Rebecca Connelly
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Rebecca Connelly

Arbroath, Scotland, United Kingdom | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | SELF

Arbroath, Scotland, United Kingdom | SELF
Established on Jan, 2006
Solo Pop Country

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Glasgow's Tchai-Ovna Goes Dolalay For US Indie Band"

INDIE fans are in for a treat – and for free – this week as up-and-coming American band Dolalay hit the city.
Tomorrow, the popular music act play at Tchai-ovna House of Tea, Otago Street, kicking off at 8pm.
Dolalay was the brainchild of Arbroath singer and songwriter Rebecca Connelly, who moved to California five years ago to pursue her music career.
As a solo artist, Rebecca, whose voice has been compared to those of Jewel and Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan, quickly made her mark on the American music scene, winning best female artist at the SoCal Live Music competition in 2010.
Over the years, she has performed at renowned music venues, including the House of Blues in Hollywood and The Cat Club in LA and also had a two-year ?residency at the famous Riviera Hotel.
In 2011, Rebecca formed Dolalay along with Martin Barerra, Todd Fowler and Big E, drawing influences from the likes of ?The Foo Fighters, U2, Coldplay, The Killers and Queen.
With their debut EP now available, Rebecca has returned to Scotland as Dolalay embark on their first tour.
- The Glaswegian


"Arbroath born Singer Heading home from USA"

y Brian Forsyth
Published on Tuesday 21 February 2012 06:00

AN ARBROATH singer/songwriter who has made a name for herself in the United States of America is coming home in a few weeks to perform in her home town.

Rebecca Connelly got into the music business after a psychic in Scotland told her that her deceased grandfather was sending her a message from the after-life to do it. At the time, she was studying at Strathclyde University to be a geography teacher after attending St Thomas Primary and then Arbroath Academy.

She had already realised that she was not made for a nine to five job, and performed in Scotland for a while.

Tutties Neuk was one of the venues she regularly performed at and she won the inaugural ‘Cliffy’s Got Talent’ contest before performing in local pantomimes.

Rebecca moved to California five years ago, although her mother, Molly Connelly, still lives in Arbroath, while her sister Gillian owns Hope Hair and Beauty.

Since then, she has been doing solo gigs with a variety of cover bands throughout Southern California. Most recently, she has been performing at the Riviera Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, the Cork Tree in Palm Desert and Rendezvous in the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.

But she got lonely as a solo artist and has formed a band called ‘Dolalay’, which, of course, in this country means “totally off your rocker.”

Dolalay is an indie/rock/pop band that she put together in the past year to give her a regular ‘family’ to work with.

It has performed at The Date Shed, Indio, one of the few local venues that features indie rock, a diverse genre of ‘underground’ music that grew out of the 1980s grunge and punk bands.

In addition to Rebecca on lead vocals, guitar and keyboard, the band members include Todd Fowler, Connelly’s partner, on percussion, Ernie Escalera on bass and Martin Barrera on lead guitar.

Rebecca is now planning to take the band on a tour of Scotland. The first gig is scheduled for April 13 at Arbroath’s Millgate Bar. The tour, which will last until April 28, will also take the band to venues in Inverness, Stirling and the Isle of Skye.

Rebecca said: “I’m looking forward to the Isle of Skye concert. I’ve never been there and the promoter has arranged for radio play of our music and a 300-seat performance venue.”

The tour will close with a performance at Coast Nightclub on Saturday, April 28.

The band is also working on an EP of their music with producer Justin Gariano and hopes to get an album out in 2012.

“We’ve had a great response to our new material,” Rebecca revealed.

She will be heading for Scotland in early March for the wedding of her sister and the band will follow in time for the April 13 kick-off of the tour.

Rebecca continued: “I’ve only been home once in five years, and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends. I’ll probably hang out there for a while after the tour.”

She also wants to thank her grandad for sending the message to her to “be passionate about my craft and to live my dreams.”

You can sample Rebecca and Dolalay on Facebook at facebook.com/dolalaymusic or on You Tube at YouTube.com and search for Dolalay. - Arbroath Herald


"Scottish Homecoming for California Girl Rebecca"

HAVING swapped Caledonia for California, singer Rebecca Connelly is heading home to show Scotland what she has been up to with her band Dolalay.
Now based in the southern California resort city of La Quinta, Connelly is making a return visit to her homeland for Dolalay’s first Scottish tour.
Joined by bass player Ernie Escalera, lead guitarist Martin Barerra, Todd Fowler on percussion and stand-in drummer Doug Johnson, Connelly can be seen and heard at Inverness’s Hootananny’s Ceilidh Bar on Sunday, as well as gigs in Edinburgh, Stirling and, in a personal high point, her home town of Arbroath.
What are you looking forward most to introducing your American bandmates to on their first Scottish visit?
The scenery, the people and the pubs. It’s all so different from where they come from in the US. I’m very proud to be Scottish so just really looking forward to showing them our culture.
What do you miss most about home?
I miss my family loads. I still get quite home sick when I’m in the USA. I miss the weather too — sounds a bit mad considering how crazy the weather is here, but in the States I live in a desert, so I’m really glad to be home experiencing rain and snow.
I gather you had an unusual stimulus for your music career. Could you tell us about that?
I’d always been playing guitar and singing and writing, but could never really decide between music and a "proper job". I’d studied geography at Strathclyde Uni, but left after my third year and moved home to be with family.
Then one evening my mum and auntie and I went to a medium night in Arbroath. A woman said she had a man whistling and was being drawn towards us. It was Grandad — he was always whistling, singing and telling stories as I grew up. She said to me that my Grandad really liked it when I played my music. I’d never met her before and she had no idea I was a musician.
That was kind of a turning point for me. I decided to pursue music professionally and make it "my job". I started playing almost every weekend in my home town for that summer before I moved to America. When I got to the States, it was so hard not performing as much as I had been, so I did what I could and played coffee shops, pubs — wherever I could, really.
Is there a culture difference between the music scene in Scotland and California, especially in how audiences react?
It’s been so long since I’ve played in the music scene in Scotland I’m honestly not sure. In California, where the local bands play, the audience do pay attention and for the most part take notice. I would say in Scotland, though, I feel like I have more support from friends and family. But it might be better to answer this question after the tour!
You used to play in cover bands when you first moved to the US. What sort of stuff did you play, and did you ever find yourself singing something you didn’t like?
Oh yeah, I used to play songs I wasn’t too fond of all the time — "crowd pleasers"! "Margaritaville"... I hate that song! I love the (Van Morrison) song "Brown Eyed Girl", but when you’ve played it a million times, it’s no longer a good song to you anymore and you play it through muscle memory, not really even thinking about it.
The bands I was in were mostly classic rock cover bands. We did songs like "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns ’n’ Roses, Pat Benatar, Heart, Devo, Bon Jovi... a lot of ’80s hair band music. It was fun for a while, but I really missed writing and performing my original music, so I quit the cover band and recorded a solo album.
But you now have your first Dolalay EP under your belt too...
The EP was started in May of last year and had to go on hold due to funding, but we finally finished it in January. The title song "Days Like This" is pretty much a love song which is really unusual for me — I maybe write a love song once in a blue moon. But it’s sort of talking about a brilliant day I had and also my love of the rain. It never rains where we live, so it’s a little tribute to dark rainy days. The rest of the songs on the EP are more about changes I’ve gone through, realising that I can be a stronger person and let my darker naughty side step out once in a while. I think that’s why I called the band Dolalay because I had this other side of me in my writing that I wanted to explore. I’m really proud of the EP and so excited to be bringing it to Scotland.
We are planning on touring California in the autumn hopefully gaining new fans along the way.
• Dolalay appear at Hootananny’s Ceilidh Cafe Bar, Inverness, on Sunday and Arainn Fhinn, Portree, Isle of Skye on Tuesday. - Inverness Courier


"Rebecca Connelly Singer Songwriter has gone off her rocker"

Everyone has a bit of crazy in them. We just need to let it go, let our rebellious side burst out now and then.”

That’s singer-songwriter Rebecca Connelly of La Quinta, talking about the name of the new band she has formed, Dolalay, which, in her native Scotland, means “totally off your rocker.”

Dolalay, an indie/rock/pop band that she put together in the past year to give her a regular “family” to work with, has performed at The Date Shed in Indio, one of the few local venues that features indie (from independent) rock, a diverse genre of “underground” music that grew out of the ‘80s grunge and punk bands.

In addition to Connelly on lead vocals/guitar/keyboards, the band members include Todd Fowler, Connelly’s partner in life, on percussion, Ernie Escalera on bass and Martin Barrera on lead guitar.

Connelly got into the music business after a psychic in Scotland told her that her deceased granddad was sending her a message from the afterlife to do it. At the time, she was studying at university to be a geography teacher.

“Not made” for a nine to five job, she performed in Scotland for a while, then came to California five years ago. Since then, she has been doing solo gigs with a variety of cover bands throughout Southern California. Most recently, she has been performing at the Riviera Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, the Cork Tree in Palm Desert and Rendezvous in the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.

But she got lonely as a solo artist. Hence, Dolalay. And now she’s pooling her resources to take the band on a tour of Scotland. The first gig is scheduled for April 13 at The Millgate Bar in her hometown of Arbroath, a seaside city two hours north of Edinburgh.

The tour, which will last through April 28, will also take the band to venues in Inverness, Stirling and the Isle of Skye. “I’m looking forward to the Isle of Skye concert,” Connelly said. “I’ve never been there and the promoter has arranged for radio play of our music and a 300-seat performance venue.”

The band is also working on an EP of their music with producer Justin Gariano and hopes to get an album out in 2012. “We’ve had a great response to our new material,” she said.

Connelly will be heading off to Scotland in early March for the wedding of her sister and the band will follow in time for the April 13 kickoff of the tour. Her friend Doug Johnson of Michigan will be drummer for the tour.

“I’ve only been home once in five years, and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends. I’ll probably hang out there for a while after the tour,” she said.

Connelly said she wanted to share her story so that “other bands who want to make it happen for themselves might be inspired to just work hard and do what they need to do to play music and share it with the world.”

She also wants to thank her granddad for sending the message to her to “be passionate about my craft and to live my dreams.”

You can sample Connelly and Dolalay on Facebook (facebook.com/dolalaymusic) or on You Tube (YouTube.com and search for Dolalay).

Before she departs for Scotland, you can catch Connelly live as a solo artist at the Sidebar at the Riviera in Palm Springs at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, and at the Rendezvous bar inside the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage at 8 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 18 and 25, Friday, March 2, and Saturday, March 3. - Desert Entertainer


"Rebecca Connelly brings a new style of music to Redlands, CA"

Redlands, CA- People come to America for several reasons. Some visit for awhile, and then head back to their country, and there are some who choose to stay and begin a new journey in life.

Scottish, singer and songwriter Rebecca Connelly moved to Redlands, California from Scotland five years ago. She decided to stay and make Redlands her home after a divorce.

“It’s been a journey with lots of ups and downs,” Connelly explains. “But it’s all part of what makes you who you are as a person and an artist.”

Connelly’s voice has been described as one that is sweet, pure and echoes through the diverse range of her songs. Connelly has been compared to pop singer Jewel, Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs and Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan. Connelly received her push to become involved in the music industry in California through the recording of her first album, “Coming Home", which was recorded in a friend’s home studio in Palm Springs.

“I always been into music,” Connelly explains. “I took piano lessons as a kid and was brought up in a very musical household.”

Connelly’s grandfather used to sing and tell stories to the family throughout her childhood. His creativity and singing inspired Connelly. Her mother and sisters also sing. Although Connelly has been around music all of her life, she didn’t fully pursue it until she started seeking different career options. “I’ve never really fitted into the normal 9 to 5 b, and was always brought back into music and writing,” she explains. “So I decided it was what I should and wanted to do. It’s mu passion. It’s like a relationship, you can’t leave it and it never leaves you.”

After the release of her first album, Connelly sold dozens of copies of her album during her shows, which was well received by fans and critics. She was then invited to play a live acoustic set on the local KCLB radio station.

In 2010, Connelly won Best Female artist in the SoCal Live Music Competition with her song ‘Hollywood’. This was her first big win within the America music scene. Since then she has gathered an ensemble of musicians and production staff that enhance both the elegiac clarity of her voice and the powerful thought imagery that defines her song-writing gift. In 2012, Connelly went on tour with her band, ‘Dolalay’. They toured in the United Kingdom (UK).

“Last year I went on tour with my band in the UK,” Connelly said. “It was fantastic. We were asked to perform at the rock-n-roll marathon in Edinburgh which was awesome.”

Dolalay recently released an EP before the tour, which also received radio play in the U.K. Connelly also received the chance to perform for Harrison Ford last year at the AOPA aviation summit. “That was really cool,” she said.

Currently Connelly is working on her second album which will be released by the end of this year. She is also planning a tour in Canada for 2014, as well as a few smaller tours around the States and U.K. As she continues to progress in her career, she would love to get signed by a major record label.

“I’m working on getting my music into television and film,” Connelly explains. “I’m also writing for other artists. I don’t have any expectations and try not to get carried away. As long as I can keep making, recording and performing music I feel like I will be successful. I’m just seeing where life takes me and enjoying the ride.”

For more information and to keep updated with what Connelly and her group are doing please visit www.reverbnation.com/Rebeccaconnelly - The Examiner


"Great Unknowns"

Next in the line-up was a native of Scotland, Folk Pop Artist, Rebecca Connelly. While her genre description is a widely vague one, her voice can only be described as pure, sweet, and full of emotion. Connelly opened with the song, “Friday Afternoon” which she described as a personal story.

“I just lost my job on Friday, so this song is about losing my job,” said Connelly.

While many of Connelly songs are simplistic, it was her deliverance that flooded a sense of echoing emotion that was a reflection of life’s daily common struggles, but also its beauty.
--
- MuiscXray


"Rebecca Connelly - A Rising Star"

RIDAY AFTERNOON and SMALL TOWN GIRL are very different types
of songs that show Rebecca Caldwell could certainly rise to the top
of the sea of Female artists who are worthy of a Grammy.

One could not help but love the groove of FRIDAY AFTERNOON, the beat, the melody and solid moving
vocal performance Rebecca delivers on this great song. Unlike the other song ( and there are actually many more for you to enjoy on her Myspace page ) which I comment on here, this one instantly
grabbed my attention and I felt could make a great driving down the road with your radio blaring away
sort of tune. I like it a lot!
Small Town Girl, upon first hearing it my reaction was " Oh No, another sad girl moaning out her Lilith farewells to the wall and possibly the neighbor's cat. But then I started to really open up and realized by the second spin I gave the tune that Rebecca is a teller of tales, like Bob Dylan from a true Lady's perspective. She drew me right into the web and made me " see " the story, the characters, "the children crying, but you don't hear them cry "she went on...now I am totally involved. Halfway through the song she doubles her vocal parts and brings in the Cello, al la " Yesterday ", thank you Sir Paul! Nice touch, in fact, brilliant. This is a true artist, one who defies a genre or a label and can write what she feels for the sake of the art, rather than for the sake of the cash money machine trends of pop.
Rebecca Caldwell lives in Southern California and has been making her own way for quite some time now, forgoing any other source of income she is a full time dedicated professional artist, something that some of us only dream about being, Rebecca is living her dream. You can find out more about Rebecca Caldwell for yourself by visiting her myspace page which is: www.myspace.com/rebeccacaldwell We will be staying in touch with Ms. Connelly you can be sure. I am very happy to have been blessed with being invited into her circle. This is a young writer and performing artist who has the true staying power to become and maintain her place in the popular music world for many years to come.

www.damngoodtunes.com/solo - Damngoodtunes.com


"UNSIGNED HYPE NEW ARTIST ALERT- Rebecca Connelly Pop/Rock/Folk"

As Always my favorite pass time is Discovering new upcoming and fresh talent, Recently I got the pleasure to find out about a young Pop/Rock with a twist of Folk, Singer/Songwriter by the name of Rebecca Connelly, a Scotland Native now residing in the USA Calling Los Angeles CA home. Her Music is very pleasing to the ear with beautiful melodies and love the live/acoustic feel to all the music not to mention her beautiful tone. Voted best Female Aritist in So-cal music competition and doing Live shows throughout the California area This young singer has A LOT of potential and the drive to go far.

Check out www.reverbnation.com/rebeccaconnellyto listen to her music and see show dates!

My favorite songs are “Friday Afternoon” & “Small Town Girl” she is definitely worth a listen

- Celebrity High Magazine


"Young Scot Secures Gig"

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/918553 - Press & Journal UK


"Shades of Tartan"

1:57 PM PST on Wednesday, January 2, 2008


On April 6, 1320, in Arbroath, Scotland, Bernard, Abbot of Arbroath Abbey, drafted the Declaration of Arbroath, a document many Scottish historians consider to be the most important in Scottish history. Its fiery rhetorical style may have influence the writers of the American Declaration of Independence.

In summer 2006, Rebecca Caldwell drafted songs for her CD, "Just Me" -- an album many listeners consider to be a remarkable collection. It's performed by a singer/songwriter who was born and raised in Arbroath and who now works and lives in the Coachella Valley.

Rebecca's band, the Remedy, performed recently at Romitti's, a continental bistro in Palm Desert. It's a tiny, cozy restaurant. Band members pushed tables to the back of the room to set up equipment, and Christmas lights reflected in their faces, guitars, and cymbals, and a row of wine bottles, shining dark red on a shelf behind them.

The eclectic Romitti art collection -- paintings of a California mission, a Kahloesque woman among purple flowers, a parrot, and a seascape -- hang behind patrons chatting at the bar. A guy with a video camera is recording the event.

But the real attraction is the girl with Tartan beads, killer Tartan pumps and a guitar slung around her while standing behind the mic.

You can hear the brogue in Rebecca's sweet-strong voice, in the way she trips through a melody and clips a note at the end of a phrase. The sound is beautiful and haunting. Listening to her is like being strewn with jewels on a mossy highland glen.

They play cover songs and a few of Rebecca's original compositions. Joe Pike, a teacher at Palm Valley School by day, plays the drums, and Evan Smith, from Boston, plays bass. Joe's father, who is in town for the holidays from upstate New York, listens intently. It's his first time listening to the band, he says.

Earlier this week Rebecca and I discussed Arbroath, a little town on the east coast of Scotland, a fishing village between Aberdeen and Dundee.

"Oh, my God, yeah," she says, when I ask if she gets homesick. For her family mostly, and also for a portion of fish and chips, which we agree is one of the finest meals on the planet. But she loves living in the United States, and she's made loads of friends in the desert, which makes her very happy.

The chemistry among the musicians is strong, and for a fairly new trio, they're tight. This year they plan to collaborate on material for the band. Meanwhile, they're already bringing people together with their upbeat music, while they learn to communicate and share authority on the stage.

"Who wears the kilt in this band?" laughs Joe, when Rebecca overrides his suggestion to play a particular song.

It's a comment I recall later when I travel to Lake Tahoe to ski with my brother, his wife, and their two apple-cheeked daughters, who are visiting from Scotland. My brother wore a kilt at their wedding.

We're all learning and sharing and laughing and crying. We have come together for the holidays, and the sound of our laughter is reminiscent of Rebecca's lilting melodies.


- Press Enterprise Company


Discography

EP - "Just me" 2007 Rebecca Connelly
Album- "Coming Home" 2009 Rebecca Connelly
EP - "Days like this" 2012. Rebecca Connelly with Dolalay

Photos

Bio

Singer/songwriter Rebecca Connelly pours such passion and devotion into her music that listeners can’t help but be flooded with emotion and memories of the beautiful struggle called life. Her voice has been compared to that of Jewel and Natalie Merchant and described as “pure, sweet, and full of emotion.” Her diverse musical style defies genre, but if necessary her songs can be categorized as pop/rock with a twist of folk. Rebecca was raised in a very musical household and was fascinated by the creativity of her grandad’s singing/storytelling. At a very young age she knew that making music was her passion, and she now describes it as “a relationship you can’t leave, and it never leaves you.”
Rebecca departed from her native Scotland five years ago and came to America, where she has been dedicated to moving forward with her career in music. Her first album, Coming Home, was recorded in a friend’s recording studio in Palm Springs and provided the buzz she needed to break into the California music scene. Selling dozens of copies of the album at her live shows, the album was well received by fans and critics alike. In 2010 Rebecca won ‘Best Female Artist’ in the SoCal Live Music Competition for her song “Hollywood,” which gained her acceptance in the U.S. music scene as well as publicity for her music.
Since then, Rebecca has brought together an ensemble of musicians and production staff to complement both the poetic candor of her voice and the powerful emotions and imagery that define her songwriting. Her band, “Dolalay,” released their debut EP Days Like This in Feb 2012 and just returned from touring the UK.
Rebecca is already back in the studio recording her second solo album, due to be released in December 2013, and she plans to tour Canada next year, along with some small U.S. and UK tours. Her new album will have a greater emphasis on piano and be more upbeat, fierce, and fun compared to her last album. With hopes of eventually getting her music into film and television and being signed by a label, Celebrity High Magazine was right when they said that “this young singer has A LOT of potential and the drive to go far.”

Band Members