Born Animal: "Last of Your Kind"
Born Animal is putting the rock back in indie-rock. Created by Ryan Stowe (vocals/guitar), and Stephen Luther (bass) in 2015, Evan Miranda (drums) and Sean Rossettie (guitar) joined the group the next year. The four hit their stride immediately, wowing audiences with electric live shows and songs that won’t get out of your head. Taking influence from every decade of music, Born Animal blends riff-based rock with powerhouse vocals and rebellious lyricism.
The next year of writing and rehearsing culminated in Celebration Revolution, self-released on Dec. 1st 2017. The EP was featured on Lightning 100, Pancakes & Whiskey, The Deli and charted at #140 on the NACC Charts. During that time, Born Animal also played Vanderbilt’s Rites of Spring 2018, four SXSW showcases, and was a finalist in Lightning 100’s Music City Mayhem. The band also had a lineup change, with Adam Uttz taking over on drums.
We had the pleasure of checking in with Born Animal on the occasion of the release of their new single and they were kind enough to respond to a few interview questions.
Welcome! Thanks for chatting with us today! Super excited for the new single you have coming out "Last of Your Kind" Tell us all about it.
Ryan: Thanks for having us! We’re happy to be here. Last of Your Kind was written over a year ago when the world felt really different. I always hear stories about how the best songs are written really quickly and that’s what happened here. Stephen and I wrote the riff in our kitchen one afternoon and demoed it a few days later. I didn’t have any lyrics in mind, but after listening to the demo on repeat, all the words just fell out of me in just a few minutes. No edits were made from that first version and that’s what you hear on the recording. I can’t say that about any of our other songs. When the pandemic rolled around, we knew we had to spend some time on this song, even though it’s sonically different from a lot of our previous releases. The message was so appropriate for what we’ve been going through as individuals and as a country. Having the rap feature was really just the icing on the cake, and really elevates the song. If you had told me six months ago that one of our songs would have a rap feature, I probably would’ve laughed in your face.
Do you get nervous before you release new music or is it more of an excitement for you?
Ryan: Honestly it’s more of a relief than anything! As any artist knows, so much work goes into a release behind the scenes. My heart always races right before I hear it on Spotify for the first time, but once I see it and hear it up there for the world, I can finally relax. Time for the song to leave the nest and fly!
Stephen: Absolutely not! We definitely create music with an intention to connect with other people, but we also make it to express ourselves creatively, so getting to put something new into the world is an incredible feeling. With art comes criticism, but as long as you’re always trying to better yourself, you should never be afraid to put out music!
Was there anyone or anything in particular that pushed you to pursue music?
Ryan: It’s weird how motivation changes over the years. I got into music because I loved performing and being on stage. But as I’ve gotten older, it’s become all about writing and recording. Capturing magical moments and sharing them with the world, as opposed to just whoever happens to be in the room watching us sweat it out. Thankfully I have a passion for that as well since live shows don’t really exist in 2020.
Adam: Ever since I was a kid I’ve always had a deep passion for music and rhythm. I’d echo Ryan in that overtime motivations change. I always loved music and wanted to be able to play and be able to create the things I was hearing. Music moved me so much and I wanted to find a way to give that feeling to others myself. Now a big part of it is that I love making music with my friends. It feels more comfortable than ever to express myself musically amongst the people I know. Early on, middle and high school band were big influences along with the teachers I had during those times. A big part of my love for pop and rock music came from my drum teacher growing up. He played in several well known rock bands around and in Memphis and was absolutely amazing.
Stephen: I didn’t start playing bass until I was 16 but I immediately fell in love with it. I grew up listening to alot of Funk and R&B music so I think that definitely influenced my relationship to music and my attention to funky bass. My first bass teacher was Mark White from the Spin Doctors and he did not mess around! He taught me alot and eventually got me connected with Ryan, we met Adam, and the rest is history!
How did you decide to make this your next release?
Ryan: When the pandemic started, we decided to challenge ourselves by creating something completely different. We couldn’t be happier with the results. It just felt like a 2020 song, like it needed to be out this year. There’s never been a better time to break the mold and step out of the boxes we put ourselves in.
How do you unwind after a busy day in the studio?
Ryan: I love riding my skateboard through some Nashville parks and I also love my Nintendo Switch. Dark Souls has been my favorite game. It’s incredibly challenging and definitely has throw-your-controller-out-of-anger energy. This song in particular was actually recorded mostly in our home in Nashville, so unwinding is as simple as walking downstairs and plopping on the couch.
Adam: I’m such a huge nerd haha. I love playing board games, video games, watching anime, movies and most any other visual art form. In addition a good book can really put my mind at ease and I hit the disc golf course with my friends all the time. It’s really become a huge passion of mine so you can find me at the course throwing multiple times a week.
Have a listen and connect with Born Animal on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/bornanimalmusic/
