Donnas Get 'Bitchin'' on New Album

The Donnas admit that after leaving their home for the last two albums, Atlantic Records, they didn't quite know where they wanted to go musically. "The first part of it we were writing while we were still on Atlantic," guitarist Allison Robertson tells Spinner. "The direction wasn't completely clear. We were kind of still trying to write for radio, not necessarily what we ended up with."

But after leaving Atlantic, the band spent time experimenting says drummer Tori Castellano. In that period, they found the sound they were looking for. "Something about this album has that really big feel," Robertson says. "That's what we wanted, arena rock anthems," adds Castellano.

The resulting collection, aptly titled 'Bitchin',' brings together rock of all eras. "You can maybe pick out certain influences, but there are certain songs that can sound like Gary Glitter, Def Leppard or Joan Jett -- or all three of them -- and Foreigner," says Robertson. "But then some things might sound two years ago. There are a lot of things mixed together.

Lead singer Brett Anderson enjoys when she finds that homage to her favorite songs in newer bands. "When I listen to bands that are newer I love it when it reminds me of a favorite old song that maybe I've listened to too much and I don't want to ruin it," she says. "When you listen to a song too much you start to hate it. So when a new band comes out and it reminds you of your favorite song it's cool, because it's like the best of both worlds."

Castellano admits that it's a fine line between paying tribute and completely ripping-off, but Robertson believes the Donnas straddled that line successfully. "We give homages to things that we listen to," she says. "We're not trying to rip anyone off. If you think something reminds you of someone, it might take a left turn -- the melody or the guitar line might remind you for a second -- but then it splits off into something you haven't heard."

Ultimately, they found inspiration in albums from their youth. "A band like Guns N' Roses -- obviously they might be in some people's minds thought of as a certain time period -- but if you go back and listen, 'Appetite for Destruction' is just gonna be a classic record 20 years from now," Castellano says. "And that's the goal."