Bio
Holly Conner is a Sydney-based drummer and percussionist working across the pop/rock, jazz/improvised and experimental music scenes. From early beginnings in classical percussion, she now specialises in drum kit. Under the moniker .ilex, Holly also DJs and composes/performs electronic music combined with live drums.
Current groups Holly is a part of include funk/jazz fusion outfit Funk Engine; All-girl covers band Covergirls; electronic/house band Minus Marcus; experimental folky-pop group Nou; and Heather Prowse's jazz quartet The Wireless. Holly has also previously been a part of minimalist improvisation collective Microfiche, and trio Cloud Loops.
As a freelance musician, Holly has recorded the drum and percussion pasts on the soundtrack for the BBC/HBO Television Series Top of The Lake. She has also toured throughout Australia with singer-songwriter Holly Throsby.
Holly is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz Course (Bachelor of Music, Honours, 2013-2016), where she studied under Dr. Simon Barker and Phillip Slater, among others.
Career Highlights (Freelance/Performances/Studies/Tours)
- .ilex Solo Drum Performance at the 'Bodies to Bodies' Event at Oxford Arts Factory. Percussive and textural track and combined with live drums and percussion. Other performers included Din, Ayebatonye and Powder L. Curated by Anna May Kirk.
- Recordings for the short film Beyond the Noise (post-production). Music composed by Joseph Franklin.
- Recordings for Andree Greenwell's Listen to Me Project, a musical response to the issue of gendered violence.
- Sold out Funk Engine performances at Venue 505 (Five Year Anniversary Gig and Tribut to Lettuce Show), and performance at the annual Scandinavian Film Festival.
- .ilex DJ sets at Pressor and FC3 events, and Colourfields 'Body Objects' Launch, amongst others. Click here to listen to some mixes from these events.
- Minus Marcus performance at Stucco Housing Co-op Festival. The Wireless performances at The Manor, Johnson St. Jazz, Halfback Books and Hibernian House.
- Performance at All Ears: A Listening Party at Campbelltown Arts Center with Marcus Whale and Jacques Emery. Playing zither, accordion and piano.
- Recording drums and percussion for the soundtrack of BBC/HBO Television Series Top of The Lake (Series 2, China Girl). Music composed by Mark Bradshaw & Marcus Whale.
- Holly Throsby 'After a Time' Tour with performances in Brisbane, Newcastle, Katoomba, Canberra, Sydney, Milton, Melbourne and Adelaide. Other band members were Abel Cross (bass) and Tim Kevin (guitar). Click here, here and here for some reviews.
- Playing marching snare drum at Spotless Staduim, Sydney, as part of the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL Marching Band. The band played the Giants theme song for the fan parade to the stadium, on the field while players ran out, and whenever the Giants scored goals.
- Performance at Sydney Contemporary Opening Night at Carriageworks, with Marcus Whale. Music Curated by Vice.
- Appearace and performance on ABC TV's 'Growing Up Gracefully' Episode 5.
- Performances at many 2017 festivals including: Underbelly Arts Festival at National Art School (Jason Phu's installation work and the NOW Now's Late Night Lab Event); Manly Jazz Festival (The Wireless); Speak Satellite Wollongong (Microfiche and Minus Marcus); and The Now now Festival (Jeff Henderson & The Not Quite Quiet Choir).
- Funk Engine second album Taking a Ride released, with a sell-out album launch at Venue 505. In 2017 Funk Engine have performed on Radio Skid Row, toured to Melbourne and performed at Regrowth Festival. Funk Engine performance at the late-night spot after Terri Lyne Carrington's Sydney performance at the SIMA International Women's Festival, on November 10th 2017.
- Performance at Bohemian Grove, Hibernian House with School of Velocity (Holly Conner, Clayton Thomas & Felix Bornholdt).
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
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