ARTIST LINKS
Live at Noise Pop 2007
The Donnas
Most people celebrate their 21st birthday with copious tequila shots, embarrassing make-out sessions, and the inevitable blackout in the parking lot. When the Donnas turned 21 six years ago, they celebrated with a new album (named after the occasion), a national tour, and a major-label record deal.
A lot has happened since then. The quartet, who got their start at their Palo Alto middle school's Battle of the Bands competition, have largely come of age (both musically as well as personally) in the public eye. Beginning with their Runaways-inspired brat-core, the band has gone through several stylistic changes (and band personalities), traversing punk rock, riot grrl, glam rock, cock rock, and even a few nods to hair-metal. After ditching their Ramones-like moniker system (adopting Donna as a first name while each member retained her surname), leaving local punk-pop outfit Lookout! Records in favor of major-label backing from Atlantic, and then ditching Atlantic last year, the girls return to their hometown roots for a Noise Pop set. "It's always nice to go back to the Bay Area," says drummer Tory Castellano. "It feels like home and all of our families still live up there. We have played at Bottom of the Hill many times, and everyone there has been so supportive, I think that it will be just a fun night!"
In their newly independent status, the Donnas have been exploring the more nuanced sound they introduced on Gold Medal, their 2004 release. The newer material is a departure from the 3-chord punk-pop formula that drove their initial rise to fame. Singer Brett Anderson snarls into the mic with a knowing disdain, sounding like a true woman scorned instead of a girl lashing out at a high school crush gone bad. The group's influences are also less clear-cut, with hints of everything from Lynyrd Skynard's boozy Americana to Queens of the Stone Age's driving, syncopated bass-driven altrock. "We felt that it was a time for change," says Castellano. "For the past year we have been writing and recording new songs. We actually have about 30 songs now, and I think that soon we'll be ready to go through all of them and pick the best ones for a new record. We want these songs to be huge-sounding rock anthems that make people want to raise their fists in the air." - CONNIE HWONG
