My first impression upon hearing LA’s Outside Animals was a big, “holy shit I feel like I’m in high school again” – in the best possible way, of course. While I’m normally a sucker for anything indie/synth related, Outside Animals specialize in a raw garage-rock feel reminiscent of Jimmy Eat World, The Strokes, Weezer and I Love Monsters for all you New York underground listeners.
Comprised of Colin Orthmann, Mark Peters and Gabriel Grinata, the trio have crafted the perfect summer soundtrack with their new self-titled EP guaranteed to start turning heads. With lead single”Jenny Trouble” at the helm, it’s hard not to bop your head with enthusiasm and that sentiment continues with “Mad Men.”
Inspiration doesn’t always flow freely but once you experience a chance encounter with one of your heroes, it can certainly change things. Orthmann shares, “These songs are the product of me re-learning why I became an artist. After going through some rough patches with music and losing some band members, I wasn’t enjoying making music any more. But after some time away and a chance encounter with Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, I was inspired. I wanted to make something that I could listen to alongside old Weezer or Strokes records. I wrote the songs about really personal and emotional moments in my life and channeled the meaning from my favorite songs. The songs that have gotten me through some of the hardest moments in my life are the same ones whose influence I poured into the recordings on this EP.”
The influences run rampant throughout the entire four-track EP, especially during “Six Weeks” as we’re brought right into an ’03-esque opening while closing track, “Red” is an upbeat plea to a possible heartbreaker that’s as unforgettable as the rest. A possible look into what’s to come? We sure hope so!
Check out the Outside Animals EP below:
