Donnelly has cited influences including Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Gary Numan, the Human League and Soft Cell.

After contributing a track to the Sideways compilation and playing alongside Phase 5 he then signed to the Round Trip Mars label.

Sean Donnelly and Angus McNaughton shared the 2005 New Zealand Music Awards Tuis for Best Producer and Best Engineer for their work on Southern Lights.

SJD has collaborated with several other New Zealand musicians, including contributions to Dimmer's successful album You've Got to Hear the Music.

[3] In 2012 he produced an all-star cover version of Chris Knox's "Not Given Lightly" for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.