At the top of 2020, Chicago psychedelic rock group Post Animal unveiled their long-awaited sophomore record, Forward Motion Godyssey, only to have their official roll-out plans (and a subsequent headlining tour) stalled as the pandemic hit. Like most musicians, as they settled into quarantine, the band — Dalton Allison (bass), Jake Hirschland (guitar/keyboard), Javi Reyes (guitar), Wesley Toledo (drums), and Matt Williams (guitar) — had to learn how to exist within this new climate, and, namely, how to create together, when physically apart.
Despite initial obstacles, the band’s drive and ability to adapt resulted in their recently released 3-song EP, Worried About You, which finds them experimenting sonically and drawing on existential themes. For example, the atmospheric malaise of “Caving In” calls on the antagonizing dread brought upon by our current landscape, while “You Know Better” accompanies jangly new wave riffing with a more hopeful tone, touching on the chaos of now but matching it with an equal amount of level-headedness. Holistically, it’s a strong return from the boys, and an impressive feat, considering the process they had to endure in order to assemble each track.
Can you describe how the writing/recording process looked for Worried About You vs. how it might typically pan out?
Javi Reyes: We usually do everything together in the same room, but for this EP, we recorded everything separately with our own interfaces and personal gear. One person would just start it, send a file with a bpm and then everyone else would layer on. At the end of the tracking process, everyone would upload their stems to Google Drive for Dalton to mix it. It definitely takes some extra concentration locking up with everyone when all you have is an MP3 to vibe with, but once you put the work in and get it right, it’s very satisfying to know we can still do it under limiting circumstances. Feels like we’re cheating when it turns out real well.
What inspired the EP’s creation, generally? Was it mostly inevitable due to the fact that you now had time to work with some ideas you had floating around?
Javi: We wanted to record some songs remotely and these were the first three that came up. We wouldn’t have recorded those then if we didn’t have the free time.
Holistically, this EP touches on a lot of different things, sonically (like, “You Know Better” has a bit of a dream pop sound which suits you guys well!). I know you previously said you guys had been kind of inspired to be bold and do something fun with FMG — did this EP sort of channel the same kind of adventurous, experimental motivations?
Javi: I think this EP has a little more space and simpler structure, whereas FMG has more dense and tangential arrangements. We were still experimental and adventurous with this EP, just in different ways.
I also really dig “Caving In” — it’s such an atmospheric, ethereal track, which definitely takes a step back from the shredding you guys are pros at. Can you touch on this song’s creative inspirations, thematically and sonically?
Javi: Thanks! It’s about feeling like everything is falling apart but still trying to do everything in your power to fix it. A lot of the chords came from our live intros and a couple jams. I love Matt’s guitar solo at the end.
I know you said that creating this EP was more of an individual-group effort, as opposed to how it would normally be with everyone together. What about this process did you find easiest to adapt to, and maybe most difficult?
Javi: The easy part is laying the foundation down. The structure is already group-approved, so you know what you have to do. The most difficult part is probably the engineering. Usually, Dalton, who has the best mic placement knowledge, is there to set things up just right to mix it how we like it.
With having so much time in quarantine to be nit-picky and mull over this material, did you find yourself obsessing over how these three songs came out, or was it a more forgiving process?
Javi: It was pretty fluid. I think we’re all pretty pumped on Dalton’s mixing so we’re not hard to impress.
The release roll-out process is probably very strange in a pandemic-stricken world, too. How are you guys feeling about coming out with a new project in a landscape that looks like this?
Matt Williams: It is very strange, but I think we’re just glad that we were able to adjust to the circumstances and record some songs anyway. I think all artists are probably feeling limited in some capacity, but at the end of the day, there’s always a way to make something and get it out there. We’re just grateful to have the opportunity to put something out!
For the full feature, check out Issue 9 available to order now
