Brooklyn-based band, Animal Years, considers Rockwood Music Hall their ‘home base.’ A combination of indie rock, folk and Americana, the group has a melodious sound comparable to Kings of Leon. They are celebrating their second album release tomorrow night at 9:30pm at the LES venue. Lead singer, Mike McFadden, says he enjoys the sound of the space and overall atmosphere of the intimate performance areas; it was a natural fit for their album release fete.
Animal Years is on the cusp of being a highly buzzed about band, and the release of their sophomore album, Sun Will Rise, is sure to have a big impact on the future of the group.
A Brooklyn band by way of Baltimore, McFadden says the move to New York has given him more confidence to embrace what he was already doing. “The competitive music scene here only helps me. The hardest working people are the ones that actually do something worth listening to. I love that about Brooklyn.”
McFadden had been writing and recording solo albums for nine years, but when he moved to New York, he found musicians who wanted to get involved with his music career and make it something more than just a solo project.
Tomorrow night, he’s most looking forward to playing the band’s new song, Leah, that they have yet to perform live. “It’s been doing really well on the blogs and we want to see how it sounds at the venues. It’s exciting to play the new stuff,” says McFadden.
So far, as the lead vocalist and guitarist, McFadden has written all of the bands’ material on his own. “I’ll bring a fully thought out or basic idea to the band and they’ll help me arrange it. Our first album was done in Baltimore so we really haven’t had a chance to figure out how to write songs as a band, ” he says.
McFadden talks openly about the struggles in his music career and says that funding has been difficult to come by in year’s past. For the past nine years, he has worked manual labor jobs in addition to the 40 hours or more a week he spent on his music career.
“I’m excited to say that next year will probably be my first year working solely on music,” says McFadden.
The group has upcoming tour dates in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, as well as an upcoming cameo performance in an indie movie, Hard Sell.
Saturday, May 10 // $10 // 9:30pm // 196 Allen Street
