There isn’t really too much we can say about Donna except that her music is quite striking. We are long time fans of hers and were extremely curious to know more about her latest body of work ‘Revel.’ Her sound keeps evolving, her audience keeps widening and her uniqueness as an artist and a creative sets her apart within the alt-pop hemisphere.

Photographer @elizabethmiiiranda

Graphic Designer: Dinana Flynn

What can we expect from this new record? 

A lot of exploration, a lot of energy and movement. it’s an album for dancing to, with lyrics that you could sink into emotionally. a lot of pain and a lot of acceptance and a lot of joy and freedom. “tears drop down on the dance floor” is very much the energy. 

What are some main themes you explore?

Revel is about transcending, being in a place devoid of light, reaching and pulling and climbing out of it. 

I think this concept of enlightenment is more often explored without giving a lot of weight to how hard it is. I wanted to talk about it from every angle on this album, what it was really like for me to pull myself out of a dark place and experience revelry. almost like, not in spite of the difficulty, but because of it. 

What inspired this title?

I love the word Revel as a way to express the experience of intense, exceptional joy. I love how it sounds. 

Your sound has evolved quite a bit over the years. What inspired it and what are your goals sonically?

My only goal when it comes to my process is just to evolve and be honest. I think that’s why I’ve expressed myself in my music in different ways over the years, as I change the music changes and that is what keeps it authentic to me. If I’m not feeling challenged and curious and exploratory I don’t feel connected to what I’m doing. There’s a lot about the process of releasing music that is painful and demeaning. so I have to remain authentic in my process of creating or I don’t think I would want to release music at all. 

You announced this record with Out of Me. Why did you pick this track and what’s the story behind it?

Out of Me is the first song I wrote for the album that defined the process for me, like I didn’t know I was making an album until this song was written. sometimes when I write, lyrics are just pouring out faster than I can make sense of them and I step back later to look at the whole of a sentiment and I feel like I just experienced my true self and have met myself right where I’m at. songs that come out like that are always very special to me, and this song was one of those moments. just felt right. 

Your look and aesthetics are also very striking and unique. Do you take inspiration from any fashion icons in particular or what inspires your style?

Most of the time you’ll find me in a t-shirt. I grew up on secondhand clothing and I think that impacted the way I put myself together, in not taking it too seriously. when it comes to how my style relates to my music, everything I do outwardly is an extension of the music itself. so in that way, the music I’m making is inspiring my style. 

How would you describe your own act in a few words and why should a stranger start listening to your music?

I think if you’re out in the world feeling unseen in your experience of seeking something bigger than yourself you would find comfort in my music. If you need to dance or cry or both, listen to my music.