Wayne Connolly
Wayne Connolly is an Australian producer/engineer and musician. Throughout the 1990s Connolly played in Sydney band The Welcome Mat, who released a series of critically acclaimed albums and EPs through Waterfront Records and id/Mercury. In 1994 he formed Knievel with Tracy Ellis and Nick Kennedy, and the trio went on to release four albums and a series of singles on various labels in Australia, the United States and Japan. Knievel played locally and abroad alongside acts such as R.E.M., Luna, Buffalo Tom, Teenage Fanclub and The Pernice Brothers. In semi-retirement, Knievel’s sporadic live shows of late have seen them share the stage with Big Heavy Stuff and Death Cab for Cutie.
Connolly has balanced his career as a performer with work as a producer and engineer for some of Australia’s most successful and respected bands, including Josh Pyke, The Vines and Silverchair. In the early 90s he took a job managing Paradise Studios for rooART Records, which put him in touch with emerging artists providing songs for the Youngblood compilation series. Among these were Underground Lovers, Glide, Custard and Drop City, all of whom formed working relationships with the producer. In 1992, the Connolly produced Underground Lovers album Leaves Me Blind received Rolling Stone magazine’s the Best Australian Record award. The following year he engineered You Am I’s fourth EP Coprolalia and their debut album Sound As Ever, alongside Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. This album went on to win the 1993 ARIA for Best Alternative Release. Other 90s credits include Wahooti Fandango by Custard, Fill Yourself With Music by Screamfeeder, The Young Need Discipline by The Fauves and Sold by Died Pretty. Over the past decade Connolly has worked on projects of varying lengths with Neil Finn, Silverchair, Youth Group, Jimmy Barnes, The Living End, Grinspoon, Powderfinger, The Veronicas, Jim Moginie and The Grates. His most recent credits include albums for Dappled Cities, Old Man River, Royal Chant, and Something for Kate’s Paul Dempsey. He has received numerous ARIA nominations and awards for his work with these artists, including best producer and engineer for his work on Josh Pyke’s Memories and Dust in 2007.
In addition to his work in the music recording industry, Connolly has produced work for film and TV. Film credits include Black Balloon, Newcastle, Little Fish, Monkey Prize, Mullet, Willful and Dirty Deeds. The track When We Get There, produced for Black Balloon won best song at the recent AGSC/APRA awards.
Connolly has built his own studio in Alberts Music premises in Sydney. The studio houses a legendary Neve 8026 desk, one of few in working condition today.
Awards
- 1996 – ARIA Engineer of the Year for You Am I, Hourly Daily
- 2006 – ARIA Breakthrough Artist – Single for Youth Group, Forever Young
- 2007 – ARIA Engineer of the Year for Josh Pyke, Memories and Dust
- 2007 – ARIA Producer of the Year for Josh Pyke, Memories and Dust
Nominations
- 2006 – ARIA Producer of the Year for Youth Group, Casino Twighlight Dogs
- 2006 – ARIA Engineer of the Year for The Vines, Vision Valley
Select Production Credits
- 1991:
- Youngblood 3 by Various Artists
- 1992:
- Leaves Me Blind by Underground Lovers
- 1993:
- Copralalia by You Am I
- Sound as Ever by You Am I
- 1994:
- Wahooti Fandango by Custard
- The Young Need Discipline by The Fauves
- 1995:
- Hi Fi Way by You Am I (selected tracks)
- Higher Up The Firetrails by Bluebottle Kiss
- Sold by Died Pretty
- 1996:
- Hourly Daily by You Am I
- Disappear Here by Glide
- 1997:
- In Your Bright Ray by Grant McLennan
- Steep Hill Climb by Knievel
- 1998:
- Lazy Highways by The Fauves
- Mud and Five Ways to Serve It by Flanders
- 1999:
- Sweeter than the Radio by Icecream Hands
- King Autumn by Hoolahan
- 2000:
- Everyday Dream by Died Pretty
- The Name Rings a Bell that Drowns out your Voice by Knievel
- 2001:
- Size Of The Ocean by Big Heavy Stuff
- First Translated in 1965 by Ides of Space
- 2002:
- Drag (EP) by Drag
- Live at the Brattle Theatre/Griffith Sunset by Evan Dando
- 2003:
- Rarities by Silverchair
- 2004:
- Dallas Crane by Dallas Crane
- Skeleton Jar by Youth Group
- 2006:
- Factory Girls by Dallas Crane
- Casino Twilight Dogs by Youth Group
- Vision Valley by The Vines
- Nervous Flashlights by The Fauves
- Flame Trees by Sarah Blasko
- 2007:
- Intermission: The Best of the Solo Recordings 1990-1997 by Robert Forster and Grant McLennan
- The Bells Line by 78 Saab
- Memories & Dust by Josh Pyke
- 2008:
- When Good Times Go Good by The Fauves
- Chimney's Afire by Josh Pyke
- Easy Fever: A Tribute to the Easybeats and Stevie Wright by Various Artists (including Neil Finn, Jimmy Barnes and Iva Davies)
- 2009:
- Zounds by Dappled Cities
- Everything is True by Paul Dempsey
- Ragged and Ecstatic (select tracks) by Yves Klein Blue
References