Karrie O’Neill crafts musical works of art. In her 15-plus-year catalogue, emotionally charged lyrics are sung in beautiful fashion over folky instrumentals that dip into moments of jazzy-blues (“Beloved (Acoustic)”), adventurous twang (“Moonflower”) and somber acoustics (“Day Break”). After residing all around the United States, she came to Reno and recorded her latest album, Consequences, in Carson City in 2024. If you’re lucky enough to catch her performing works from her moving discography, make sure you stop and listen for the full effect of O’Neill’s musical magic. For more information, visit karrieoneill.com.
What was the first concert you attended?
Tom Petty.
What was the first album you owned?
U2.
What bands are you listening to right now?
Too many to name, ha! Erykah Badu and FKJ.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Taylor Swift.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Jamiroquai.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Binaural beats. (Editor’s note: According a paper in the National Library of Medicine database, binaural beats are “an auditory phenomenon that occurs when two tones of different frequencies, which are presented separately to each ear, elicit the sensation of a third tone oscillating at the difference frequency of the two tones.”)
What’s your favorite music venue?
A small and intimate one.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
The latest song I listen to.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
That is a tough question. I listen to all kinds of music during different times of life that changed my soul for different reasons.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
Prince: What do you think about when you are alone?
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Celebration” (by Kool and the Gang).
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
U2, War.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
Something that brings peace into the soul! Goapele, “Closer.”
