Last year, Frank Warren posted a Valentine's Day video on his immensely popular website, PostSecret. It was a trailer for his new book, and the song featured in the clip caught the attention of many. The video soon racked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and MySpace. Everyone was curious to find out more about the band behind the song.
They soon discovered that it was a Pittsburgh-based trio called Donora, and their song "Shhh" was picked to be in the video. Up till then, they were largely unknown outside their hometown.
Today, Donora have released their self-titled debut album, and their star is rising. I asked the group a couple of questions, and vocalist Casey Hanner was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer them for me.
I Know That I'm Right: Who were your biggest influences when you were growing up?
Casey Hanner: Well my dad is a musician, so he was probably the biggest musical influence on my brother (the drummer) and me growing up.
The song "Shhh" was featured in the PostSecret Valentine's Day video. How did you guys get featured?
A guy from Pittsburgh actually put together that video -- Jim DiSpirito. We've known Jim for a long time, and he's been really supportive of our music. We played him "Shhh" after we finished recording it, and he thought it would be perfect for the video he was putting together. That video really exposed us to a lot of people outside of the Pittsburgh area.
What was it like receiving all that hype?
It was definitely unexpected! We weren't really prepared for it, and we didn't even have anything to sell. People kept asking us for our CD, and we were like: Sorry....it's not finished yet! But it gave us motivation to get it done.
Who is the main songwriter in the band? Or is it more of a collaborative effort?
My brother (the drummer) and I (guitar and main vocals) do a lot of the writing together. It usually starts with my brother and I, then Jake C (the bass player) adds the bass "hooks". A lot of the bass parts are kind of like lead guitar parts.
How have music critics responded to your debut record?
So far everyone's been very supportive!
Are you all working on a new album? What can fans look forward to?
We're definitely writing new stuff....and working towards the next album. I'm not sure what's it's going to sound like just yet. I don't think we ever know what's going to come out until it's finished!
(Thanks Arthur and the rest of the kind folks at Rostrum Records for making this email interview possible)
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