The electronic pioneers talk cavemen, creative restlessness and their toughest critics to date
With a 17-year career, a slew of albums under their belt and a sprawling roster of side projects to their name, the US quartet behind Animal Collective have established a sound that’s instantly recognisable. Their joyous, psychedelic take on electronica – at its best on recent single Floridada – has seen them flirt with the mainstream while staying true to their own anarchic vision, building up a cult following in the process. AnOther caught up with Dave Portner and Noah Lennox (aka Avey Tare and Panda Bear) ahead the release of 11th record Painting With – which features what Lennox calls a “caveman-type feel” – on why there’s plenty more to come.
On what to expect from Painting With…
Dave Portner: "Anyone who knows the band will hear it and think 'this is an Animal Collective record', but its textures and arrangements feel like new territory to us. The biggest challenge was making short songs. We'd grown accustomed to drawn-out structures that turn into six-minute tracks. But we wanted to experiment with songwriting in a more classic sense, like 1950s or 1960s pop, or Tin Pan Alley, where all this amazing stuff happens in two and a half minutes."
On creating vivid live shows…
Noah Lennox: "Painting With is the first time we’ve written and recorded an album before playing it live. Things that work in the studio might not work on stage and vice versa – it’s a real journey to discover this new life of a song."
DP: "The studio is much more controlled and, at times, lacks the energy of the stage. It's like living in a secluded cottage in the woods and then trying to recreate that lifestyle in Manhattan. For us it doesn't work so we give ourselves up to the chaotic atmosphere the stage can have. We want each show to be an honest representation of how we are feeling, acting or reacting on any given night."
On the importance of visuals…
DP: "It's about creating a world that the music exists in. In high school, we used to sit around listening to music in the dark. We'd listen to a whole record like [The Incredible String Band’s] The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter or some [Krzysztof] Penderecki piece and talk about the images it brought to mind. This influenced me in terms of wanting a visual element to play a crucial role in the presentation of our music."
On balancing solo projects with the band…
NL: "We’re all creatively restless so we’re always trying to figure out new ways of doing things – it feels like a creative wave and you just sort of ride it. You’re always feeding the knowledge you pick up into the next project."
DP: "Everything is part of a system that works together. What makes the Animal Collective sound is each person’s personality shining through in the mix. We are apart to be together."
On Animal Collective’s ongoing legacy…
DP: "Each of our records represents a certain time period in our lives. It's like getting a tattoo, because you're really passionate about something. We don't get tattoos, we make records and they'll be with us till we die. There is so much we have yet to explore that it makes it constantly exciting."
NL: "These days it’s the only time we get to see each other; we get psyched about going to work because you’ll see your friends again. We’ve grown a lot together – it’s an intense relationship. During this time I’ve got married, moved to a foreign country and had children. Becoming a parent changes your perspective – the kids become the focus of everything you do. My daughter actually got really upset one time and apologised for not liking my music. I said, 'It’s OK – you’re not alone!'"
Painting With by Animal Collective is out on February 19th, 2016
