Bio
Two triplet sisters form the core of Self Animation.
Borninto a musical family, Molly and Kara Delonas have been harmonizing together all their lives.Now seventeen , they are active musicians both in Self Animation and in the respected music program at Randolph High School, which the NAMM foundation has named as one of the TOP 100 SCHOOLS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION in the nation.
The girls’ father, Nick, is a progressive-hard-rock
guitarist and composer who enjoys working with his children on musical
projects. While their older sister has gone on to pursue a career in music
education, and their triplet brother is
off chasing his own muse, Molly and Kara remain focused on writing, performing
and recording as
Self Animation.
The project and band began when the girls recorded the cover song Cinderella
back in 2005, transforming the Play and Cheetah Girls hit from a
tween-girl, bubblegum song into a
hard-rock-feminist anthem. Their original Sad Star, a funky electronica
tune about a successful but melancholy pop star, soon followed,
and it became apparent they were onto something good. Soon some of Nick’s
musician colleagues were lending their time and talents to the girls’ project.
And the general consensus was: These girls can sing!
The girls’ natural pop sensibilities, pleasing vocal harmonies, and perhaps even
their classical music training temper their father’s idealistic, progressive and
hard-rock tendencies. The result is an eclectic and varied, yet consistent and
listenable pop-rock album that reminds some listeners of the Irish Alternative
band, The Cranberries. Molly and Kara had the final say on all aesthetic
decisions, down to the very fonts chosen for the CD cover.
Aside from
Self Animation, Molly Delonas played
piano in middle school, and now alto saxophone in the high school jazz band.
She is also first chair in the RHS Symphonic Winds. Kara plays bass in the RHS
jazz ensemble and double bass in the Wind Ensemble. She is also co-principal in
the Arietta Chamber Orchestra, and played in both Area Band and Region
Orchestra.
An alumnus of Berklee College of Music, Nick Delonas is an amateur composer,
songwriter, lead guitarist and audio engineer. Jim Rilko is a drum teacher and
session player from Allentown, PA. Suzanne Delonas is a music education major
at Kean University. Another Berklee alumnus, Bob Melpignano is a composer,
guitarist, guitar teacher and music producer in the Boston area. And finally,
bassist Ricardo Rodriguez is a highly sought after live/session player in New
York City.