Last August right before moving to Los Angeles, singer Jenna Balfe hopped on to the Jitney to talk about her post-punk band, Donzii. While Balfe and her Donzii partner, Dennis Fuller, made it safely out west, somehow the Jitney got a bit lost somewhere west of Albuquerque. But finally this interview can see the light of day.
How did Donzii start?
Jenna Balfe: We went to the Pinecrest mansion where a lot of talented people were living. We spent a lot of late nights messing with synths and loops. Our first show was in 2016 at Blackbird Ordinary. Then in 2017 some friends invited everyone they could think of to collaborate at an art show. A little later we saw a Donzii speedboat and we said let’s start a band called Donzii. It’ll be a Goth Italian disco project.
How has Miami influenced Donzii?
The swarmy, humid chaos has infused our music with the freak factor people love. All the duality here too. The haves and the have nots. The image conscious and the people that don’t give a fuck.
What music influenced you?
Mister Master influenced us. David Bowie. ESG. Joy Division. Section 25. We love Luscious Jackson. Asylum Party. Siouxsie and the Banshees, we get compared to a lot.
What’s your writing and recording process?
It starts with a beat. Dennis will create something on the drum machine and I’ll start to write lyrics to it. Then he’ll add a bass line. Sometimes as a band we jam and a song will come out of the ether.
Tell us about your new album.
No name yet. We’ve worked on it for a year. We recorded demos here in Miami, then did a whole new round in Gainesville. It’s interesting making a second album. First album we were like whatever happens, happens. Now we’re thinking, what do we want to say? We’re thinking what will people who like us want and what do we want. Service to our fans but also ourselves. They enjoy our weirdness, the freaky, funky vibe. They want lyrics and poetic narrative, but also to dance. we’re experimenting with speeding songs up. There’ll be ten songs, maybe eleven on it.
How do you prepare for a show?
We want to create a performative experience. When we toured with Sextile I pretended I was a disco alien office worker from hell. The stage was our office. I was leading a seminar welcoming everyone to the conference. We think it makes it more fun for us and the audience.
What are the plans for the future of Donzii?
Getting ready to move west to L.A. The band will stay here, but me, Dennis, and the cats will move. Much as we love Miami, musically Los Angeles is calling to us in opportunities and people to work with. But Miami is home. We’ll always come back.
