Donovan Wolfington

In their three-album span, American punk outfit Donovan Wolfington channeled D.I.Y. spirit into pop-infused indie rock until the group disbanded during 2018. Loyola University attendees Neil Berthier on vocals and guitar alongside Matthew Seferian on guitar and vocals launched D-Wolf in New Orleans during 2011. Drawing from Pavement, Nirvana, NOFX, Bad Religion, and Built to Spill, the pair began rehearsing and soon added Savannah Sexton on keyboards and vocals. Bassist Christian Baraks and drummer Chris Littlejohn completed the original five-piece lineup. The band released its first full-length, Stop Breathing, through Broken World Media and Community Records in 2013, then moved to Topshelf Records. Their first project for the new label, the five-song EP Scary Stories You Tell in the Dark, appeared the following year. Before tracking the second album, How to Treat the Ones You Love, Sexton exited and Chris Lanthier joined on bass for that release alone. The record incorporated a hardcore punk track plus layers of heavy metal noise, illustrating ongoing artistic development. Extensive touring across the United States and Europe helped cultivate fans, particularly within New Orleans’s independent music community. A split was declared in 2017. In its closing four-member configuration, Berthier and Seferian performed with bassist Alejandro Skalany and drummer Mike Saladis. The quartet self-issued one final album, Waves, at the start of 2018. Following a farewell performance at Community Records’ tenth anniversary event, Berthier relocated to Nashville for solo work and a short stint as tour manager for fellow NOLA punk band PEARS, Skalany entered New Holland, and Seferian with Saladis continued in Pope.