By LACHLAN BRYAN
Melbourne artists have a reputation for making interesting, enlightening music and Dan Kelly is no exception. The nephew of legendary Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly, Dan’s musical output could be considered fairly experimental – though he undoubtedly shares his uncle’s pop sensibility.
Born and brought up in Brisbane, Kelly moved to Melbourne twenty years ago to study and make music, going under the name Dank Alley to avoid any accusation of cashing in on the family name. It was a brave move, but an understandable one, given the obvious opportunities for comparison (just ask Jakob Dylan or Liam Finn). Eventually the pseudonym was dropped (wisely perhaps) and he began performing live and making records as part of the band Dan Kelly and The Alpha Males.
By 2006, Kelly had established himself as one of Australia’s most respected performers, earning an ARIA nomination for Best Male Artist, an achievement that he repeated a year later.
Now, in 2015, he has a new band and has released a new album (his seventh) through ABC. The record’s called Leisure Panic! and the first single is the effortlessly catchy Never Stop the Rot.
Look out for Kelly on tour in 2016, or pick up the album at your nearest good record store.
