Patrick “Donawa” Morris grew up in the small town of Camden, SC. At a young age, he took to singing, drums, and eventually songwriting. Creating a band with his brother The Mobros while in high school, they quickly garnered attention from industry executives and producers who worked with the likes of Katy Perry, and were offered their first record contract at the age of eighteen which the brothers ultimately ended up turning down to make their own way touring nationally and learning to record and produce their own music.
His latest project, titled “Good Dog’ imbues longing and loyalism. It uses the idea of unconditional love and bonding that is often associated with a man’s best friend. There is a melancholy air to the song, it mixes somber with sweet, yet it is hopeful. Good Dog stands out from Donawa’s other most recently released singles as it has a more wholesome and folk, laden sound to the song and almost harkens back to the sound of Beach Boy’s iconic Pet Sounds. Good Dog is thematic, it tells a story, that’s simple, loyal, and sweet, just like a Good Dog
‘Donawa’, the title for his solo project, was chosen because it holds much significance. It’s the maiden name of his mother who came to the states from Trinidad & Tobago in the late ’70s, as well as his middle name. To name the project after his family is a way to carry on the name. Patrick began writing for Donawa after moving to Chicago in 2015 aged 21, writing and recording demos on his iPhone at his apartment in Logan Square finding time between multiple side jobs and the touring schedule of The Mobros. Eventually relocating to his current location in Charleston, SC, Patrick officially started work on his debut EP, taking songs and demos that he compiled over the years and sending them off to friends in the industry to find a match for a recording and producing partner.
Catching up over the pandemic one Saturday on a phone call with his friend and contemporary Jake Cochran of the nationally acclaimed rock duo Illiterate Light, they traded ideas, and Patrick sent him his demos he had recorded via his iPhone, and they quickly set a plan to record at Cochran’s studio in Nashville for 3 days. The majority of the songs for the EP were recorded and produced by Jake Cochran, the idea was to keep the process stream of conscious style, don’t overdo anything, and keep it simple and as close to the original bedroom demos Patrick recorded himself as possible. They kept some of the original demo tracks for the final songs as they brought a certain texture and feel with them. Patrick played each instrument on the EP, and every song is written with its own emotion and cadence that quickly captures the listener and keeps them in the moment.
For further information on the artist, visit the following links
Instagram (@donawamusic)
Bandcamp – https://donawa.bandcamp.com/
Released by Conscious Pilot on November 22nd
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