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How does a guy who restores churches and plays bass for heavy metal bands end up devoting himself to writing music from within the "Americana" tradition . For Steve Connolly "power chords" used to mean Led Zeppelin, Kiss, and Aerosmith. Today he devotes himself to trying to understand what exactly Chet Atkins contributed to the transformation of and conflict between Scotty Moore's rockabilly, and Hank Williams traditionalist "hillbilly". Steve Connolly's songwriting muse comes from the way he "listens" to music. When Steve realized that Elvis Presley was more than just a movie idol, and performance master but an arranger, interpreter, and ultimately a source of a wholly different type of songwriting, Steve's approach to music, performance, and songwriting changed. Many interject immediately: Elvis didn't write music. But Steve noticed Presley's transformation of songs like "That's All Right Mama" , or "Blue Moon of Kentucky" , and a type of interpretation which amounts to songwriting became evident. He then delved into Elvis's orchestrations in the studio. Elvis Presley made decisions about style and timing so specific that today's music industry would have credited Elvis with songwriting. Connolly's reaction to Presley's interpretation of music was a type of personal songwriting transformation . It began with the way Steve "listened" to the Hank Williams hit "Hey Good Looking". Steve's idea was this: how does a song about ultimately sexual seduction get re-interpreted to sound sexy to today's audience. Surely, sung today that song would sound different. His decision was to "arrange" the song with the great blues standard "Kansas City". Next, sing the song as a sexed up song of seduction. Listen to the results yourself.
Steve's original compositions come from lyrical motivations which amount to an acceptance that no romantic love solves all problems. Musically, there was a decision that some notes more than others, and an approach to guitar chords somehow straddling the Edge and Lucinda Williams could best communicate truths which a man's child needed to hear. Strangely enough, raising children changed Steve from a guy content with the usual three chord stadium anthem to a guy determined to pen notes and chords which captured a sound which could both soothe a child's anxieties and make adults grasp the real simplicity behind pop/rock music. On another level, Steve was intent on somehow grafting the songwriting magic typified by a song like The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" onto a tradition transformed by Elvis Presley. Listen to " Good Night" or "Frogs in Her Hair" and it is easy to realize why so many adults and kids listen to entirely different types of music. Steve Connolly's songwriting ambition is to change all of that. Simply put: write lyrics even a very small child would find attractive and then construct the melody so that a relaxed, and musically attentive mood is guaranteed for the adults. Melodic and chromatic sophistication married to lyric simplicity. Refer to Steve's song "Last Thing I Do" for a great example of that synthesis.
On another level Steve's music is about grasping blue collar poverty and tragedy in Worcester, Ma. Steve's mom had seven kids, three of whom died from leukemia: . John , Colin, Patrick. Steve's understanding of a child's fragility and his mother's basic heroism led to writing most of his songs so that something essential might get communicated to one's child. In his mind, too much of today's rock neither lyrically, or musically communicated anything of value to the very people who had to make this planet work in the future. Most of Steve Connolly's songs grab at this opportunity.
The overall temptation is to say that everything has been said, done, or written about musically or otherwise. Steve Connolly's claim is that looking at what went before you makes all the difference, and that "new music" often simply captures the real essence, rudiments, and emotions encased in what entertained older audiences. |