Louis Donnarumma On His Top 5 "Alien" Moments

13 March 2018 | 3:49 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

"Thinking like that, you start to get the courage of not really trying to be a part of something, not apart of anything, and just to do your own thing. It’s a much more peaceful life that way I think."

Following the release of their 2017 EP, Adelaide’s Donnarumma has now somewhat ditched their Jeff Buckley-Muse-Radiohead roots, with the trio swinging harder than ever on supercharged indie-rock single, ‘Alien’. Full of soothing falsetto vocals, distorted chord progressions, crashing drums, and plenty of lyrical angst against themes of isolation and desperation, the track is intended for the lonely soul that resides within us all; the one that just wants to be understood and not have to constantly feel like we don’t belong.  

My friends don’t know, friends don’t know what I’m all about, I’m just an alien living in your fakeness ” decries the band's lead singer, Louis Donnarumma, on the track and it cuts hard and deep to me as someone who was one fucking weird kid in his younger years. With this new single and an upcoming Australian tour happening in April, Louis detailed for us his own “Alien” moments; those odd, humorous and hurtful experiences in his personal life where he felt like he didn’t belong or wasn’t welcome and what that all meant for him.



"Do you want a one-way trip to feeling like you're an alien? Well, listen to My Chemical Romance’s ‘The Black Parade’ now because damn, it teleports you straight back to the angsty feelings of your youth. It brings you back to those moments where you knew that mum and dad would never understand you; the “Yes I’m gonna dye my hair orange and purple and yes I’m gonna get that septum piercing. You can’t tell what to do” days."

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

"Man, was I the only one out there that thought Gangnam Style was actually a good tune? God, I just feel like I’m an outlier for simply saying that!"

"16-year-old me once watched the movie, Perks Of Being A Wallflower, and I think that that was the beginning of thinking about the groups that I was trying to fit in to. Thinking like that, you start to get the courage of not really trying to be a part of something, not apart of anything, and just to do your own thing. It’s a much more peaceful life that way I think."

"Okay, some real serious talk now. Two years ago I embarked on a journey to a massive Australian music industry conference and festival. The experience of seeing the incredible acts perform was totally cool, but I was filled with anxiety and panic attacks. Seeing so many ‘important people’ (well, so-called) around you, you cannot help but feel worthless in your own achievements. You’re meant to introduce yourself and make friends, party and go nuts, but at the time it was just far too much for me. Being home sounded a heck of a lot better than the idea of getting free drinks."

"Another time we played a gig in the middle of nowhere, trying to make some money for petrol and food. We set up and played. The locals at the pub, who were hoping for something quieter, were not impressed with our raucous tunes on stage. We got told to turn down multiples times. They were lovely humans and we couldn’t be mad at them. But, at that moment, we definitely felt so out of place. We definitely felt like aliens at that show."





‘Alien’ Tour Dates below:

Thursday, April 5th - Frankie's Pizza Sydney w/ Black Heart Breakers (Free Entry)

Friday, April 6th - Rad Bar Wollongong w/ Good Lekker, SOOK & Naughty Naughty and The Good Boys

Thursday, April 12th - Bar Open Melbourne w/ Creature Fear & Abbey Howlett

Saturday, April 21st - Ed Castle Adelaide w/ Wing Defence (Debut Show), Dead Roo and The Empty Threats Ed Castle