For songwriters, having a local place like The Wolf in Ballwin, MO, is a great place to meet others. Mac Connelly is new to the St. Louis area by way of Wisconsin. After a few months of seeing Mac play, we finally introduced ourselves and you’re reading the product of that meeting. Click play on “I Didn’t Run” and read about Mac Connelly’s process.
Story Behind “I Didn’t Run”
About recording:
I’ve recorded and released three CD’s Butterflies (2010), The Master (2011), Treacherous Waters (2016).
About inspiration and the writing process:
Songwriting is more hard work than inspiration for me. I’ll start with a chord progression and build from there. The feel of the song will drive the lyrical content, and in my opinion the best songs have a lyrical “payoff.”
About performing and audience reaction:
I performed in public a lot in college and in my 20’s, but then life got busy with family and jobs. I still played my guitar every day (it was my stress reliever!), but I rarely performed in public and I stopped songwriting entirely. I’d lost my muse until I found her back in 2008 when I started gigging again after too many years. I discovered that I could still turn people on with a song, young or old, and grab their attention when they least expected it. When people started approaching me after a show asking if I had any CDs, it was time to start recording. As the 19th century author George Eliot once said, “It’s never too late to be who you might have been.”
Mac Connelly Links
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on ReverbNation
Mac says “I Didn’t Run” is the most played and downloaded song he has on these two sites. You may also download his entire catalog for free.