FREE
Wilson Town Square, Knox Building

Join us for a performance by Stress Dolls!

About Stress Dolls

Stress Dolls is the moniker of Chelsea O'Donnell, a songwriter from Buffalo, NY. O'Donnell began playing around Western New York in 2013, initially calling herself Wolf and eventually forming a band. After releasing one EP, the group went through a few different line-ups and, in time, changed their name to Stress Dolls. 
 
Due to differing pursuits, the band split in early 2017, but O'Donnell decided to keep playing under the name Stress Dolls. In hopes of furthering her career, she moved to Nashville, TN, but was there only six months before chronic health issues sent her to the hospital to undergo a feeding tube procedure. Following the surgery, she moved back to Buffalo and, after a period of recovery, began writing, performing, and recording again.

From 2019 to 2021, O'Donnell independently recorded and released new music. In early 2022, she was invited to work with Jim Wirt (Fiona Apple, Jack's Mannequin, Something Corporate, Incubus) at Superior Sound Studios in Cleveland, OH. After recording several songs together, including her latest singles “Ghostwriter” and “Body,” she was offered a record deal with Sun Pedal Recordings.  

Currently, Stress Dolls takes on several forms live: solo with O’Donnell and her acoustic guitar; duo when joined by longtime collaborator Sally Schaefer on violin; or band when combined with members TJ Luckman (bass), Jordan Smith (lead guitar), and Josh English (drums). The project’s sound has drawn such comparisons as “Joni Mitchell meets Nirvana,” “Avril Lavigne and Foo Fighters in a blender,” and “Kathleen Hanna fronting Modest Mouse.”