This Is Goodbye

With gravelly tones and his emotive lyrics, Westmeath musician Adrian Connolly is
quickly making a name for himself amongst Irish music fans for his own inimitable sound
and style.
At his happiest when on stage with his guitar, the 35-year-old Delvin native’s popularity
has soared since he began writing and playing his own music in venues up and down the
country.
It has driven Adrian to produce his first professional cd, and lay down that uniquely
honest voice and impassioned sound for the first time.
Now living in Fore, Co. Westmeath, Adrian first picked up a guitar aged 17 and the love
affair was born. With an early interest in American country music, his first dive into music
writing played out these influences and he began to sing. However, nervous and unsure
of his ability and talent, it was, in fact, Adrian’s school career guidance teacher in Athboy
Vocational School who first spotted his flair and supported him.
“With his help - in a school office, we recorded a tape of original material. It was rough
and ready but it was what I needed to believe – that teacher pushed me on with my
ideas… he made me believe that what I was doing could be realised and didn’t have to
be just childhood dreams.”
Adrian’s confidence was built playing sessions with musicians in local bars around Meath
and Westmeath over the next few years and before long was playing his own gigs as a
performer up and down the country.
“To me it was always about the gig and not the money. As the years went past and I
took in more venues, I found that I had to evolve my gig to keep with the crowds I was
playing to. I started playing to a younger audience and that’s where I found my niche.”
For the first time, Adrian found himself playing the music he liked to play, in the style he
wanted to play it. He started playing more rock and pop – from classics to charts – and it
was then he really discovered his own vocal sound and ability.
His covers gigs include sounds from Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Green
Day, Thin Lizzy, U2, Lynryd Skynryd, Matchbox 20, Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows.
His voice, though with his own sound and style, has often been compared to Eddie
Vedder – a compliment he doesn’t take lightly.
But it’s all about the music for Adrian, and he loves both the buzz of the full band sound
when playing gigs, but also the intimacy of playing unplugged – particularly the latter
when it comes to his own music.
That step as a fully-fledged singer-songwriter began again in 2009, when he returned to
songwriting for the first time since his teens. With a decade of love, loss and laughter in
life, Adrian found a way to get those emotions into song – the first being ‘Sweet Mary
Jane’.
A song based around events in his own life, he tested it out on his audience during his
covers gigs – and was amazed by the impact it had on them when they heard it.
With such positive feedback he began writing more, getting life experience onto paper,
but he never had the confidence to put them out there for the fear of criticism.
That all changed in March 2010 when he met Paul Doolin – who was heavily involved in
writing stage shows. A former judge at a talent competition where Adrian was
competing, a friendship was struck up and he heavily encouraged Adrian to continue on
his songwriting path.
The past 18 months have been spent writing new material and attending any open mic
night Adrian could find, trying to get his music out to a wider audience.
Summer 2013 saw Adrian step into a recording studio for the first time and with the
help of the Vinny Baker at VeeBee Studios in Mullingar set down three of his songs,
‘Sweet Mary Jane’, ‘Little Girl Lost’ and ‘Come Take Me Home’.
‘Sweet Mary Jane’ is about a girl, who has ended up alone in life and the remorse that’s
felt, but the truth is exposed in the chorus and the song tells it as it is - as someone
who tore lives apart and used hearts as playthings but ended as a victim of her own
game.
‘Little Girl Lost’ tells of someone who has lost her place in life and finds she doesn’t fit in
and the cry for help that fails to be answered. The song is played on slide guitar and gives
a haunting portrayal to the lyrics.
The final track , ‘Come Take Me Home,’ is one which Adrian finds connects with much of
his audience. The song is based on a reflection that if we could all be young again and
innocent to all the hardships we have met as adults. It tells of endless summer days and
sunny skies; of friendships and childhood loves we thought would last forever – but how
we lose sight of these things as we step into our adult world.
Adrian uses the internet and social media as much as he can to promote his music and
gather a following, and the response has been fantastic.
“I have made fans from all over the world and have had people tell me how much my
song means to them and how it puts some happiness in their life – to be told
something like that from a stranger is an amazing experience and that, to me, is what
music is all about.”