Night Larks

Songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Suzy Connolly is a musical powerhouse who tells it like it is. In 2010 this artist teamed up with producer and musician Josh Schuberth (Josh Pyke, Ben Folds) and recorded her much anticipated debut solo album Night Larks which has been described has an alternative pop lover’s dream full of soaring classic pop gems with influences ranging from ‘surf’ to ‘beatlesque’, always immediate in establishing Suzy’s trademark honesty, drama and tenderness.

Suzy’s new record is a guitar pop lover’s album with plenty of emotional toughness, lyrical insights and soaring melodic vocal hooks. Some songs reflect Suzy’s recent turbulent times and this is one artist that wouldn’t have it any other way. References include Suzy’s classic pop influences such as Big Star, Aimee Mann alongside grittier rock bands like The Strokes and Blondie.

The inspiration behind the music: Suzy comes from a large and creative family of painters, musicians, producers and writers. Her songwriting father, Richard, even wrote the Play School theme – “There’s A Bear In There”! As a teenager Suzy performed regularly as a jazz vocalist, but struggled with the shyness of youth, yet to find her own voice. Much like two of her heroes, Ray Davies (The Kinks) and Andy Partridge (XTC), who also overcame introversion, Suzy ironically found a way forward by satisfying an urgent desire to write songs and express herself musically and artistically. Luckily for us, she hasn’t looked back since. Suzy’s musical influences sit firmly in the alternative pop field. She counts herself as a big fan of some great bands and writers: The Kinks, The Beatles, Blondie, The Who, Sam Cooke, Teenage Fanclub, Grizzly Bear, Elliot Smith, Brian Wilson, Paul Weller, Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams – you get the picture.

“Through the eleven songs on Night Larks you get the sense that Connolly has lived, loved and learnt a fair amount in her life and her greatest achievement is how she has translated those experiences into her music. Much of the subject matter focuses on relationships, the side effects and the dissolution of them. Unlike many artists who work in similar territory Connolly doesn’t allow the music to sink into dark moods and any sense of wallowing in one’s misery. There is refreshing sense of optimism in the music that gives emotional strength to the overall feel of the record and makes it feel like an ALBUM rather than just a collection of her best songs.” Chris Familton  

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