by Marcella Ortega
Daily Lobo
The Annuals are enjoying their newfound indie stardom.
"It's all very new to us, and it's all very exciting," said Mike Robinson, the band's bassist. "We are all very grateful for it, because we worked really hard."
Robinson said it wasn't long after the band created a MySpace.com account and made its music available to MP3 blogs that it gained recognition.
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"I would say the first thing to set everything off was when Pitchfork did a review of 'Brother,'" Robinson said, referring to a song on Be He Me. "They started a string of online press and buzz."
Robinson said it is ironic the band received so much attention on the Internet.
"None of us had ever read blogs or knew anything about them until we became the focal point of it," Robinson said.
Robinson said the band is influenced by artists such as Bjork, Radiohead, Rufus Wainwright, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.
"We listen to everything, and we try to incorporate as much as possible," he said. "We aspire to do as much as we can. Four members of the band are songwriters. We all listen to what each other is listening to, and it just becomes this big umbrella."
He said one of the band's biggest influences is Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
"He's amazing," Robinson said. "Smile and Pet Sounds are two you-can't-do-without records in all of our books."
Robinson said the band doesn't write songs to sound like anyone else.
"Whenever that happens to any of us, we just scrap it immediately," Robinson said. "That's how our songs end up different."
Robinson said the band is constantly altering its songs.
"We work best with each other and with ourselves," he said. "We will write a song and record it, sort of consider it finished, and then go back and work on it some more."
Robinson said the constant changes cause the songs to live multiple lives.
"If you would compare the original versions to what we have on our CD, you would think, 'No way,' because they sound so different,"
he said.
Robinson said all the songs on Be He Me are old, and the band has more than 40 songs that have not been recorded.
"We always have access to our sessions, and we work on them when we are bored or a good idea pops into our head," he said. "That's just the kind of band we are. Writer's block will never be an issue."
Robinson said the band is having a great time touring, but it still needs to get used to the wear and tear of traveling.
"It's a very harsh schedule that we are on, because shows will keep you out until two in the morning," Robinson said. "We have to get hotels, because there is a whole armada of people. Checkout is 11 a.m. We get really used to being sleep deprived, but we still do it nonetheless, because there is nothing else we would rather be doing."
The Annuals
Sunday
8 p.m.
Launchpad
$15
21 and over
