The Donnas have been on hiatus since 2012. As quickly as they disbanded, their catalog seemed to disappear nearly entirely. Their CDs and records had all quietly fallen out of print, and their Lookout Records-era catalog, which amounted to the bulk of the band’s output, never made it to streaming. Interviews with band members have shown that they really don’t have any interest in looking back on this project, so I started to think this Palo Alto-based hard rock powerhouse was going to remain a memory for the folks that got to experience them during their tenure.
Then, one sleepless night, I got an email from Run Out The Groove Records asking if I wanted to pre-order a “deluxe” edition of their major label debut, Spend The Night. This was one of the few records posted to Spotify, so it’s not totally missing. BUT! They spent some real time remastering the record, and even dug up a bonus disc of live tracks and non-album cuts from the era! Preorders are currently sold out, so run to your local independent record shop on March 20th to grab your copy.
Spend The Night is an excellent pop punk record, full of hooks. The follow up, however, was a significantly darker affair. Gold Medal was released on October 26th, 2004. It was a collection of songs that were far more introspective than previous releases. At was such a deep departure that it didn’t catch on with fans, and the band ended up getting dropped from their major label. But, with a brand new pressing coming from Real Gone Records, on February 28th you can finally experience the glory that is The Donnas’ most emotionally direct and sonically adventurous release.
In the last bit of Donnas news, their celebrated Lookout Records catalog has *finally* made it to Spotify! So enjoy this collection of their finest songs!
