It’s a dream for so many to step up from the local venue circuit to play at Donington Park. For Aniimalia that dream came true and their beaming faces showed just how much it meant to them. The alt-rockers nailed it of course. Then singer Kira and bass player Max had to negotiate the next big challenge, an interview with Devo’s Gary Trueman. They aced that too, with breaking out of the south west and the popularity of vinyl some of the topics of conversation.
It’s an unusually warm Download. How’s it been for you guys?
“It was insane. It was a dream come true to run out on a big stage and to be able to have the space to run around and have a good time playing our music. And to see everyone else have a good time too. The crowd were into it which we love. It was eleven in the morning so you don’t expect so many to be there.”
You’re from the south west. What’s the scene like down there? Is it a little bit of a forgotten pocket of the UK?
“Most of the towns have one or two really good music venues so you can see local bands. It’s good to see that there’s still a good scene around and some good bands coming out of the south west at the moment.”
Is it difficult to break out of that area and hit places like London and the Midlands?
“As a new band it’s hard to start. But if you’re aiming high and trying them you’ll definitely get somewhere in the end. We’re playing our first London show in a couple of weeks. We’re so excited about that. You do get stuck in a bubble a little bit but it’s not necessarily a bad place to be. We do want to expand though.”
You’re a young band that’s grown up with digital formats. It’s a digital world even though vinyl is stubbornly popular. Is it easy to find new music now?
“It is easy to find new music but there are pros and cons to the fact that everything is so accessible. You can get your name out there a lot easier. But the money isn’t there any more. You don’t get money for streaming. But we do like the fact that we can go on our phones and listen to any band we want.”
You’ve got to be something special to not get swamped by everybody else’s music as well haven’t you?
“Yes. We’ve been really lucky with the reaction people have had to us. We’ve done videos alongside our songs which have always gotten us views and then plays, and got us out there a bit more. We’ve been fortunate and there are ways out there if people want to find new music and are looking for it. You just got to reach out and create avenues.”
With all this, why do you think good old fashioned vinyl has come back so strongly?
“Trends always recirculate in every industry. There’s a certain sense of pride in buying a record. Max went out and bought Rumours by Fleetwood Mac the other day after looking for it for years. There’s still a sense you get from owning a physical copy of a record you like.”
It’s a younger generational thing as well which would seem to be counter-intuitive. You’d expect it to be a market for older people who knew vinyl the first time around. But it’s people like yourselves who are driving that market.
“We love the sound of old analogue equipment. It’s a warmer sound. Even if something was recorded in analogue, if it’s being broadcast in digital it won’t sound as good.”
Bands like yourselves are also driving a new wave of almost genre-less music. We’re seeing rock and metal acts with DJs and programmers on stage. We’re seeing rock and metal being used in hip hop. Is that important, to muddy the waters?
“You shouldn’t confine yourself to a genre. In our band what we like to focus on is that we are four different people that like four different types of music and have four different influences. It’s a good way of keeping everyone happy. It’s looking like a lot of bands have started doing that and it keeps the scene exciting because no one is doing the same thing. Max has a lot of influences outside of rock, he likes a lot of electronic music. In terms of his playing a lot of his influences come from bands like Gomez, The Cure and Pink Floyd. Kira like old rock, she likes the heavier side of things. Bands like Iron Maiden.”
What have you got planned for the rest of the year? Maybe a UK tour?
“We’re looking to get something organised towards the end of the year when we’ve got our EP out. We’d love to do a little promotional tour. The EP is out on August 19th and it’s called Pressure Points.”
Which bands are you most looking forward to checking out at Download this year?
“Steel Panther are max’s guilty pleasure. He’ll be having a little headbang to them. Kira wants to see Yonaka. They’re a huge inspiration for our band. They mix the genres up which we were talking about.”
Festivals are notorious for difficult camping conditions although this year the weather is wonderful. What are your festival survival tips?
“A festival is a marathon not a sprint, especially with drinking. So don’t go too quickly. Pace yourself because you’re there for a long time. Stick with your mates if it’s a big festival. It’s easy to get lost.
Interview and photos by Gary Trueman