You’ve heard their plucky brand of rock in countless movie soundtracks and TV commercials, including a memorable Target spot last Christmas featuring drummer Torry Castellano keeping 4/4 time with Cheap Trick percussionist Bun E. Carlos. But what do The Donnas really think of high-profile employers like Target and Budweiser? Hey—the four girls aren’t just corporate clients, laughs frontfox Brett Anderson. They’re customers. “We love Target!” she proclaims, loud enough for everyone in her Hollywood hotel restaurant to hear. “Target is pretty much the best place to go when you’re on tour. We’ve shopped at Targets all over the country, so people can’t call us sellouts for doing those ads.”
The perks? Target gift cards and an invitation to play an upcoming store-sponsored 30th-anniversary party for Sanrio, creators of The Donnas-endorsed Hello Kitty character. And don’t forget the beer, Anderson points out. “Or actually, the king of beers—if we go to a baseball game and sit in Budweiser’s private box, we can get free beer. Forever.” Sitting opposite her bandmate, bassist Maya Ford sighs and stares dreamily into the distance. “There’s nothing wrong with beer. And Budweiser is the beer we always like to drink—it’s so mild and refreshing. But the last time I was at Target,” she scowls, “I applied for the Target credit card ’cause you get 10% off. But I got a letter from ’em saying ‘You’ve been declined.’ What a dis!”
If you haven’t guessed by now, the Palo Alto-bred Donnas have been thoroughly enjoying their 11-year ride to the top. When they all turned 21 in 2000, they celebrated by dubbing their album—what else?—The Donnas Turn 21. And what a difference the time has made. The band’s latest, the Butch Walker-produced Gold Medal for Atlantic, finds the girls slowing down and exploring ’70s arena-rock possibilities, pushing themselves into new Sweet-meets-Judas-Priest territory. And if it sounds slightly retro, “well, that was kinda the point,” insists Anderson. “We went through an ’80s metal phase, so we were kinda going back in time. Back in time to classic rock bands that were more about instruments, lyrics and melodies, instead of just a look.” And Walker, she says, was a true revelation. “He was a really fast worker and we didn’t have to explain anything to him. We spoke the same language, like Van Halen. Nobody else ever got our Van Halen references, while we always thought they were fairly obvious.”
So the Donnas have no hidden agendas. They stump for Target and they’ll shop there, too. “Because they have great socks and underwear and stuff there,” Ford finishes. “And lotsa cool DVD’s. That’s where I got the ALF boxed set!”