Today we’d like to introduce you to Daisy O’Connor.
Daisy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up on a farm in rural Washington, raised in a conservative, home-schooled Catholic environment. As a child I saved money by selling sheep to purchase my first guitar, which I taught myself to play using chord charts from the internet in my unheated attic bedroom.
At 16 I went to college, but music remained a private passion. After college I worked for five years at a rural domestic-violence shelter, helping women on the run from abusive relationships. It was during this time I encountered the songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov, who inspired me to start writing songs.
I left social work behind during my quarter-life crisis and decided to travel, write songs, and embrace a rootless, folksinger lifestyle. I followed songwriter friends to Austin, Texas, crashed on couches and sublet rooms for a couple years until eventually landing affordable housing in an old dance studio built into a garage in South Austin where I lived for 11 years, firmly rooting me in Austin as a creative base and home.
I prefer to perform solo in the folksinger style, often touring alone. My sound is a blend of American folk, rock, psych, Americana, country, and pop. My music found a home in the Texas folk scene and on public and college radio stations, with frequent spins and in-studio performances on Marfa Public Radio and KUTX over the years.
My work doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, grappling with love, longing, grief, identity, and healing. Across albums, there’s a strong thread of emotional honesty, longing, and hope. I’ve found a lot of love and healing through music, and I want to share it with the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been easy! I never knew young people with money until I entered the Austin music scene and slowly realized most of the people I met had a lot more family support, resources, and better social skills than I did. I thought it was a level playing field and that if I worked hard, I could pull myself up my by bootstraps. I learned the hard way that the world doesn’t actually work that way, and that hard work does not always lead to financial success. I also thankfully learned that money is far from the only marker of success! We get to define what success looks like for us, and in my eyes, I am successful for getting to sing, write, and release songs. That is what I came to Austin to do, and I’m thankful I still get to do it.
Then during the election week of November 2016 – 3 months before my only studio full length album release – a car hydroplaned across 1-10 and hit me head on. I was on my way to play a week of shows in West Texas – something I used to do twice a year. It really changed things for me. I had a sprained back. I couldn’t gig or tour or even carry my guitar for a long time. I had to learn how to walk, retraining my twisted hips and back to relax and move correctly again. I started gigging with friends – hiring side players or a band for each gig to help me get through it. It had a huge impact on my life, but I’m thankful for the strong friendships that got me through that time. You can read more about it here: https://www.austinmonthly.com/austin-monthly-musician-of-the-month-daisy-oconnor/
I struggled with depression for years following the car accident. I kept gigging – at that time with a band, which I loved. Then the pandemic hit and my bandmates moved to LA, and I was left alone. The most alone I’ve ever been, for over a year until the vaccine release when folks started socializing more. It was bleak, and I’ve only recently recovered from what ended up being nearly a decade of debilitating depression and anxiety. I’m thankful to be on the other side of those hardships, and poking my head out to play some shows, record, and share new works with the world. Its a blessing to get to live, breath, move, and sing!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a singer-songwriter of the folk/rock/pop/americana persuasion. I hate labels, but we are supposed to have a genre so I try! I am truly just haunted by melody – I always have been, ever since I was a little kid. I hear things, songs come to me, everything I hear gets stuck in my head. I’m always making up a little ditty about whatever is going on, which as you can imagine has lead to “social challenges” including being single longterm because hey, people find my sing-song ways annoying af. I try to keep it inside, but it pours out anyway. Maybe it’s diagnosable, but since I mostly enjoy it I’m just rolling with the cards I’ve been dealt.
Recently I shared the stage with a badass songwriter who said my songs are “never boring.” That’s maybe the nicest thing anyone could say about my songs. I try to keep it a little bit different, a little bit weird. I get bored easily. I wish I was a John Prine type, but that sort of lighting doesn’t strike often. I also love Roger Miller and of course, our sweet neighbor Willie Nelson. Lucinda Williams is my gold standard for honest, poetic lyrics. If I could write half as good as any of those folks I’d be doing great. Just getting to sing, write, and share songs is good enough for me though. I’ve released many albums and each one takes so much work. Sure, I’d love it if others picked up my songs, covered them, if they got licensed to film, tv, or commercials etc. – but if that doesn’t happen, I’m happy enough just getting to create.
I wish I was a rocker – and I’ve released some stream of consciousness rock songs over the years and think about getting the band back together – but I mostly find myself writing folky songs and waltzes. The dance floors at the honky tonks really clear out when you bust out a waltz. People seem to hate them, but I can’t get away from them. I wrote another one today! I suspect I may be haunted by my Germanic and Slovakian ancestors, who surely danced to waltzes and polkas joyful. It’s hard to get away from your roots.
How do you think about luck?
Good luck:
– Getting to go to college for free. My home state paid for it! ACC has a similar program for Central Texas high school grads – take advantage of it y’all!
– Meeting musical friends in my hometown and getting a band together.
– Making musical friends in Austin, writing songs, playing shows, touring, recording, making it all work. Miraculous.
– Having stable affordable housing the entire time I’ve lived in Austin. It would be impossible for me to live here without the people and programs that have helped me maintain stable housing.
-Finding friends and fans and random cousins all around the country who have opened their homes and hearts to me and my music.
Bad luck:
– The car accident
– Health problems. I got a lot of them and it sucks, but I keep trucking cuz what else can you do?
– The pandemic – I needed a break from music work to recovery from some chronic health problems, but the anxiety and fear of the times was horrible for me as a creative and as a person.
– Shitty politics that hurt people. Many of my music and art friends have left Texas due to the political climate and recent anti-trans legislation. This is a huge loss for Texas – which is a wonderfully diverse state known for being friendly and welcoming. We need to return to our roots of kindness and loving our neighbor! I know we are better than the petty politics that try to divide us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daisyoconnor.com
- Instagram: @daisyoconnor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msdaisyoconnor/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daisyoconnor
Image Credits
Nicola Gell Studios
