Bio

Helena Connolly is an Irish singer and songwriter from Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh. Her 2012 release ‘The Reason Why’ is an impressive debut, heralding the beginning of a career that has planted roots years previous. Helena comes with impressive credentials – a Music Degree from Queens University Belfast, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, and Masters Degree from University of Edinburgh. In the past she has worked as a secondary school teacher in Edinburgh and a Pastoral Worker in Co Kerry.

Like many Irish families, Helena began playing traditional Irish music with her brother and sisters from a young age. “I started listening to Irish female singers like Mary Black, Eleanor McEvoy and Sinead Lohan. Mary Black, in particular, was a huge influence on me. It was songs such as Bright Blue Rose, Katie and No Frontiers, all written by Jimmy McCarthy, that made me pick up a guitar and play until my fingers really hurt”, Helena recalls. Gigging in local pubs, Helena slowly started to build a loyal following and learned the trade quickly. “I was playing in pub bands and singing cover songs for most of my teenage years. It taught me a lot about the craft and skill of song writing and performing. I loved folk and country music and I was constantly learning new songs during this time. I remember listening to singers like Johnny McEvoy and Christie Hennessey – they were great story tellers whose lyrics could draw you closer. I still sing all those songs now and I know I always will. I never tire of singing great songs.”

At the age of 17 Helena moved to Belfast to study a degree in music, graduating in 2000. During these years Helena recorded a single ‘Nothing to Gain’ and appeared on numerous TV shows, most notably BBC/RTE’s ‘Let me Entertain You’ as well as receiving national radio play and coveted support slots with the likes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jools Holland, Melanie C (Spice Girls) and Vonda Shepherd (Ally McBeal).

In 2001 Helena packed her bags and moved to Scotland to study at the University of Edinburgh. For five years she worked in St David’s High School, Dalkeith Midlothian - a time in her life she particularly treasures. In 2006 Helena got the opportunity to return to music when she joined Irish band ‘Onóra’ and subsequently moved to Co Kerry, to gig full time and record an album. ‘Onóra’ became a well known band on the music scene, releasing an album in 2008 entitled ‘Future in the Past’. She says; “This is when things really started to change for me. It was great to be back playing with great musicians and getting out on the road performing again. I really found my voice during this time. As time went on, I knew that a solo album was in the making and the time was right to start writing for an album. It takes time to learn to live from experience and to hone your writing skills. I had to be sure I knew who I was, what I was about, and most importantly - did I have anything to say. I felt much more at ease at the thought of writing for an album – I knew it was my time”

Helena sought out local music producer, Brendan O Connor from Little Dylan Studios Killarney, to produce her album knowing he was the only person for the job. Brendan had produced other bands and artists previously such as Alanna, Davey Arthur (The Fureys) and Fionnuala Gill, from Riverdance and Secret Garden fame, as well as being an accomplished musician in his own right. “Brendan has a huge love and knowledge for all kinds of music. He has always greatly influenced and inspired me – he is hugely talented himself, both as a musician and as a producer. He knew my voice well and really understood what I wanted to do. I definitely struck gold. We started working on songs long before I went into the studio as it took a while to get a bunch of songs that worked together as an album. I love the sound and feel of the album. Brendan works on instinct and really knows how to draw the best out of people in the studio. It was a joy to have him produce this record.”

As a result, we are left with a mature sounding debut which will undoubtedly set Helena further on the path she is destined to take. There are some very strong tracks on the album, such as ‘Morning Light’ and the radio friendly ‘If you Fall’. There are also moments of reflection, in particular songs such as ‘The Reason Why’ and ‘November Haze’ a song written about the tragic number of road deaths in Ireland. “November Haze is a very special song to me” Helena says. “Driving home to Fermanagh, I drive past so many roadside stone memorials; each one tells its own story about the young life lost at that place. So many families have been affected by road deaths in our country – I knew I had to write a song about it”. In the closing track of the album, ‘An Blascaod Mór’ Helena writes about the last group of people who inhabited the Blasket Islands, a unique group of islands that lie of the Dingle coastline. “I am always hugely affected when I visit the Blasket islands. The stories that have come from such a unique landscape are hugely inspiring. This song is definitely a nod to my love for Co. Kerry and particularly the Dingle peninsula”. Other songs like ‘Lead you Home’ and ‘Thats what the World is’ are songs with strong spiritual themes, something which parallels Helena’s own life at the moment. “Being a writer, spirituality hugely interests me. It can’t help but creep into some of the songs” she concludes.

With echoes of Emmylou Harris and Gretchen Peters, ‘The Reason Why’ is an impressive debut capable of standing alongside the debut albums of her own musical idols.

A must-have album for all music fans this year.