INTRO BY GRACE SERRAMBANA
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO COURTESY OF DONORA
Originally a brother/sister duo, Jake and Casey Hanner and Jake Churton teamed up and became a band named Donora. Donora recently came out with an album titled Sun To Me (purchase album here), which the band members say is all about choosing love. Their music is perfect for someone who wants a mix of a more calming and lively sound. We asked Donora about how they discovered their passion for music and their process for creating their recent single, This Heart. Also, Donora hints at a very exciting project in the works!
In October you released your new single This Heart. Can you tell us a little about the song and the inspiration behind it?
CASEY: "This Heart is a song about living passionately. I'm a pretty passionate person and when I decide to do something, I tend to jump in head first. It can be an exhausting way to live, but I think it's the only way to live."
You also recently released your latest album Sun To Me – what was the process like creating it?
CASEY: "When we were writing and recording these songs, there were a lot of terrible and confusing things happening in the world (and there still are today). I think working on this music was our way of dealing with that. This album is about choosing love."
Is there a song on the album that you found a difficult to create, whether it was the lyrics, melody, recording, etc.?
CASEY: "Some of these songs went through multiple versions before we got to the version that ended up on the album. So Simple was one of those songs. It took a while for us to figure out the right vibe for that one. But I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I'm glad we took the time to get it right!"
Because this is your fourth full-length album, how do you think your music has changed the most over the years?
CASEY: "When we first started writing songs as a band, we wrote in a more live setting all together. That has definitely changed over the years and we now do more writing in the studio. I also think that we've figured out our strengths (both as individuals and as a band) and that our songs reflect that a little more than they did in the past."
What do you love most about creating music?
CASEY: "Being able to capture a mood or a feeling with music is something that we love doing. It can be a challenge to have all of the elements come together in the right combination...but if you can achieve that, it becomes something really special."
Is there anything else that we can expect from you in the near future?
CASEY: "There might be a covers album coming soon! ;)"