While Donnelly has become a name that’s generating a lot of buzz, it’s certainly not the reason why she’s making music in the first place.
Her solo venture hasn’t been part of a greater plan other than to track some of her own songs, having spent the last few years playing in the band Boat Show. “I wasn’t even expecting to get any attention from the EP, it was just so lo-fi and so raw,” she says. “It was just meant to be a really good experience and everything that’s come out of it has just happened.”
While most solo projects have a backing band in tow, Donnelly has instead chosen to play her first national tour completely solo. “It’ll just be me on stage for now. It’s simple and it’s enough for me at the moment. I’d like to maybe get a band together one day.”
When asked how she feels being completely exposed on stage, Donnelly is honest about the conflicting emotions she experiences. “It can be really overwhelming sometimes. You never know what sort of response you’re going to get. You’re putting yourself up on the chopping block, but it’s thrilling at the same time.”
Announced as one of the artists on the Queenscliff Music Festival lineup, Donnelly confesses she found out about the offer to play while sneakily checking her phone at work. “I was behind the toaster where I can hide my phone, making a toasted sandwich. I quickly open my phone and there’s an offer for Queenscliff. Meanwhile, I’ve got Barry waiting for his mustard and cheese toastie which I’ve taken too long to make.
“It’s this weird juxtaposition. It’s like this is my real life but there’s all this other crazy shit happening as well.”
Donnelly plans to work on some new material prior to the festival in the hopes of making some progress with her follow-up EP. “I’m going to be in Melbourne for a month before that doing some recording. My partner Jordan who produced the last EP is going to come over and we’re going to do Queenscliff together.
“It’s the perfect festival. We’ve got a festival called Fairbridge out in WA and it’s the same kind of vibe – all ages, really beautiful environment to play in.”
Donnelly is particularly excited to head to Queenscliff to see acts such as Nai Palm and Yothu Yindi, admitting to being a big fan of the former. “I saw Nai Palm in a hotel lobby in Hobart once and I had to run away because I was so starstruck.”
Donnelly is also opening for the likes of Alex Lahey and Ali Barter in the coming months, admitting she’ll be feeling perpetually star struck. “I get to meet all these incredible, powerful musicians, I’m really pumped.”
Donnelly is quick to confess the attention she’s been receiving has felt incredibly surreal. “I’ve got a classic case of imposter syndrome. I feel like everything that keeps happening is happening to someone else and not me.
“It’s something I need to get over because I want to be able to enjoy this because it could all be over in a month’s time. I want to work on how I process everything because at the moment I’m a scared little fish.”
As for what the future holds, Donnelly is remarkably realistic. “I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself in terms of a timeline. I know that I definitely want to have something out next year. I’ve got songs up my sleeve that I want to put out, it’s just a matter of how to put that out.
“If I relax and remember that I’m a very privileged woman it helps me to put it all into perspective. I’m not trying to be this profound wise guru but I think I have to keep checking in and remember that I’m really lucky. We all have to do that.”
