One of the best parts of this industry is the ability to connect with so many like-minded individuals with the click of a button. For this interview, we brought together Los Angeles indie-rock band Outside Animals (for fans of: The Strokes, Jimmy Eat World) with the Bay Area’s Stormy Strong, the saltwater rock leviathan that has been sweeping the globe atop a tsunami of salty melodic anthems ever since he hit the waves in 2006. Check out the full interview below.
Stormy Strong: What is your name (are you the Captain?), the name of your band, and how would you describe your sound?
Outside Animals: I am Colin and I am the singer, guitarist, and front man for Outside Animals. We play indie/garage rock. I’m told we sound like a mix of Jimmy Eat World and The Strokes, which is wonderful. They’re both huge influences.
SS: What was the first song you heard in your life that you fell in love with? Does the music you write today in any way rhyme with that song?
OA: The first song I fell in love with was probably something off of an oldies station. That was always on in the car as a kid. But of songs I can remember, I would play “Keep Fishing” by Weezer on repeat. It was the first song I learned on guitar, too.
OA: At what point did you think to yourself, “I need to be playing music.”
SS: The first time I heard the Everly Brothers’ “Bird Dog” at about 4 years old.
OA: What album can you put on and listen to every song start to finish?
SS: Weezer’s Blue Album.
OA: This would definitely be my answer as well. It’s the perfect album.
SS: What is your latest release and how do you go about releasing your music?
OA: We just released a 4-song EP. We released it through CD Baby for distribution so we could get on Spotify, iTunes, Google music, etc. We worked with Muddy Paw PR to get a little bit of press coverage for the release and are now playing shows to promote it. We’ve got two music videos in the works as well.
OA: I’m going to cop one of your questions: what’s your latest release and how did you go about releasing it?
SS: We have been only releasing singles, so our most recent single is “Angels Cry.” It was featured in the iTunes Music Store and distributed digitally everywhere! This song was not heavily promoted, but has on its own got a ton of exposure. We just released a new music video for our song “Sail Away.” We worked with Muddy Paw PR is addition to FB and Google advertising.
OA: Have you always been rocking the seas or did you ever have a more land-locked band?
SS: I was in the pop punk band (aka melodic hardcore) in the ’90s. We played a lot of shows with Good Riddance and other FAT bands. Also with Blink 182 in Vegas, which was nuts! We played a lot of shows in landlocked towns I had never heard of on the west coast.
OA: How do you feel about non-sailors like the Beach Boys and Beatles singing about the sea? (With reference to “Sloop John B” and “Yellow Submarine” respectively.)
SS: LOVE the Beach Boys! Love a lot of Beatles tunes, too. Imagine if Jimmy Buffett consistently wrote songs as good of both of them? He would be king of the world!
SS: Describe your live show. Do you think live music is dying for rock-based music?
OA: We’re super high energy on stage. We try to be entertaining, put on a good show. We go for a dapper look with bright colors. Regarding live music, I think there are two sides. Rock music isn’t doing any worse than other art forms or genres of music. I think that people should be more willing to spend money on art. $5 for a show is way more interesting than $5 coffee. On the other hand, I think that rock bands could work on being better showmen on stage. Take a cue from the major pop stars and try to put together a bigger production on stage. I think rock bands could do more in that arena.
SS: What inspires you to create and sail your way across the treacherous waters of the music industry?
OA: I have never really considered not doing it. I’ve always wanted to tell stories and try to communicate experiences in a relatable way. I get inspired by songs I love that have a profound effect on me.
SS: Virtual reality: Fad or Future of music?
OA: I would say it’s more of a fad for music. Music needs to connect with people on a personal level.
OA: If you were lost at sea, what are the top 3 things you need?
SS: If I already had flotation: opaque plastic liner or new tarp, line (preferably wrapped around a cooked roast!), and a bottle of hooks.
Follow Outside Animals:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp
Follow Stormy Strong:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud
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Bands Interviewing Bands: Outside Animals and Stormy Strong. Photo credit: Outside Animals on themselves (top) Photo credit: Peter Saporito on Stormy Strong (bottom).
