Donal Hinely

Artist Information

Biography

With roots sunk deep in the same storytelling tradition of Texas singer/songwriters like Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, Donal Hinely speaks in a voice that is both intimate and authentic. Spinning tales of hard luck, love, missed opportunity and die-hard hope, Hinely writes songs that skirt the outer fringes of country, folk, and straight ahead rock. Dave Higgs, host of NPR's syndicated Bluegrass Breakdown, put it simply: "this is really good stuff--sharp, insightful writing married to memorable tunes."
Born and raised in Denton, Texas, Hinely began writing songs at an early age and honed his craft in several original music projects including a regionally successful college rock band called the Agents of Kaos and the acoustic duo Glasnots. In 1994, he moved to Nashville to join the songwriting community where he has since garnered recognition for his stirring songs and honest performances. His breakthrough CD, We Built a Fire (2002, Scuffletown Records) established Hinely as one of the premier Americana artists today. Co-produced by David Henry (Cowboy Junkies, Josh Rouse), We Built a Fire features appearances by Grammy
nominated singer/songwriter Kim Richey, recording artist Mindy Smith, guitarist Will Kimbrough (Todd Snider, Rodney Crowell), and members of Wilco, the Edwin McCain Band, and Hayseed Dixie. Hinely's 2005 release Giants received significant attention from folk and roots radio,
remaining on the Americana Music Association album airplay chart for 11 weeks and debuting at #6 on the Euro Americana Chart. In November 2005, “Giants” was the most added single in US folk radio according to the FOLK-DJ list survey. Critically lauded by both indie and
mainstream press, Giants was nominated for album of the year by the Independent Music Awards, the Indie Acoustic Project, and the Acoustic Music Awards.
Hitting all points of the compass in 2006, Hinely was a showcase artist at the prestigious South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas and the North by Northeast Festival in Toronto, Canada. In 2007, Hinely was named a New Folk Finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. 2008 marks the release of Blue State Boy an album of all new songs featuring Will Kimbrough and guests Fats Kaplin, Tommy Womack, and Steve Bowman of Counting Crows.
Hinely is also a noted practitioner of the glass harmonica and plays a homemade set of 24 water-tuned wine glasses and brandy snifters. As a glass player he has performed for
thousands of patrons at festivals and street fairs and has three albums of instrumental glass music to his credit.

Instrumentation

Donal Hinely--guitar, vocals, glass harmonica

Discography

Americana LPs:
Breakfast at Jim's, 1994
We Built a Fire, 2002
Giants, 2005
Nashville Bulletin, 2007
Blue State Boy, 2008

LPs with the duo Glasnots:
Donne Did, 1992
Brave Spirits, 1993
Quiet Thunder, 1994
Mayfly Matinee, 1995
Beggar's Dance, 1996
Re-Elect the Moon, 1997

Instrumental LPs featuring the glass harmonica:
Midwinter Carols, 2000
Ghost Fiddle Suite, 2001
Glass Stories, 2004

Links

• Live at the Bluebird Cafe
• Live in Nashville
• "Mona, Mona" Video
• Donal Hinely MySpace
• Official Website

Audio

• Before Music was a Product
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• Mona, Mona
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• Song For Bob
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• Gasoline
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• Cecilia's Kitchen
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• Shock and Awe
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• Giants
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• Blue Ink
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• Shattered Glass
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• Dream Going Down
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• Talkin' Cheap Trick Blues
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• Adelaide
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• You and Me
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• Cynthianna
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• Take My Heart
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• Henry Ford
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Lyrics

• Giants
• Blue Ink
• Before Music was a Product
• Shock and Awe
• Gasoline
• Song For Bob

Video

Mona, Mona

Photo Gallery

Press

• Donal Hinely/We Built a Fire [+ Show ]
  

  It's a pleasure to listen to a CD of someone you've never heard of before and like it the first time...It's a pleasure to listen to a CD of someone you've never heard of before and like it the first time. It's an even bigger pleasure to dig into the lyrics of said artist and discover those jangly roots hooks you've been enjoying are grounded in vivid storytelling lyrics peppered with pieces of reality that make each song memorable. Hinely may not be very well known yet, but with friends like Kim Richey, Will Kimbrough and Ken Coomer (Wilco) contributing spice to his strong writing, vocals and acoustic guitar work, this record should bring many fans into the fold.
  --Nick Purdy

• Donal Hinely/Giants [+ Show ]
  

  Much like one of his musical predecessors, Steve Earle, this Texas singer/songwriter isn't afraid to...Much like one of his musical predecessors, Steve Earle, this Texas singer/songwriter isn't afraid to use his guitar to get a message across as he clearly does on songs like "Before Music was a Product" and "Shock and Awe." Luckily, these aspirations don't detract from Hinely's quality songcraft or his occasional humor, which you'll find on "Talkin' Cheap Trick Blues."

• Donal Hinely/Giants: 10 out of 10! [+ Show ]
  

  To be honest I'd never heard of Donal Hinely before receiving this record, but with backing musician...To be honest I'd never heard of Donal Hinely before receiving this record, but with backing musicians such as Will Kimbrough (Rodney Crowell, Kate Campbell, Jeff Finlin,Todd Snider) and David Henry (Josh Rouse) I was intrigued. Their track record was sufficient for me to give this a few listens, and what a revelation this record is. This is Donal's second record, his first having been released in 2003 called 'We Built A Fire' (and that in turn needs hunting down if this record is any reflection of Donal's gifted song writing talents.) Donal takes his inspiration from various staging posts of his life - with the title track 'Giants' describing the death of Kennedy in 1963, the year Donal was born, civil rights unrest in the sixties and the murder of John Lennon with the lines 'He was survived by a wife and two kids, And million of dreamers, his words and his wit'. On 'Cheap Trick Blues' Donal nods his head towards growing up with Cheap Trick, and comments on the changes that all our music collections take with the passing of time, summing it all up with the lines 'Well I know it's hard to fathom but someday slick, Your favourite CD's gonna be a relic'. There's no filler on this record with Will Kimbrough's immaculate guitar and David Henry's mandolin, cello & piano under pinning the sound. Donal at times sounds like a young Steve Earle, and his voice is heard to great effect on 'Blue Ink' one of the many high points on this record, that all Americana fans must get hold of. At present only available, from his website and CDbaby, beg, steal or borrow a copy of this record wherever you can: for me it's one of the best of the year right next to Josh Rouse, Jeff Finlin and Bruce.

• Donal Hinely/Giants [+ Show ]
  

  Another great album which arrived unsolicited on my doormat, coming all the way from Springfield, Te...Another great album which arrived unsolicited on my doormat, coming all the way from Springfield, Tennessee. Thankyou very much Karen of Scuffletown Records for sending it to me, because it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. It’s what I would define as honest music - songs written from the heart, without commercial considerations. Donal’s got a very listenable voice, he writes perceptive lyrics and instrumentally it’s highly distinctive - how many times to you get to hear glass harmonica and 24 water-tuned wine glasses and brandy snifters on an album?! Some very personal statements here from the opening title track “Giants” onwards through the self-explanatory “Before Music Was a Product,” “Shock and Awe” - a total of 12 tracks which range through country, folk and blues. Donal’s got some very talented friends who helped out on this fine album, including members of Wilco and Hayseed Dixie. I can’t recommend it highly enough to lovers of pure, organic music - Donal’s a great storyteller who should be up there with Steve Earl and company. I don’t know whether the album is available in this country but you can get if via Donal’s website http://www.donalhinely.com/ .

• Donal Hinely/Giants [+ Show ]
  

  Now here's a man who can write a song, twelve of them, to be specific. To call him literate would be...Now here's a man who can write a song, twelve of them, to be specific. To call him literate would be an understatement, his lyrics have such graceful turns to them. His subjects range from caustic observations upon politics, in “Giants”, and the sardonic take on that shudder-inducing phrase, “Shock and Awe”, to a Don McLeanish slant on the current, profit-driven, state of the music industry, and that's just the first three tracks. Hinely's writing ability earns him a place alongside other Texas luminaries such as Earle, Van Zandt, Keen, et cetera, and that's pretty stellar company. Songs about an artist's progeny do not normally find much sufferance here, but “You and Me” is an articulate summation of the big left turn that appears in one's personal highway when gametes go beyond cozy. The instrumentation is sparse, just the right touch that enhances rather than obliterates, and, yet again, we get to hear some more of Will Kimbrough's guitar. An all-around good deal.

Setlist

All original songs from my CDs.
Covers include: John Prine, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson, and Hank Williams

Basic Requirements

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