Stella Donnelly


Stella Donnelly is an Welsh-Australian musician. Born in Western Australia to a Welsh mother, she spent some childhood years living in Morriston before moving to Perth, Australia with her family.

Early life

Donnelly first started singing when she joined a rock band in high school that performed Green Day covers. After high school, Donnelly studied contemporary and jazz music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Personal life

For recreation, Donnelly enjoy playing squash, swimming at beaches, birdwatching, gardening, completing cryptic crosswords, cooking, rock climbing with her partner, and playing board games with friends. In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, she stated:
"My version of taking a break is filling up my day with as many activities as possible."

Musical style and influences

Donnelly describes Billy Bragg and Courtney Barnett as musical influences.

Political views and activism

Donnelly is a supporter of various social and political causes. Her 2017 debut single "Boys Will be Boys", written about societal attitudes towards women and her friend's experience of sexual assault, was dubbed a "#MeToo anthem".
Donnelly is opposed to the celebration of Australia Day. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, she stated:
"It's a really nationalist, white pride day... and it's actually a very historic day for Indigenous Australians – an invasion day, and a day of mourning."
Donnelly supports same-sex marriage, and was "relieved" when it was legalised in Australia in 2017. Donnelly is pro-choice.

Career

Donnelly released her first EP titled Thrush Metal in 2017 on the record label Healthy Tapes. In 2018, the EP was reissued in the United States by the American label Secretly Canadian. She released her debut album, Beware of the Dogs, on 8 March 2019 via Secretly Canadian. It received widespread acclaim from critics, including Robert Christgau, who praised it as a "musical encyclopedia of assholes".
At the 2019 ARIA Music Awards, Beware of the Dogs was nominated for Breakthrough Artist. In October 2019, Donnelly came at no.6 in Happy Mags list of "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now".
Before her solo projects were published, Donnelly was part of two bands called and BELL RAPIDS.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Notes

Awards