Debut album AFTER THOUGHTS available now everywhere
Debut album AFTER THOUGHTS self-released October 12, 2018 on personal imprint Runaway Girl Records in limited edition of 300. Audiophile-quality vinyl pressed at Pallas, Germany. Coming soon on CD.
STREAM / BUY NOW AT annaconnolly.bandcamp.com and everywhere else
Anna writes, plays, and sings songs that tell stories about the bare world of emotion and the human experience. She fell into playing music later in life, but the seeds were planted early. She went to punk shows in LA as a young teenager, and when her family moved to DC in the 1980s, she and her sister Cynthia became part of the nascent punk scene there. She spent much of her high school years working at a record store, buying records, and going to shows. Though many of her friends were in bands, she didn’t get the idea to play until much later in life.
Though Anna’s songs all start as solo acoustic works, at different times she has brought on musicians to play with her to expand and enrich her songs. This was her goal for her debut album AFTER THOUGHTS. For this project, Anna worked with longtime DC musician Devin Ocampo (the EFFECTS, Beauty Pill, Faraquet, and more) as well as co-producer and engineer Don Godwin (Slavic Soul Party). Anna has also played and recorded with Joe Lally (Fugazi) and Stefan Bauschmid (Numbers Station). Read more about the record here: https://annaconnolly.com/thealbum/
It’s always the right time to write from the heart.
Photo credits: Headshots, and Anna On Grass In Rain, by Claire Packer. Live shot photo by Christina Domingues.
AFTER THOUGHTS carries the listener through raw and stark songs about life’s ups and downs, about relationships gone wrong, about ironies and unexpected twists of fate.
Anna writes her songs alone, her first shows were solo acoustic shows, and she loves playing solo. But she wanted to play with others, to try her songs out louder, to expand her music with others. This was her vision for her first album: to collaborate with other musicians to add texture, sound, and breadth to her music. To this end, she worked with two very talented musicians on this record, Devin Ocampo and Don Godwin, who co-produced the record as well as played on it. (Don also engineered, and Devin did the mixing.)
Devin Ocampo, a longtime multi instrumentalist, songwriter, and recording engineer, has deep roots in the DC music scene as a current member of the Dischord band the EFFECTS and the bands Beauty Pill, Warm Sun, and Penguin. He was in Faraquet, the Medications, and many other bands over the years. Don Godwin is a full-time recording engineer at Tonal Park Studio. He is also a professional musician whose interest in Balkan music drew Anna in.
ALBUM CREDITS
All songs written by Anna Connolly, except Starik Kozlodoev (Boris Grebenshchikov) and Copper (Shellac).
Produced by Anna Connolly, Don Godwin, and Devin Ocampo.
Recorded at Tonal Park in Takoma Park MD, with Don Godwin as engineer, in multiple sessions from December 2017 through April 2018. Additional recording by Devin Ocampo at Treetop Studios in Hyattsville MD and by Anna in her living room. Stars was recorded at Inner Ear Studios, with Don Zientara as engineer, with Stefan Bauschmid (drums) and Joe Lally (bass), in February 2017.
Mixed by Devin Ocampo with Anna Connolly at Bastille Record Services in Arlington VA, except 21 (mixed by Don Godwin with Anna Connolly at Tonal Park, Takoma Park MD).
Mastered by Doug Van Sloun, Focus Mastering, Omaha NE. Vinyl lacquer cut by Bob Weston, Chicago Mastering Service, Chicago IL. Vinyl pressed by Pallas, Germany.
All songs (c) 2018 Anna Connolly (BMI)
“After Thoughts” is available to stream and purchase everywhere
Visit my bandcamp page to purchase limited-edition vinyl LP, CD, t-shirts, magnets, etc.
On Spotify:
UPCOMING SHOWS
Sept 11 – Black Cat 28th Anniversary Show, with Algiers, Ted Leo, the Owners, Teen Cobra. Playing with Hannah Burris (viola). Tickets here
PAST SHOWS
2020:
Mar 6 Washington DC-Black Cat main stage, with Ladygod, Gladshot, Frass Green. FB event/tickets: here
Jan 23 Washington DC-Slash Run, with Moonwheels, Landfall
2019:
Oct 18 Baltimore MD-Joe Squared, with SAVAK, Quattracenta
Oct 11 Lyons IL-Buckledown Brewing, with Claire and the Bears, JSJ, Caitlin Edwards
Sept 15 Washington DC-Black Cat, with Forgetter (record release show!) and SWOLL. Tickets: here. Facebook event here.
Aug 10 Washington DC-Bossa Bistro and Lounge, with the Lodestones, Idaho Joe Winslow
Jul 6 Baltimore MD-Reverb, with Bloomstreak and $100 Girlfriend
May 19 Jamaica Plain MA-Midway Cafe, with Cotton Candy, Weather Weapon, Thalia Zedek. Tickets here. Facebook event here.
May 18 New London CT-33 Golden, with Big Fang, Dr. Martino. Facebook event here.
May 17 Kingston NY-Tubby’s Kingston, with expriest. Facebook event here.
Apr 17 Los Angeles CA-Zebulon, with Craig Wedren & the Messthetics. Tickets here. Facebook event here.
Apr 5 Washington DC-Dangerous Pies/the Pie Shop, with Luna Honey, Manners Manners (Baltimore). Tickets here. Facebook event here.
Feb 16 Winchester VA-Hopscotch Coffee and Records, with Mink’s Miracle Medicine
Feb 15 Richmond VA-Steady Sounds Records
Jan 27 Willimantic CT-Willimantic Records, with So Sorry & Big Fang
Jan 26 Boston/Jamaica Plain MA-Deep Thoughts Record Store, with Cotton Candy & the Over Easies
Jan 25 Kingston NY – Rocket Number Nine Records, with expriest (Damian Patrick Cleary/William James Manley)
2018:
Dec 23 Washington DC-Black Cat, with the Messthetics, Blacks’ Myths
Nov 30 Washington DC-Songbyrd Vinyl Cafe, with Sis
Nov 25 Philadelphia PA-Maas Building, with Sis and Julia Rainer
Nov 24, 4pm Mechanicsburg PA-RecordSmith in-store
Nov 11, 4pm Alexandria VA-Crooked Beat Records in-store, with Don Zientara
Nov 4 Interview and performance on College Park Radio WMUC 88.1 FM with Quattracenta, Foul Swoops
Oct 24 Washington DC at U Street Music Hall with Oh Pep!
Oct 20 Baltimore MD with Manners Manners, Holy Fingers at the Undercroft FB event here
Oct 12 Record Release Show at Dew Drop Inn (DC). With Devin Ocampo (drums), Don Godwin (bass), Hannah Burris (viola). Also playing: Joe Lally, with Anthony Pirog accompanying. Panini Girlfriend (solo). FB event here
Sept 25 Interview and performance on Rock & Roll Rabbit Hole show, Takoma Radio WOWD-LP 94.3 FM
Sept 7 at Slash Run, with No Swoon.
Jun 7 at Dew Drop Inn with Teething Veils, Uvee.
Apr 27 at Marx Cafe with Jon Camp.
Mar 5 at Black Cat with Report Suspicious Activity, Two-Inch Astronaut.
Feb 21 at DC9 with Penguin.
2017: December 2 at Slash Run, The Songs of Leonard Cohen Tribute Event. November 20 at Galaxy Hut with Nice Breeze, Elisa Flynn. November 15 at Bossa Bistro & Cafe, with Scott Collins. August 15 at Collide atX (Austin TX). August 11 at Turn!Turn!Turn! (Portland OR) with Mae Starr, Dusty Santamaria. August 4 at Streetlight Records (Santa Cruz CA) with Getaway Dogs. June 18 at Comet Ping Pong, with What Cheer? Brigade. May 22 at Slash Run, with Teething Veils, and Domingues & Kane. April 7 at Rock and Roll Hotel, with Boss Hog. March 5 at Bossa Bistro & Cafe, with Numbers Station and Quattracenta. January 23 at Galaxy Hut, with Don Zientara.
2016: October 15 at Slash Run, with Elisa Flynn and Teething Veils.
and a few more a few years before that.