If you happen to have a free 19 minutes, head over to your favorite streaming service and check out Far From Home, the recently-released EP from Brooklyn-based folk-rock outfit Animal Years. It’s a rollicking good time, one that will make you stomp your feet and clap your hands—it’s evident that the band behind the music was having the best time when they made it. “I loved the process,” declares vocalist Mike McFadden. “We linked up with Ryan Hadlock, who works with The Lumineers, in a converted barn/farmhouse kind of place. We stayed in the cabin next door, and that was amazing. For 12 hours a day we were in there plugging away; then, at the end of the day, we would go back to the cabin, sit on the porch, have a couple beers, go to bed, wake up, and do it all over again.”
Separation from the bustle of the city allowed them to focus, to dedicate themselves to the process. “It’s nice to get away–especially when you’re in New York City–and have absolutely no distractions, no police cars, no noise,” he continues of their time in the woods in Upstate New York. “Instead of going outside and seeing a trash truck, you go outside and there’s a goat at the door,” he laughs. “I’m just like ‘Alright, I’m going to hang out with this friendly goat and then I’m gonna go record.’ We knew that it was going to be a good recording process after that.”
Now, the band is on tour supporting Far From Home, which will bring them to Nashville’s The Basement on Monday, May 30th. “I can’t wait to get some hot chicken,” says McFadden. “Last time we were in town, the vice president of our publishing company challenged our drummer to get the hot chicken, and I was like fuck that, I’m getting the medium chicken and I was fine, but he had to go get the hot chicken he was in a world of hurt for a while,” he laughs. “It’s our fourth time in Nashville, we’re excited to be there. I’m really excited about touring, happy to be getting on the road. It’s been a while. We were touring around the same time last year, the weather is about to get nice, we have a really great tour lined up,” he adds. “I’m ready to get out there and hit the road.”
[Click HERE for tickets and show information.]
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