album was released on 10 July 2004, and peaked in the ARIA Albums Chart top 50. Its lead single, "Dirty Hearts", debuted in the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50.

The 18th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 17 October 2004 at the Sydney SuperDome within the Sydney Olympic Complex. The ceremony, hosted by Rove McManus and produced by Roving Enterprises for Network Ten, was held for the first time on a Sunday night and averaged 1.39 million viewers. The 2004 ARIA Fine Arts Awards had been presented at a ceremony weeks earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Cassar-Daley</span> Australian musician

Troy Cassar-Daley is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lior</span> Israeli-Australian singer-songwriter

Lior Attar, better known simply as Lior, is an independent Australian singer-songwriter based in Melbourne. He is best known for his 2005 debut studio album Autumn Flow and for the song "Hoot's Lullaby".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare Bowditch</span> Musical artist

Clare Bowditch is an Australian musician, author, and sometimes-actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bliss n Eso</span> Australian hip hop trio

Bliss n Eso are an Australian hip hop trio based in Sydney. They are currently signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, and are managed and booked by label co-founders Adam Jankie and Matt Gudinski. Bliss n Eso have released seven studio albums which include three number 1 debuts on the ARIA Charts. They have also won two ARIA Awards for Best Urban Release for their 2008 album Flying Colours and for Best Music Video for their 2017 single "Moments". Eso, under his alias Esoterik, released an album entitled "My Astral Plane" in May 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Drones (Australian band)</span> Australian band

The Drones were an Australian rock band, formed in Perth by mainstay lead vocalist and guitarist Gareth Liddiard in 1997. Fiona Kitschin, his domestic partner, joined on bass guitar and vocals in 2002. Other long-term members include Rui Pereira on bass guitar and then lead guitar; Mike Noga on drums, vocals, harmonica and percussion; and Dan Luscombe on lead guitar, vocals and keyboards. Their second album, Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By, won the inaugural Australian Music Prize. In October 2010 their third studio album, Gala Mill was listed at No. 21 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums. Two of their albums have reached the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart, I See Seaweed and Feelin Kinda Free. The group went on hiatus in December 2016 with Kitschin and Liddiard forming a new group, Tropical Fuck Storm, in the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urthboy</span> Musical artist

Tim Levinson, better known by the stage name Urthboy, is an Australian hip hop MC and producer from New South Wales. He is widely known for his solo music under the moniker Urthboy, as a founding member of the hip-hop group The Herd, and for co-founding and managing the Elefant Traks record label. Levinson has released five solo albums: Distant Sense of Random Menace (2004), The Signal (2007), Spitshine (2009), Smokey's Haunt (2012) and The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat (2016); as well as five studio albums with The Herd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ash Grunwald</span> Australian blues musician (born 1976)

Ash Grunwald is an Australian blues musician. He has released nine studio albums and has received five nominations for ARIA Music Awards. Five albums have charted in the ARIA Albums Chart top 50; Fish out of Water (2008), Hot Mama Vibes (2010), Trouble's Door (2012), Gargantua (2013) and Mojo (2019).

<i>Drowning in the Fountain of Youth</i> 2006 studio album by Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males

Drowning in the Fountain of Youth is the second album by Australian act Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males. The album received positive reviews in the local music scene, and was considered for the Album of 2006 by Melbourne street magazine, Inpress. The album provided a single, "Drunk on Election Night"; the track was included by Neil Young in his website's playlist: Living with War - Songs of the Times, in late 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birds of Tokyo</span> Australian alternative rock band

Birds of Tokyo are an Australian alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. Their debut album, Day One, gained them domestic success, reaching number three on the AIR Independent Album charts and spending a total of 36 consecutive weeks in the top ten.

<i>How to Make Gravy</i> 1996 EP by Paul Kelly

How to Make Gravy is a four-track EP by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and was originally released on 4 November 1996 on White Label Records in Australia. The title track was written by Kelly and earned him a 'Song of the Year' nomination at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Music Awards of 1998. It tells the story of a newly imprisoned man writing a letter to his brother, in which the prisoner laments that he will be missing the family's Christmas celebrations. The same character appears in Kelly's earlier songs, "To Her Door" (1987) and "Love Never Runs on Time" (1994). The gravy recipe is genuine – Kelly learnt it from his first father-in-law. It was covered by James Reyne on the 2003 tribute album, Stories of Me: A Songwriter's Tribute to Paul Kelly and on Reyne's 2005 acoustic album And the Horse You Rode in On.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Sultan</span> Indigenous Australian singer

Daniel Leo Sultan is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, Get Out While You Can. At the 2014 ceremony he won Best Rock Album for Blackbird, which had reached number four on the ARIA Albums Chart. In 2017, Sultan's record Killer was nominated for three ARIA awards: Best Male Artist, Best Rock Album, and Best Independent Release. Sultan's debut children's music album Nali & Friends was named Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball Park Music</span> Australian indie rock band

Ball Park Music is an Australian five-piece indie rock band from Brisbane consisting of Sam Cromack, Jennifer Boyce, Paul Furness, Dean Hanson and Daniel Hanson. Since forming in 2008, the band has released seven studio albums. Their debut, Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs (2011), was nominated for Australian Album of the Year at the J Awards, and its 2012 follow-up, Museum, debuted at number nine on the ARIA charts. Their third album, Puddinghead (2014), was supported by the certified-platinum lead single "She Only Loves Me When I'm There".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Ska Orchestra</span>

Melbourne Ska Orchestra are an ARIA Award-winning Australian ska band formed in 2003 in Melbourne. The group has up to 34 members, and is led by bandleader Nicky Bomba, formerly of the John Butler Trio. The band are signed to FOUR FOUR, an imprint of ABC Music.

Daniel Francis Luscombe is an Australian guitarist, producer and composer. He has been a member of The Blackeyed Susans, The Drones, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, Stardust Five, Spencer P. Jones & the Last Gasp and Paul Kelly and the Boon Companions, as well as playing alongside Courtney Barnett, Mick Harvey, Ariel Pink, Damo Suzuki, James Chance and Marlon Williams as a touring member of their bands. He has also produced albums for artists including Ben Salter, Fraser Gorman, Jaala, Bad Dreems, Martin Frawley, Courtney Barnett and Amyl and the Sniffers. He has composed for film with credits including Jindabyne, Hounds of Love and I Am Mother (2019).

References

  1. "Dan Kelly: A Storyteller's Life". Mess+Noise: An Australian Music Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 Mathieson, Craig. "Dan Kelly: A Story Teller's Life". Mess + Noise. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "Aussie singer-songwriter Dan Kelly reflects on 15 years of Sing the Tabloid Blues". Beat. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Nimmervoll, Ed. "Dan Kelly". Howlspace. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd. Retrieved 30 April 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. 1 2 3 "ARIA Awards – History – Winners by Artist – Dan Kelly". ARIA. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  6. Mathieson, Craig (11 August 2006). "Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males". The Age . Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  7. "The J Award – Nominated Albums – Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males/Drowning in the Fountain of Youth". triple J . Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  8. Channel, The Music. "Dan Kelly & The Ukeladies : Australian Tour : Music : News : Web Wombat". www.webwombat.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  9. "Reviews: Dan Kelly, Heath Cullen, Paul Grabowsky, Russell Morris, Ghazalaw, Tim Deluxe". theaustralian. The Australian. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  10. "Courtney Barnett and Tame Impala head Australian Music Prize shortlist". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  11. "themusic.com,au".
  12. "Singing the Tabloid Blues 15 Years on". Facebook. October 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  13. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  14. "Dan Kelly's Dream". Apple Music. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  15. "Leisure Panic!". Apple Music. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  16. "Jagermeister Independent Music Awards Nominations Announced!". 1 September 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  17. "History Wins". Australian Independent Record Labels Association . Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  18. "Dan Kelly ARIA Search". ARIA. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  19. "The Age 2010 EG Music Awards". YouTube. December 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  20. "The Age EG Awards". Beat Magazine. December 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2020.