Pizza Donut: Magic Tree Featured Artist of August ‘25!
Pizza Donut in all their glory
[Monday, August 3rd, 2025]
What do you get when you cross a pizza with a donut? No... not pizza bagels. You get the name of one of the most interesting new screamo bands coming out of Houston. Blending sounds spanning from late 90’s screamo to mathy Girlfriends-style emo, the duo’s music is earnest, chock-full of D.I.Y spirit and brimming with personality.
Formed just last year in 2024, Pizza Donut released their debut album This Isn’t Happening... in January of this year, and in May, contributed two songs to a three-way split with Violet the First Time & Nate Sauerwein titled Summer Split.
Magic Tree sat down for a chat with Pizza Donut, where we discussed the band’s upcoming live debut, our first experiences with live music, Pizza Hut, and the unexpected connection between the film Midsommar and their top song, “At Most”.
alex = yellow
pedro = purple
jonas = red
a: So let’s start off with who you guys are. Who’s who and what do you play?
p: Pedro, I play the guitar, and the vocals.
j: I’m Jonas, I’m the drums. I... I do the drums. That’s what I do.
p: [laughs]
a: Awesome dude! Alright. So when did Pizza Donut start, and how’d you guys meet?
p: Oof. Well, okay, I created Pizza Donut like... Aw, I don’t remember the exact date. 20...
j: 2023? ‘24?
p: Oh, ‘24, yeah. Last year, in like October.
j: Last summer?
p: Yeah, oh yeah. summer.
j: That’s when the first demos came out.
p: Yeah, I created it back then, uh, it was a solo project for, like, a good...
j: Couple months.
p: Couple months, and then I met him at school.
j: We had been going to the same school for like, years, but, just-
p: Yeah, we just never talked. we connected through... How did we connect?
j: Music.
p: Just through music?
j: Like arts.
p: Oh, and just mutual friends that we have.
a: So those first two singles that, um, came out in September, that was just you?
p: Yeah, it was just me. The drums, vocals, everything I did myself.
a: Nice dude! So you guys put out a split in May, with Violet the First Time, and Nate Sauerwein [...] How’d you guys meet and put that all together?
p: I met Violet the First Time through the band Second Place, he used to be the drummer, and uh, I covered one of their songs, and I guess he- he just really fucked with it. So he followed me, we started talking about music and everything, and started discussing about doing a split, and I met Nate Sauerwein through him, and um, yeah, that’s how, uh, that’s how we ended up doing the split.
a: Since the split released, have you guys been writing new material?
p: Yeah, we’ve been writing much more new material recently.
j: Oh yeah.
p: Yeah, hopefully for our upcoming shows we’ll play them live.
j: It’s a lot of different uh, different sounds. For sure.
a: Nice. Are you guys gonna put the,like the lyrics to any of the songs that you have on Spotify on your Instagram before the show?
p: Ooh... you’re so right, yeah.
a: Yeah, that’s- that’s definitely like a good idea.
p: It’s definitely a good idea, but uh, imma be honest. For some songs... I didn’t write...
j: [laughs] He doesn’t know what the lyrics to the songs are!
a: Really?!
p: There’s some songs I forget- I forgot the lyrics to them. And since they’re screamo vocals, I can’t break it down.
a: [laughs] You can’t tell what you said in the song?
p: [laughs] Nah, for some of them. Like “Hurt Ballou”... Since they’re screamo vocals, I can’t- I can’t break it down...what I said. Oof... that one I forgot what I said, and-
a: Dang dude. [laughs]
p: ...kinda just make it up on the spot.
j: “At Most” is easy. Tell them about “At Most”!
p: “At Most”? Oh, “At Most”. Oof. I don’t know if [At Most] is a talking point for you-
a: “At Most”? I mean, I know that that’s like the top song on Spotify for you guys.
p: Yeah, it’s our most popular song. And uh, the lyrics behind it... that’s the only one I’ve ever written down... um... ‘cause it’s just a description of the movie Midsommar.
a: Oh. Wait. So- so wait, so description, like what do you mean, like- like a synopsis?
p: Like a literal synopsis. Literal. “several friends/travel to Sweden”... uh... “to discover”... what is it? Anthropologists?
j: To study...
p: Oh, to study anthro...
j: To study as anthropologists.
p: Oh yeah, “to study as anthropologists”... “and the mysterious inhabitants”... So yeah, it’s uh, literally the movie.
a: Dude, that’s so cool.
p: Yeah, I don’t know-
a: [laughs] That’s so random.
p: Very random. I don’t know what I was going through...
j: [laughs]
p: And uh, yeah. That’s what that song’s about.
a: Wow dude.
p: [laughs]
a: Alright so um, you guys have a show coming up August 9th at the White Swan. Is that gonna be the first Pizza Donut show?
j: Yep.
p: Very first show.
j: My first hardcore show ever.
p: Oh yeah.
a: Do you guys remember your first show/concert?
p: My first show was at the skatepark- I remember I saw Our Eyes Go Blank Tonight’s first show.
a: Oh shit that one! I remember seeing a video of that set on YouTube.
p: Yeah really?
a: Yeah.
p: No yeah, it was their first show ever, with like... uh what was his name? Max, Julian as the drummer... and I forgot the bassist’s name.
a: Uh... I... -Oh, Heath! Yeah yeah yeah.
p: Heath. Yeah, him.
a: Yeah, he’s a really cool guy.
p: Yeah, I remember. That was a, oof. And that- ever since then, I’ve been wanting to go to shows every month. It’s been like an obssession.
a: Nice dude. Is that how you like got into um, this style of music? Or were you into that before going to shows?
p: Um, no yeah. It’s how I got into this type of music as well. I remember- I didn’t listen to like, too much screamo. And all that. But that definitely like, helped me inspire what I have today... [turns to Jonas] What about your first show?
j: I saw Weezer in like 2018. That was like one of my first shows, haha.
a: [laughs] Hell yeah.
p: [laughs]
a: Dude, Weezer as your first show. You know my first show was um, I went to the rodeo with my mom, I was like twelve, and I saw, um, Los Tigres del Norte, do you guys know that band?
p: Oooooh, yeah.
j: Yeah!
a: Yes dude, they played at the rodeo. I remember I was so bored bro, like ugh, I don’t want to be here!
p: [laughs] Dude! That’s literally like- legends dude!
a: [laughs] I know, but, I mean, as a twelve year old, I was like “man... I wanna go home and play fortnite.”
p: [laughs]
a: So you guys um, you guys have synths in some of your songs. Are you guys thinking about adding a keyboard player for live shows?
p: Oh, most definitely.
j: Yes.
p: We’re gonna make a-
j: We need one.
p: We wanna call out people, make a post... hopefully get someone who plays keyboard into our shows.
a: Awesome dude. Hopefully through this interview, you’ll find someone who plays keyboard.
p: Hopefully.
a: I think that’s a definite possibility.
p: I really hope so.
a: Yeah man. So F.Y.I guys, Pizza Donut: hiring a keyboard player.
p: Yes we are. And a bassist.
a: And a bassist.
p: And maybe-
a: A second guitarist?
j: A trumpet player.
p: Maybe a trumpet player.
a: Trumpet player, dude! Hell yeah!
p: [laughs]
a: So you guys are thinking about, like, expanding from the duo, like, making a full four-five piece band?
p: Yeah, yeah most definitely.
j: Yeah.
p: Hopefully it’s something like Dead Butterflies, or um, Gingerbee.
a: Isn’t um- didn’t Violet the First Time start as like a solo thing, and now they have a full band together?
p: Yeah, yeah he started off just on his own.
a: Alright so, what are you guys’ favorite albums right now?
p: Favorite album...
j: Mine right now is...
p: Fuck, wait, let me think about it.
j: While you think, imma look up my...
a: [laughs]
p: Songs by Jonas, what was it?
p: Everything Is Wrong by Songs by Jonas. He’s from... where’s he from? Aw dude, I don’t know. He be movin’ everywhere.
j: He’s from... I don’t know.
p: Yeah, I don’t know where he’s from, um, but I’ve talked to him a bit. He’s a really chill dude, he makes amazing music.
a: Awesome, dude.
p: That album has been on rotation all summer.
a: And no relation to Jonas from Pizza Donut?
p: [laughs] No, none at all. Or the other Jonas in Victoria’s Death Letter.
a: There seem to be a lot of Jonases- Jonas drummers hanging around.
p: No, I know. Jonas everywhere.
a: [laughs]
j: Bandwagoning my name, bruh.
a: So what’s the story behind the name Pizza Donut?
p: Ooh okay, um, there’s this song, called- by Tall Ships Set Sail. They have this song called Pizza Donut.
a: [laughs]
p: Yeah. I loved the song so much that I named the band after it.
a: I mean it has this, just like, iconic sound to it, you know? Pizza Donut.
p: Mmm, thank you.
a: It makes me hungry, too.
p: [laughs] Yeah, I didn’t wanna have like, a super serious name.
a: I get that. I feel like, you have to have like, a part of you that’s not fully serious. Because if you take yourself too seriously, you know, it’s gonna be kinda lame.
p: Yeah, like kinda just back yourself into a corner.
a: Yeah. Alright, last question guys. If you guys could pick any pizza chain to release a signature Pizza Donut pizza donut-
p: [laughs]
j: [laughs]
a: -which one would you pick?
p: Little Caesars?
j: Nahhh.
p: Nah not Little Caesars?
j: Definitely like, Marco’s.
p: Marco’s?!
j: Their pizza is good as hell.
p: I’ve never had Marco’s.
j: Or like, Domino’s.
p: Fuck no! Domino’s...
a: Domino’s is pretty good!
p: [laughs] I pick Pizza Hut.
a: Pizza Hut?
j: [laughs] Pizza Hut!
a: You know what? People always shit on Pizza Hut. They always rank it as the worst pizza chain. But I honestly- I like Pizza Hut.
p: I personally love Pizza Hut. It’s like, grown up with me.
a: Awesome dude. Well, this has been a fun interview, Pizza Donut, thank you so much for talking with me, hopefully this gets people turned onto Pizza Donut, and uh, good luck on that show guys!
p: Thank you man.
j: Thank you.
p: Pull up!
a: Of course man! Thank you so much!
~end of interview~
Thank you for reading our Pizza Donut interview! Seriously, these are talented, really cool guys with an awesome album that you should listen to. And most importantly, pull up to their show next week at the White Swan on August 9th!
Here are some Pizza Donut links we highly encourage clicking:
This Isn’t Happening...
Summer Split w/ Violet the First Time & Nate Sauerwein
Pizza Donut’s Instagram page
-Alexavier