Scranton, Pennsylvania based prog/psychedelic rockers Family Animals released their second album in 2015 titled I Must Have Missed It. Drummer and singer Anthony Viola talks with Moshville about the record, influences, and more.
Before we start, how is the weather like over there in Pennsylvania these days?
Unseasonably warm, until today. Tonight’s cold, thanks for asking.
How would you describe I Must Have Missed It to your potential fans to give a chance to your sound?
We would describe I Must Have Missed It as a psychedelic album, with rock/orchestral arrangements. We put a lot of time and effort into it and so far have gotten a lot of positive , it’s worth checking out for rock n roll music fans.
Which bands or musicians influenced your work at the most?
We have always been influenced by countless bands from several genres throughout our lives, from The Band to the Beastie Boys, which we think always tends to shine through the music we create.
What have you been listening to lately? Do the songs you listen to have any impact on your song-writing?
We each listen to a wide array of music. Lately it just happens to be the Extraordinaires, Motörhead, the bitter tears, father John misty, of montreal and the new Mike Quinn songs!
How did the creative process go for I Must Have Missed It?
For I Must Have Missed It we mostly started with a framework for a song. Then build from that, by jamming to them, and trying different things to figure out what fits best.
What were the biggest challenges during the creative process for I Must Have Missed It?
We recorded the album using Logic Pro 8, which we ran on a 2008 iMac. Due to wide musical arrangements, some of the songs required 30+ tracks which caused the u to overload sporadically. We eventually resolved the issue, but the problem did cause some delay in the writing and recording processes.
What was your favorite release of 2015?
To name a few: ‘Heatwave’ by Heavy Blonde, All the singles release by Purples, this year.
Do Family Animals have any plans to tour Europe?
We’d love to! But unfortunately we do not have any plans at the moment to do so. Keep up on our Facebook page for updates on any shows or anything in the future though!
What do you do other than your work in Family Animals?
We each work different jobs to keep the bills paid, we are tree trimmers and servers. In our free time, we like to enjoy the outdoors, and we like to spend time enjoying other people’s artwork, whatever it may be.
What are the future plans for Family Animals?
We are hoping to release another full length album in 2016. Which we are planning to start recording this spring. As of now, we are trying to schedule shows to promote I Must Have Missed It.
