Donna Matthews

Donna Lorraine Matthews (born 2 December 1971, Newport, Monmouthshire) was the lead guitarist of the Britpop band Elastica.

When she was 20 years old Matthews answered an advert in Melody Maker for a guitarist with a new band. She became a member of Elastica, subsequently becoming one of their songwriters and credited for many of their tracks. Matthews left Elastica in the spring of 1999 after the band's output had waned and she had developed a heroin habit. In April 2000 she briefly rejoined the band to play one track, "Connection", at the London Kentish Town Forum after being invited out of the audience by Elastica singer Justine Frischmann.

After shaking off her drug addiction she formed an unnamed band with bass guitar player Isabel Waidner and Katrin Jones. In May 2003 they produced and sold 1000 copies of a single, called "L.O.V.E."

In May 2004, Matthews' new band, Klang (with Waidner and drummer Keisuke Hiratsuka) released their debut album, No Sound is Heard. Klang have not produced any output or news since 2005.

On January 21 2017, Elastica's official Facebook page posted photos featuring three-fourths of the original line-up - Matthews, Annie Holland and Justin Welch - during a visit to Abbey Road Studios in London. Mastering engineer Sean McGee tweeted that he had just "cut a record for Elastica today" and that the band members "hadn't seen each other for 20 years." The specific details of the record have yet to be announced, but in response to fan comments regarding Frischmann's absence in the photos, the Facebook page stated that, "Justine's involved in what's happening too."

Matthews subsequently studied music at the Dartington College of Arts in Devon. She was interviewed by Ichthus Christian Fellowship in October 2006. It was revealed that she had become a Christian.

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