By Cassie Morien | September 15th, 2012
One October night in 2010, I received a late phone call from a very drunk friend. He was stumbling out of a Pittsburgh bar where he had just seen a local band perform for a small crowd. Despite his slurred speech and frequent belching, I was able to catch name of the band he was raving about.
The band was Donora, a three-piece indie act consisting of siblings Jake and Casey Hanner, and their talented bassist Jake Churton. Sleep could wait. This pop trio was great.
The Pennsylvania band has been leaving footprints around the city since 2006, when they became semifinalists in “Calling All Bands,” a contest sponsored by MySpace and Verizon Wireless.
Since then, Donora has been featured on MTV’s “Engaged and Underage,” “Cribs,” and “Teen Wolf.” Their song “Shhh” was featured on PostSecret’s Valentine’s Day video. They’ve released two albums and an EP. But chances are, you probably haven’t had a chance to lend them a listen… until now.
Wake up and listen to the feisty pop band’s “Shout.” The song mimics the scurrying beat of an impatient heart, with the addition of Casey’s sugary voice and a little bit of shouting.
Just a little.