Daniel 'Dan' Kelly is the second oldest of six children, the nephew of Paul Kelly. He grew up in Queensland and learnt the guitar at thirteen, studying Environmental Science at University, in Brisbane, in 1990. He formed his first band, Nord, in Brisbane before moving to Melbourne in 1996, where in 2000 he started playing solo shows, under the name Dank Alley, not wanting to trade on his famous uncle’s name. In May, 2003 he released his first solo EP, Man O Mercy, which spawned the radio hit "Countermeal Kim".