In the eight years since Donora last released an album, the members of the indie pop/rock band have been “living a lot of life.”
“We’ve been focusing on our families, growing as people, and taking time to remember why making music as Donora is important to us,” frontwoman/songwriter Casey Hanner said.
They found they had something to say, releasing a new album “Out Here Bleeding Again” in November, with a vinyl release show set for Jan. 23 at the Original Pittsburgh Winery in the Strip District.
“This album is about figuring out how to find hope and positivity during a really difficult time,” Hanner said. “It is an invitation for honest conversation and real human connection. It’s an album that aims to promote joy, while remembering the responsibility we have as human beings to care about each other.”
The latest single, “One Voice,” is about “choosing to use your voice and actions for good, even when change feels impossible,” according to Hanner.
“It’s a song about I think so often we set our sights on these big systematic changes that in reality we have very little influence over as individuals. And when those changes don’t happen, we get discouraged and feel powerless,” she said. “But our words and our actions do matter, especially to the people around us. We can work to make our own little corner of the world a better place. We can make sure our neighbors are safe and cared for. We can support each other and lift each other up. We can build community and we can choose to believe in the decency of human beings.”
Besides the vinyl release, Donora is making a statement by not releasing the album in full on major streaming services with the exception of Bandcamp, TIDAL and Qobuz.
“In our view, most of the big streaming companies’ business models fundamentally exploit the artists whose work gives their company its value. Even millions of streams generate only minimal income for musicians, while the platforms themselves, often backed or partially owned by the major labels that dominate the industry, continue to grow in valuation,” Hanner said. “This isn’t a call for listeners to boycott these services, because we understand how essential streaming music has become. But we believe it’s important to call out a system built on extracting value from artists without fair compensation, especially as these companies move toward deeper integration with AI. Our aim is simply to share our work in spaces that respect the people who make an essential part of the human experience.”
Although it’s been four years since Donora played a shows, the band members have been active with other musicians: bassist Jake Churton plays in Working Breed, drummer Jake Hanner toured in Spain with Zack Keim and Casey Hanner sings with townsppl.
“We have all played with each other for so long, that no matter how much time passes, we always seem to settle right back in,” Casey Hanner said.
It’s been an eventful 20-year ride for the band, which started in 2006, and has had music featured in MTV series like “Cribs” and “Teen Wolf” in the past.
”We’ve been lucky enough to have had so many incredible experiences as a band. We’ve toured all over and opened for some amazing artists,” Hanner said. “We’ve been part of podcasts and radio shows that we really admire. We’ve heard our songs in movies and TV shows and ads. We’ve connected with people across the world who have reached out to tell us about the joy our music brings them. And any time I stop to think about all that Donora has been a part of and has allowed me to do, I just feel incredibly grateful.”
Casey Hanner filled in TribLive on what else we should know about Donora:
Band: Donora
Band members: The three original members are: Casey Hanner (vocals and guitar), Jake Hanner (drums and producer), Jake Churton (bass). For live shows, Alex Stanton has been playing lead guitar with us since 2017. We are also excited to have Thanakarn (Bank) Limtham playing keys with us for the release show.
Founding story: Jake H. met Casey a few hours after she was born. He was disappointed she was a girl and cried. Eighteen years later, he got over it and they started a band.
Origin of band’s name: We are not from the town of Donora, we just liked the name. But the town has a really interesting history. I highly recommend the podcast “Cement City” to learn more about the town of Donora and its story. Fun fact: the podcast uses a different Donora (the band, not the town) song at the end of every episode.
For fans of: Feist, Rilo Kiley, Bad Bad Hats, Daisy the Great
Influences: Cat Power, JJ Cale, Saya Gray, Oasis, Alison Krauss, The Cars, Loretta Lynn
Releases: “Donora” album, 2009; “Boyfriends, Girlfriends” album, 2011; “Play Nice” EP, 2013; “Ha Ha Heart” album, 2014; “Sun To Me” album, 2017; “Out Here Bleeding Again” album, 2025
Next shows: Jan. 23, album release show at Original Pittsburgh Winery, Strip District. We are planning to continue playing shows but only a handful a year. Our next show will likely be in May.
How to find them: Donora can be found on Bandcamp, Instagram and Facebook.
Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out:The Hell Club, Animal Scream, 9FiftySeven
Favorite pizza shop: Spak Brothers. Their pickle pizza is my comfort food.
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