Stella Donnelly Shares New Song + Video, “Lunch”

Today Stella Donnelly shares a new song, “Lunch,” from her debut album Beware of the Dogs, out March 8th on Secretly Canadian. Following biting lead single, “Old Man,” “Lunch” showcases Donnelly’s ability to pinpoint uncomfortable emotional truths in mundane moments. She tackles the life-uprooting nature of being a touring musician with delicately complex instrumentation as she heart wrenchingly sings, “You’ve got plots and persuasions and time to explain // But I’ve only got time for lunch // And I get homesick before I go away.”

Watch the video below, created by Donnelly using an early 2000s camcorder.

“This is my favourite song on the record,” says Donnelly. “It was a massive team effort the night before I flew away on tour. A song that was only ever meant to be played on a single guitar and sung turned out to be the most intricate and textured piece of music I’ve ever produced. I wrote this about the feeling of displacement I get when I go on tour and come back and nothing feels the same. There’s a disconnect there.”

Additionally, Donnelly performed three other new Beware of the Dogs songs — “U Owe Me,” “Allergies,” and the title track — for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series.

“It’s the kind of easy-going, open-hearted spirit that makes her one of the most affable live performers you’ll see,” says Robin Hilton. “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.”

Donnelly boldly introduced herself to US audiences in late 2017 with the release of the song “Boys Will Be Boys,” which she wrote in 2016 about victim-blaming of survivors of sexual assault. Since then, Donnelly spent much of her time on tour in support of her debut “Thrush Metal” EP before returning to Australia’s chilly winter in June 2018 to record Beware of the Dogs. She enlisted a full band consisting of her best friends – bassist Jennifer Aslett, drummer Talya Valenti, and guitarist George Foster – and worked alongside producer Dean Tuza who helped flesh out the songs without sacrificing any of the intimacy and warmth of her EP. Filled with razor-sharp wit and a charismatic charm, Beware of the Dogs is a portrait of Donnelly taking charge.

Stella Donnelly Tour Dates:
Fri. March 15 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall #
Sat. March 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Mon. March 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade #
Wed. March 20 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom #
Fri. March 22 – Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom #
Sat. March 23 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo #
Sun. March 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel #
Mon. March 25 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx #
Wed. March 27 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups #
Thu. March 28 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop #
Fri. March 29 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s #
Sat. March 30 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club #
Tue. April 2 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
Wed. April 3 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall #
Fri. April 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord #
Sat. April 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater #
Thu. April 11 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Fri. April 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Skybar
Sat. April 13 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
Mon. April 15 – Cologne, DE @ Yuca
Tue. April 16 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
Wed. April 17 – Amiens, FR @ La Lune Des Pirates *
Thu. April 18 – Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up Du Label
Tue. April 23 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
Wed. April 24 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
Thu. April 25 – Southampton, UK @ Joiners
Sat. April 27 – Brighton, UK @ Haunt
Sun. April 28 – Manchester, UK @ Yes
Mon. April 29 – Dublin, IE @ Grand Social
Wed. May 1 – Glasgow, UK The Blue Arrow
Thu. May 2 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Community Room
Sat. May 4 – Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Sound City
Sun. May 5 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Tue. May 7 – London, UK @ Scala

# = with Faye Webster
* = supporting Yak