The Connells

The Connells are a music group from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was formed in 1984 by guitarist Mike Connell, along with his brother David Connell on bass, George Huntley on guitar, Doug MacMillan on lead vocals, and Peele Wimberley on drums. The group started writing songs and recording together, eventually releasing their debut album Darker Days in 1985. The Connells were part of the 1980s college radio boom, particularly with their second album Boylan Heights (1986), recorded with producer Mitch Easter. Their music garnered comparisons with R.E.M. The group released their third album One Simple World (1990), which showed the group expanding their sound considerably. In 1993, The Connells released their fourth album Ring. The album’s second single was the acoustic ballad “‘74-‘75, ”which became a substantial hit for the group, taking off in Europe (peaking at Number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and Number 1 in Norway). Ring would go on to become a platinum record, reaching Number 36 on the UK Albums Chart. That same year, The Connells performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. In 1996, the group released Weird Food and Devastation, which solidified their status in America as a band with a cult following. This was followed by the release of Still Life (1998), the first album by The Connells to feature songwriting contributions from every band member. Their next album, Old School Dropouts, was released in 2001. After a lengthy hiatus, The Connells released the album Steadman’s Wake in 2021.