Ramones on hormones

The Donnas love the rock'n'roll lifestyle.

They might be called something girly but there's no avoiding crude talk about male genitalia when it comes to the Donnas. For they are chicks with their balls to the wall.

"I think that description is awesome," says chirpy drummer Torry Castellano, "because it means we're putting everything out there."

"That's what balls to the wall means, you know. When we first started out we never went out wanting to be a girl band, we wanted to be a rock band. We like the term. Our last record [Spend The Night], we said it was a cock rock record. We do have balls, you know what I mean."

The Donnas formed in 1993 when Torry, guitarist Allison Robertson, bass player Maya Ford and singer Brett Anderson (they were all born in 1979) were at high school in Palo Alto, California. They were known then as Ragady Anne and in 1995 they became the Donnas and took the names Donna A, Donna F, Donna R, and Donna T, in a tribute to their idols, The Ramones.

For a band who over the last 10 years have made a living out of songs about making out, going hard and boys - 40 Boys In 40 Nights, anyone? - their new album, Gold Medal, could be a little soft for Donnaholics.

But, as Castellano explains, since they've been together so long it's about doing something different.

"Every time we make a record our goal is to grow and challenge ourselves, we're never the kind of band that have wanted to make the same record over and over again. With our last record, Spend The Night, it was loud and fast and at 10 the whole time, with this one we tried to have more dynamics between each song.

"Of course we love Kiss, and AC/DC but we also love bands that a lot of people don't associate with us, like Supergrass, Blur, Tom Petty, and ... and Billy Idol," she laughs.

"We love Dolly Parton, too. She's had such a wild life. I read her autobiography and I just think she's so cool, and she just keeps picking herself up. She has a beautiful voice. We love her, definitely.

"We also wanted the album to be really danceable, in a Rolling Stones type of way like Brown Sugar. It's rock'n'roll but you can dance to it. I think songs like Gold Medal are like that, they have a groove."

While recording the album in Los Angeles the girls rented a house with a "big barbecue".

"We went down there with all the songs written and we went down there just to get it recorded really. So we'd record, then after that we'd invite people over, have a barbecue, have some fun, and there were lots of decks so we had parties. And we went to some shows.

"Brody [Dalle] from the Distillers came over. We went out with her for dinner, so that was fun. Har Mar Superstar came over, too," she laughs.

Today The Donnas are in Denver, Colorado where they play The Gothic Club as part of the tour supporting Gold Medal. It's Castellano's first tour since having an operation to repair an injury caused by playing drums.

She was diagnosed with deQuervain's Tendonitis, a condition brought on by irritation of the tendons along the thumb side of the wrist, and admits a decade of constant touring and recording has taken its toll.

"The surgery was definitely necessary and it was really successful and I'm excited to be able to play again. We're all pretty much self-taught so I've been playing for 10 years or so in a way that was hurting me and I didn't really know it, and with all the touring we've been doing, and all of that combined, it really hurt me."

Even after all that, when it's put to Castellano what she'll do after music, it's not even a consideration.

"Touring can be pretty crazy. There's not a lot of sleep, there's a lot of stuff to do during the day and then you have to play the show at night.

"There's not a lot of time to think about what we're gonna do later ... but, I guess, if any of us wanted to go back to school, or do something else, I guess we could," she says, sounding bored just by the suggestion of it. 


LOWDOWN


WHO: The Donnas: Brett Anderson (vocals), Maya Ford (bass), Allison Robertson (guitar), Torry Castellano (drums)


KEY RELEASES: The Donnas (1998), The Donnas Turn 21 (2001), Spend the Night (2002)


APPEARING: Big Day Out January 21


ALBUM: Gold Medal out now