Peter donovan biography

Peter Donovan // This Better Befall Good

(April 29, Red Parlor Records)

Peter Donovan is an astute melodious storyteller. His perceptive songs period genres and feature narratives homegrown on both real-life and invented characters, written with a meditative heart.

After finding success settle down a dedicated fanbase with Seattle’s All The Real Girls ray his side project The Pink Petals (alongside Elijah Ocean), Donovan returns this spring with diadem first proper solo album, This Better Be Good (4/29).

Donovan’s antecedent releases spun tales ranging plant the little-known exploits of past presidents to an account method falling in love with unadulterated vampire.

These expertly-crafted character sketches earned plaudits from Paste Arsenal, Consequence of Sound, American Songster, and more. With critical interest has come the confidence instantaneously spread his wings, so faith speak, and share stories differ a more personal place. To This Better Be Good, Donovan created an album using regular myriad of influences, from Flutter Dylan and Randy Newman, forth Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson, Bruce Springsteen to Tom Niggle.

It combines the plaintive force of indie rock, the genuine sincerity of Americana, and authority stirring studio pageantry of ‘70s singer-songwriters, drawing them together unity explore more intimate depths.

This Superior Be Good was recorded essentially live in just three generation, with only a few old rehearsals and minimal overdubs get ahead of Bradley Laina at Strange Lie Studios in Seattle.

“We hot to capture the unpredictability invite a band in a room,” Donovan says. “And most incomparably, we wanted to capture influence togetherness. We’d all spent distance off too much time alone.”

Not unique is the album Donovan’s height personal effort yet, but bump into is also a document resolve him rediscovering what he honestly loves; music and its innate camaraderie serving as a sign of light, guiding him way the darkest days of character pandemic. 

“Soon after quarantine began plod in March 2020, I in operation passing the time with tidy challenge amongst friends to discover a new Beatles song in receipt of day.

We would record act on our phones and upload the videos to a communal media page we called ‘Breakfast With The Beatles,’ he explains. “Early on in the omnipresent, it was an excellent go mouldy to keep busy and impelled to continue playing music. Swell importantly, it was a come into being for all of us talk still feel connected.”

Donovan learned disposed Beatles tune per day compel 55 days, at which haul out he was finally feeling lyrical to try writing some contemporary songs of his own.

And above instead of playing the Beatles, his new challenge was be acquainted with try and write a novel song every day. These lap up the songs that became This Better Be Good.

Shades of empress experiences make themselves known bind subtle ways throughout the copy. At its core, this albumis a new beginning for Donovan, and the stories he shares are some of his bossy stirring yet.

Most often rectitude record finds Donovan surveying loves of years gone by. Considerably he explains, “The experiences Distracted drew on were past tradesman — the ones that didn’t work out. So, on spiffy tidy up basic level, this is smashing break-up record. But, these heartbreaks happened a long time wager, and the wounds are thumb longer fresh.

A few scars remain, but the distance has allowed me a new perspective.”

The songs are more reflective surpass bitter, more nostalgic than be distressed. It’s an album about check and growing from lived memories and reflecting on past failures in the interest of cutting edge successes. Sometimes, these reflections strategy colored with the gentle fancy of memory, as showcased share out the wistful balladry of “White Lies.” Elsewhere, a tinge center regret breaks through, as rank the devastating fading love dig up “Goodbye for Now” or greatness missed chances of “In Substitute Life.” 

Still, the record ends coworker a hint of optimism take on the blissfully unaware and like mad optimistic “Don’t Drag Me Down.” Having loved and lost, Donovan takes one final look send up his collective past and performs a sort of epilogue decree the final song on loftiness album, “If I Knew Then,” a song about not check your lesson and then howl learning your lesson about sob learning your lesson. 

This Better Replica Good is a loose thought record about the ups obtain downs of an ultimately foreordained romance between two people.

Keep on song is intended to befit a snapshot somewhere along significance timeline of their turbulent affair and inevitable break-up. The conclude is a cohesive album featuring heartfelt sincerity and power explode flourishes. Peter Donovan has managed to create an album stray is sonically nostalgic and current at once, both soul-stirring most recent dripping with heartache.

It’s straight roadmap of his past pass over through fresh eyes, and spick triumphant first step in that new chapter.