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The Donnas

From Alfawiki
The Donnas
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1993 in Palo Alto, California, United States
FounderBrett Anderson, Allison Robertson, Maya Ford, Torry Castellano
Headquarters
Palo Alto
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Brett Anderson (lead vocals), Allison Robertson (guitar, backing vocals), Maya Ford (bass guitar, backing vocals), Torry Castellano (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Amy Cesari (drums, backing vocals)
ProductsMusic albums and singles
Number of employees
5 (band members)
Websitewww.thedonnas.com

The Donnas emerged as an American rock band originating from Palo Alto, California in 1993.[1] The group consisted of Brett Anderson (lead vocals), Allison Robertson (guitar, backing vocals), Maya Ford (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Torry Castellano (drums, percussion, backing vocals). In 2009, Amy Cesari took over drumming duties from Castellano due to tendonitis. Their musical style drew inspiration from influential acts such as the Ramones, the Runaways, Girlschool, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive, and Kiss.[1][2] According to Rolling Stone, they present "a straightforward perspective on adolescent alienation; their focus is on enjoyment rather than emotional release, favoring fun over anger".[1] Meanwhile, MTV highlighted the band’s delivery of "a classic rock & roll celebration."

Following their establishment of a cult following within the punk community after their 1997 debut, The Donnas attained significant commercial recognition under a major label in the early 2000s by fusing punk, metal, and traditional rock influences.[2]

Formation and formative years: 1993–2001

All founding members were born in 1979: lead singer Brett Anderson (May 30), guitarist Allison Robertson (August 26), bassist Maya Ford, and drummer Torry Castellano (both January 8). The band was established in May 1993 in Palo Alto, California, initially performing at their school’s "Day on the Green" event. As one of only two all-female bands in their locality, they remained relatively obscure until after completing high school. Being self-taught musicians, they rehearsed daily in Castellano’s garage throughout their years at Palo Alto High School. Initially named "Ragady Anne," they soon adopted the name "The Electrocutes."

Towards the end of their high school tenure and while still performing as The Electrocutes, they developed a side project with a softer sound but identical membership to differentiate musical styles. To separate this from their heavier metal persona, they assumed matching "Donna" stage names—combining "Donna" with the first letter of their surnames—when performing as "The Donnas."

Their first two albums were produced in collaboration with Darin Raffaelli. Their self-titled debut album was issued through Raffaelli’s Super*teem! label and subsequently re-released by Lookout! Records. During their senior year, they took a brief week-long tour to Japan as The Donnas, supported by Pinky Aoki of The Phantom Gift. Following this, they signed with Lookout! Records and later secured a major label contract with Atlantic Records in December 2001.

Atlantic Records era: 2002–2005

The Donnas’ major-label introduction came in 2002 with Spend the Night, marking their initial mainstream breakthrough. Their single "Take It Off" facilitated appearances on programs such as Total Request Live, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the Late Show with David Letterman. In the summer of 2003, they performed on the main stage at Lollapalooza. Their sixth studio effort, Gold Medal, followed in 2004. In February 2005, they toured Australia as part of the Big Day Out festival circuit and performed "Take It Off" live on the nationally broadcast "Rove Live".

Atlantic Records extensively utilized The Donnas’ tracks across various video game soundtracks to enhance visibility. For instance, "You've Got a Crush On Me" featured in the PlayStation 2 title Splashdown, while "Who Invited You" appeared in games such as True Crime: Streets of LA, MVP Baseball 2003, and Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild. Additionally, "I Don't Want to Know" was included on the soundtrack for Gran Turismo 4 and covered for Donkey Konga 2 on the GameCube. This song also served as the theme for The-N's television series "South of Nowhere". A rendition of "Take It Off" was available in Guitar Hero, downloadable content for Guitar Hero 2 on Xbox 360, and featured in Downhill Domination. The track "New Kid In School" was part of Rock Band 2, released exclusively through Apple’s iTunes store. Commercially, "Fall Behind Me" was utilized in a Nissan Xterra advertisement while "Take It Off" appeared in a Budweiser commercial.

Beyond gaming and commercials, Atlantic promoted The Donnas through numerous film soundtracks and visual appearances. The band appeared under their earlier name The Electrocutes in the 1999 movie Drive Me Crazy, performed "Fall Behind Me" on television's Charmed, and portrayed the prom band in Jawbreaker, contributing two songs to its soundtrack. Their cover version of "Roll On Down The Highway" was featured in Disney’s Herbie: Fully Loaded, while "Backstage" appeared in Freaky Friday. They recorded Billy Idol’s "Dancing With Myself" for the closing credits of Mean Girls and contributed tracks for the soundtrack of Grind. The music video for "Too Bad About Your Girl" included members of that film’s cast. Additionally, "Take It Off" was part of the soundtrack for Dodgeball, and "Take Me To The Backseat" featured in the 2004 action-comedy film D.E.B.S.. Their cover of Kiss's "Strutter" was used in Detroit Rock City. Other placements include "Please Don't Tease" in New York Minute, "Everyone Is Wrong" in Elektra, and "Play My Game" within an episode from Season 1 of What's New, Scooby Doo?. The song "Who Invited You" appeared on the soundtrack for the 2003 film What a Girl Wants. Moreover, "Take It Off" was featured again in both the 2009 releases of Guitar Hero Smash Hits and the popular film The Hangover.'

Label transition, lineup shifts, and disbandment: 2006–2012

On May 19, 2006, the Donnas revealed that they had amicably and mutually ended their contract with Atlantic Records, emphasizing that this change would not affect their forthcoming album. In March 2007, they launched the single "Don't Wait Up For Me" alongside unveiling a refreshed band emblem.

Their seventh album, Bitchin' was independently issued on September 18, 2007 through Purple Feather Records, with production handled by Jay Ruston in collaboration with the band. The release included the track "Don't Wait Up For Me" as its lead single.

In 2008, the Donnas supported Australian group Kisschasy during their Skin and Bones tour and also toured across North America with The Hives.

July 2009 marked the arrival of Greatest Hits Vol. 16, a compilation commemorating sixteen years of the band’s career, featuring fresh songs, re-recorded versions, and previously unreleased tracks. During that summer, they joined Pat Benatar and Blondie on the Call Me Invincible Tour. Drummer Torry Castellano was forced to step back due to shoulder tendonitis stemming from prolonged improper drumming technique; Amy Cesari from the Demonics substituted for her during this period.

On July 9, 2010, Castellano publicly announced her retirement from drumming as a result of persistent shoulder injuries. She later pursued academic studies at Santa Monica College, followed by graduation from Stanford University in 2013, and subsequently attended Harvard Law School. Castellano currently serves as an attorney at the Texas Office of Capital and Forensic Writs (OCFW), a post-conviction public defense agency.

By August 2012, reports indicated that the band was in the process of recording their eighth studio album and premiered a new track titled "Tramp" during a private performance.

In November 2016, Cherry Red Records re-released Spend the Night featuring six bonus tracks including B-sides and earlier recordings.

During a 2017 interview, lead singer Brett Anderson confirmed that the band had officially ended and declined any reunion opportunities or plans to issue unreleased studio material.

For Record Store Day in April 2023, the Donnas issued The Donnas - Early Singles 1995-1999, a collection highlighting their initial recordings.

Band members

Timeline


Discography

See also

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named stone
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MTV
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