Have you ever tried balancing three careers at one time? This is the day-to-day life of musician, fine artist and tech professional Yvonne Doll. Fusing indie rock, and 80’s pop, Yvonne’s band The Locals is a force to be reckoned with. She has fine-tuned her sound throughout the years, and it is constantly evolving. Her incredible guitar talent and vocals provide a breathtaking experience to her listeners.
Apart from being the founder and lead singer of “The Locals,” her songwriting is also top-notch. Based in Chicago, Yvonne and The Locals have been dishing out their blend of indie pop-punk since 1998, and they have a nice chunky following to show for it. Yvonne was one of the winners of a scholarship to the Women’s Summit sponsored by Dean Markley USA; her evident skill, accompanied by a punky attitude, sealed the deal.
She has worn various hats before pursuing music as a full-time career. Yvonne received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (one of the top 3 art schools in the world). She is also a member of The Fulton Street Collective (Chicago). She refers to her fine art as “lyrical abstraction”, and many songs accompany paintings. In her approach, music and art are intrinsically intertwined. Yvonne is also deeply interested in street art. When it snows in Chicago, she does a live art installation in the form of a tiny snowman village. The first was about 200 snow people; the second was over 450.
Moreover, she is also a gifted photographer who received international praise for her project, “Sleepy Urbanite.” It became so successful that she landed an appearance on The Today Show. Last but not least, Yvonne is a 25-year veteran in the design/UX/tech space. She has been leading design teams for many years. As a woman in tech, she is very proud of her tenure, given she has collaborated with well-known brands like Bosch, Chicago Public Library, Cirque Du Soleil, Bud Lite, Justin Timberlake, Metromix, and USA Today. Most recently, she has become the Design Director for Jetpack (WordPress/Automattic).
Yvonne majored in painting and photography in college and always knew she was meant to be an artist. She worked slowly and persistently over the years to hone her skills as she pursued her passion for art and music.
Today, Yvonne Doll demonstrates her alt-rock approach and a distinct blend of sensuous sounds that distinguish her and elevates her compositions. She writes peppy Pop Rock tunes with fantastic melodies that also have a hint of punk. Her evocative voice and unique guitar skills set her band, The Locals, apart.
Planning on enjoying their performance? Here is the link to the website where you can find the schedule of ‘The Locals.’
Loi works as a screenwriter & has written various screenplays for films as well as TV dramas. She has always been passionate about storytelling & creative writing. This led Loi Duong to pursue her degree in English Literature from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
