Q & A: Donny Love

Donny Love are the finest movers and shakers of sun-soaked, gangly rock. The band found its feet on the Gold Coast but with their debut album, ‘Sensation’, out to the world, the band are set for much bigger things. Questions answered by Don Hog, Don Randy and Don Bill on a Tiger Airways flight from GC to Melbourne. Xx

You recorded the album when the band was riddled with self-doubt. What made you push through to the end?

Hi there, thanks for getting in touch. The main catalyst for recording ‘Sensation’ was the pending ending of the first chapter of DL. Two of the founding Dons were leaving and we had all these songs, so it felt right to capture that point in time.

Being on the other end of that, with the album actually released, are you glad you pulled through and proud of the resulting product?

Fun fact for you: we recorded the album mid-2016. We sat on it for a while, and then the doubt creeps in y’know and we were writing new songs and it just kind of dragged on. Really glad we put it out and purged.

Was it a therapeutic process finally laying down these tracks?

The recording of the album was a great learning experience for us and a generally rewarding time. The therapy is in the songwriting and performance for DL.

The title track is the standout. How did this one come together and did it form the basis of the album itself?

This one was Don Bill’s piano masterpiece and we recorded it first to test out the studio, gear and process with Julian at No Wave. Put ourselves in the deep end. That song informed the thematic and sonic palette of the album for sure and helped the rest of the songs fall in place.

What were some things you had to achieve when making this album?

The main achievement for us was actually booking the studio time and laying it down. It was also great to hand over the engineering/recording reigns to someone else to focus solely on the songs and our performances.

How many of the songs on the album were formed on the live stage?

I wouldn’t necessarily say formed, but the majority of the songs on the record we tested in a live setting before committing to recording them. We’ve always enjoyed the thrill of the trial by fire of a new song in the live show.

Has being in the Gold Coast music scene grown the band, or hindered its progression?

GC the city of dreams, it has its pros and cons for sure, but more than anything it’s meant we’ve stayed true to our own vision without saturation of outside influence and have had to work hard for every metre gained. We’ve had to get inventive with DIY shows to avoid the trap of playing the same venues over and over again. And we’ve had lots of love and support from people locally and throughout the region and there is a growing sense of pride and community on the GC.

Donny Love have one final show remaining on their tour. Read our full review of ‘Sensation’ HERE.

Donny Love Live Dates

FRI 8 JUNE
Elsewhere, Gold Coast