451 - Mike Connell of the Connells - 40th anniversary of their debut album, Darker Days

The Raleigh, North Carolina band, The Connells, emerged in 1984, right as the world was turning their eye toward the Southeastern United States, and the innovative sounds of bands like R.E.M. and Let’s Active.  The band were darlings of the burgeoning college radio scene of the Eighties and early Nineties, and even scored a surprise worldwide hit with “’74-’75” in 1995.The band has slowly regained most of their back catalog, and are issuing the 40th anniversary of their debut album, Darker Days.  The newly remastered edition features several bonus tracks - putting it back in physical print for the first time since 1987.We talk with Mike Connell about how quickly things moved along for the band in the early days, being included on the More Mondo compilation, getting to work with Don Dixon, hot on the heels of him producing R.E.M, plus getting signed to Elvis Costello's Demon Records in the UK.He also tells the crazy story of  "'74-'75," including an opportunity to share the stage with Def Leppard!