Stella Donnelly: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

NPR Music
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Published 2019-01-29
Jan. 22, 2019 | Robin Hilton -- When Stella Donnelly showed up for this Tiny Desk performance with just her guitar in hand, she immediately won the office over with her broad smile, warmth and good-natured sense of humor. It's the kind of easy-going, open-hearted spirit that makes her one of the most affable live performers you'll see. While there's no doubting her sincerity, she's also got a disarming way of making her often dark and brutal songs a little easier to take in.

For this set, she performed entirely new — and, as of this writing, unreleased — songs from her upcoming full-length debut, Beware of the Dogs. Opening with the title cut, Donnelly smiled cheerfully through the entire performance while reflecting on the horrors that often lurk beneath the surface of seemingly idyllic lives. "This street is haunted like a beast that doesn't know its face is frightening to behold," she sings. "All the painted little gnomes, smiling in a line, trying to get your vote."

She follows with "U Owe Me" — a song that's both comical and eviscerating as she describes a horrible boss she once worked for at a pub in Australia — before closing with what Donnelly describes as "a more run-of-the-mill breakup song" called "Allergies."

Surprisingly, Donnelly chose not to play any of the songs that have gotten her to where she is in her young career — songs like 2017's "Boys Will Be Boys" or last year's "Talking," two savagely frank examinations of misogyny and violence that earned her the reputation for being a fearless and uncompromising songwriter. But the new material demonstrates that her unflinching perspective and potent voice is only getting stronger.

Beware of the Dogs is out March 18 via Secretly Canadian.

Set List
"Beware of the Dogs"
"U Owe Me"
"Allergies"

Credits
Producers: Robin Hilton, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kaylee Domzalski; Production Assistant: Brie Martin; Photo: Cameron Pollack/NPR
All Comments (21)
  • @iguessimryan
    She sings sad songs but with this happy disposition, almost as though she perceives things in a "life is just funny and that there's no need to be jaded by it" kind of way. I love it.
  • @1999tenorio
    This is quickly becoming a place for me to discover new favorite artists
  • @LooneyJuice
    Talk about perfect pitch, this is uncanny. Her vocal control is amazing. I have to remind myself this was a live performance in one take for crying out loud. Had never heard of her, came without any expectations, was somewhat blown away. And that's putting it mildly. Treasuring NPR Tiny Desk for the invaluable source of fresh influences that it is.
  • @cameronmoore7675
    She absolutely kills it on guitar while simultaneously singing like an angel, and somehow makes it all look effortless. She's a true musician in a way that most could only hope to be. Bravo.
  • @kj22697
    She really makes you feel like she's singing just for you
  • @IroGraonidou
    The good thing with NPR tiny desk concerts is that whether you will like the artist or not, you can be sure that it won't be time wasted and it will be worth listening to 😊
  • @egnurevets
    Man, nowhere to hide with that clean guitar tone, and every little pluck is perfect, and perfectly in service of the tune.
  • @damienh2901
    that line about flat vb or fosters really sets a scene
  • @frogfrog666
    the way she plucks those guitar strings during u owe me genuinely makes me tear up. i dont know why, they are just so clean and her vocals work so well!!!
  • @jeffdunn837
    she is extremely talented—vocal control, lyricism, hooks, super clean guitar technique, it's all great. have been listening to her new album lately and it's refreshing and invigorating. always nice to hear someone with a distinct point of view.
  • @multani42
    first song is gonna be a strong contender for song of the year 2019. simple yet solid, 'beware of the dogs' is an elegant, dreamy, rallying-against-the-man-at-the-pub, punk tune that distills the divide between abuser and abused into a tight, uplifting warning to the powers that be. stella donnelly's voice control is outstanding, and you really have to view the whole set to truly appreciate the dare-i-say-it judy garland level warbles that she delivers line after line. one perfect performance after the other, whether you're into woke lyrics or raw talent you owe it to yourself to give her a try.
  • @frarfarf
    5:39 listen to how she picks those notes to match how she sings 'CCTV' ...lovely