LISTEN: Peter Donovan Better Be Good

The former All The Real Girls frontman channels Kelly Clarkson on the lead single from his forthcoming solo debut

April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 Ron Hart 0 Comments Bruce Springsteen, Counting Crows, Kelly Clarkson, Peter Donovan, Power pop, Rick Springfield, single, This Better Be Good

The new album from Peter Donovan, known for his work in such acclaimed indie bands as All The Real Girls and The Rose Petals, comes out next Friday on April 29th.

But the Rock & Roll Globe is honored to give listeners an early taste of This Better Be Good a week early with the premiere of the album’s propulsive title track, which owes more to Rick Springfield than Bruce Springsteen.

“I wanted the tune to be fun and catchy, so I turned to some of my favorite pop songs for a shot in the arm,” he explains in regards to the song’s direction. “Particularly ‘Since U Been Gone’ by Kelly Clarkson and ‘Jessie’s Girl’ by Rick Springfield, both of which inspired the bare-bones intro of chugging electric guitars and vocals.

This Better Be Good by Peter Donovan (Image: SoundCloud)

“We took some cues from the Counting Crows in the studio, layering on bright acoustics and a B3 organ. Cole Schuster wrote the hooky guitar line that ties the choruses together, and Kate Dinsmore brought the Kelly Clarkson vibes home on the outro.”

As for the album’s title, Donovan chose to roll the dice and make his debut LP something of a statement behind what fans can expect from this underrated auteur of Americana Power Pop.

“When I mentioned to a friend that I was planning to break up my band and record a solo album, she said, ‘Well… this better be good,'” he reveals. “So, I wrote this song, the first for the album, and decided it would be the title track — a thesis statement.”

Listen to “This Better Be Good” below.