Blog darlings New Animal long for hometown embrace

ATL duo plays live for the first time this Thursday night

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  • New Animal



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“Other Side”

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Kris Hermstad and Derek Burdette began recording as New Animal just last year, and went on to become one of Atlanta’s latest experimentally-driven indie pop outfits, but have remained relatively unknown in their hometown after releasing a self-titled full-length debut in January 2011 that was swept up by music blogs around the world.

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The band’s recording process has been a spontaneous series of improvisation, until they find something inspiring to latch onto. Through it all Hermstad and Burdette switch around on guitar, bass, synth. and accordion. Upon release, the album surged across the Internet after Hermstad posted the songs on the band’s message boards “From there it was sent to one of those sites that actually puts up ‘illegal’ downloads of full albums,” Hermstad says. “Thankfully we were giving it away for free, so it didn’t hurt us. It started to get picked up on a few more blogs, with I Guess I’m Floating being our first ‘big break,’” he adds. From there it just started spreading.”

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Since then they have been incessantly releasing new music via SoundCloud where they’ve posted an outstanding collection of B-sides and demos that didn’t make the album’s final cut. The group’s Band Camp page ran out of free downloads a while ago, but the guys were nice enough to offer another link to let you grab the album for free. Hear the engaging harmonies and simple, yet addictive melody on “Other Side.”

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The group has yet to make an impression on Atlanta, and to start, they’re taking the stage for the first time this Thursday (April 7) at WonderRoot with Medals, Places and the Compartmentalizationalists.

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$5. 8 p.m. 982 Memorial Drive. 404-254-5955.