Not Animals

In the spring we conducted and interview with our friend Christopher Samms A.K.A. Not Animals and as usual my lazy pot smoking ass is just now giving him his due and proper. It actually works out brilliantly as he told us this week that he has a show tonight that will feature not only the man Samms himself but he will now have a backing band to beef up our collective live experiences. OK Vancouver OK have returned to Winnipeg to play the role of headliner and to cap things off its We Eat Meat who are also from Peg City.


So Come down to my fav bar in the city LO PUB @ 330 Kennedy St in the downtown. Check out all the details here peeps.

DL : Not Animals - Good Breath .
DL : Not Animals - All My Hearts
DL : Not Animals - Getting On Water .
DL : Not Animals - Like Small Machines


Not Animals/Christopher Samms Interview

What sort of music did you grow up on?

I actually didn't start listening to music until just before high school. Before I took matters into my own hands I just listened to whatever my sister listened to at the time which was Alanis Morrisette, The Offspring, Oasis, some Nirvana and lots of Bush (Bush X if you're hardcore).

What sort of music currently inspires you?

Lately I'm really inspired by new wave pop. Really up-beat stuff with a lot of reverb. Old and new. It really gets my attention if I can hear the 50s pop/surf influence come through despite the distortion and effects pedals.

When did you start to produce music?

I started producing music in the middle of high school making trip hop albums under the name DJ Budferd. That would have been around 2001. I haven't really stopped since.

What made you choose Not Animals as your moniker?

The reason why I like Not Animals is because it's a nice, short ambiguous name that actually comes from not being The Animals (with Eric Burden). Also it sort of naturally incorporates a sarcastic denial of humans actually being animals.

Who or what has been the biggest influence?

The one thing that my main influences all seem to have in common is that they are all from the 80s. Everything from Grandmaster Flash to The Jesus & Mary Chain. So I will have to say the 80s have been the biggest influence.

What would you rate as the best experience that you’ve had in the music scene so far?

This might seem cheesey, but I think seeing people that I've never met before at the shows, buying cds, and actually, honestly enjoying the music is the best part. A perfect example of this would be when my old band Tigerrr Beat played NXNE in Toronto where we knew nobody, but still had an awesome crowd that had no obligation to be there whatsoever and still danced and had a great time. That was a great experience.

What’s the first record/CD you bought?

This is kind of embarrassing. The first CD that I bought was the soundtrack to the 1998 film Lost in Space. I really liked techno as I went into high school, but had no idea what was what so I would just buy soundtracks and go from there.

What can people expect from your live show?

Up until recently you could expect a guy with a bass and a boom box with a tape of beats and keys in it. But now I have a few friends helping me play my songs. It's more interesting to watch that way. You can also expect to want to dance a little or at least tap your foot.

What are the top five most listened to tracks/songs on your iPod?

1. Sea Within A Sea - The Horrors
2. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & The Revolution
3. The 15th - Wire
4. Tell The World - Vivian Girls
5. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie

What are your favourite production tools /gadgets?

I can't help but love my Alesis Micron synth, but nothing really beats all of my little keyboards with their own personal sounds and beats. Those instruments themselves can be very inspiring.

When recording do you have a hard time nailing down a songs identity when writing or is more of a stream of conscientiousness thing?

As a solo artist I usually have to record as I write. I come up with one part on one instrument, record it, pick up another instrument and just sort of jam with myself until all of the pieces come together. After I have pieces I write lyrics and figure out the structure from there.

If you had to put a genre label on yourself as an musician what would it be?

As a musician... I guess it would have to be pretty general since my two projects are kind of different from each other. I'd have to say that as a musician I would fall under pop. I just like writing music that's fun and feels good to listen to.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll?

Socks, hugs and rock n' roll. Is that lame? I don't really know how else to answer that. - voulesrandom.com