lachy doley

Biography

Lachlan R. Doley is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter born and raised in Adelaide, who has developed into one of the world's most celebrated blues, soul, and rock keyboardists.[1][3] Beginning his musical journey as a child, Doley initially pursued university education before joining his older brother Clayton as a session musician in Sydney during the mid-1990s.[1] The brothers reunited in 2002 to form the Hands, a classic rock and soul band that released two albums—Live and Breathe (2004) and Everything Is Wonderful (2008)—establishing Doley's reputation for blending blues, soul, and funk into high-energy performances.[1] His breakthrough came when he provided piano and Hammond organ for Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street (2003), and subsequently served as their touring keyboardist from mid-2007 to 2010, significantly raising his profile in the Australian music scene.[1]

Since 2010, Doley has established himself as a solo artist and frontman of the Lachy Doley Group, releasing four albums including S.O.S (Singer Organ Soul) (2013), Conviction (2015), Lovelight (2017)—which peaked at number 40 on the ARIA Albums Chart—and Make or Break (2019).[1] Dubbed 'The Jimi Hendrix of the Hammond Organ' and 'The Jimi Hendrix of the Keyboard,' Doley has earned international recognition for his virtuosic skills on the Hammond organ and whammy clavinet, producing sounds described as intense, ferocious, and sometimes transcendent.[2][3] His career has been marked by collaborations with world-renowned artists including Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jimmy Barnes, Steve Vai, Bootsy Collins, and Billy Thorpe, while performing in over 25 countries at prestigious festivals and venues such as the Byron Bay Blues Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Sydney Opera House.[3][4] In 2024, his first USA tour proved remarkably successful, selling out Nashville's City Winery and achieving over 400 ticket sales each at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and Williamsburg Music Hall in New York.[3]

Fun Facts

• Bootsy Collins praised Doley's clavinet playing, stating 'Makes u feel good the way he plays that clavinet,' while Glenn Hughes called him 'the greatest living keyboard player in the world today.'[6]
• Doley's Facebook videos have accumulated over 6 million views, and he achieved the #1 position on the OZ iTunes Blues Chart.[2]
• In 2017, Doley performed at the BOSPOP festival in the Netherlands to over 12,000 people, demonstrating his international appeal.[2]
• He is frequently compared to Hammond organ legends Jon Lord and Keith Emerson, cementing his place among the greatest keyboard players in rock history.[3][5]

Associated Acts

• The Lachy Doley Group - clavinet, Hammond organ, lead vocals

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Clayton Doley - Older brother who introduced Lachy to professional music as a session musician and co-founded the Hands band with him (The Hands (Live and Breathe, Everything Is Wonderful), session work in Sydney) [Mid-1990s onwards]

Key Collaborators

• Powderfinger - Recording session musician and touring keyboardist (Vulture Street (2003), touring keyboardist) [2003, 2007-2010]
• Joe Bonamassa - Recording and performing collaborator (Betty Davis Songbook album (2015)) [2015]
• Glenn Hughes - Recording and touring collaborator; Deep Purple member (Resonate album, Highway Star cover with Steve Vai and Chad Smith) [2012 onwards]
• Jimmy Barnes - Recording and touring collaborator (Various recordings and tours) [Career spanning]
• Steve Vai - Recording collaborator (Highway Star cover recording) [2012]
• Bootsy Collins - Recording and performing collaborator (Various collaborations) [Career spanning]
• Billy Thorpe - Recording and touring collaborator (Various recordings and tours) [Career spanning]
• The Beautiful Girls - Recording and touring collaborator (Various recordings and tours) [Career spanning]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. What A Night (What A Night)
2. Get out Your Ear's Way (A World Worth Fighting For)
3. Gimme Some Lovin' (Double Figures)
4. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Voodoo Child (Slight Return))
5. Get out Your Ear's Way (Get out Your Ear's Way)
6. Don't Beat Yourself Up (A World Worth Fighting For)
7. I'm a Man (Studios 301 Sessions)
8. Stop Listening to the Blues (Double Figures)
9. Betcha I'll Getcha (Studios 301 Sessions)
10. Gimme Some Lovin' (Gimme Some Lovin')

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz