Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is a British indie rock group formed in the United Kingdom in 2008. The band begins as a trio after singer, guitarist and pianist Richard Sauberlich meets bassist Hamish Crombie at art school and drummer Geoff Lea joins soon afterwards. The group’s line-up includes Sauberlich on vocals, guitar and piano, Crombie on bass, and Lea on drums.

Career and recordings

The band records its debut album, Signs and Wonders, in Seattle in early 2009 with producer Phil Ek, who is known for work with Fleet Foxes and The Walkmen. The album appears at the end of the year and gains strong critical response. In the United States it is released only digitally, but the track “Tin Man” is selected by iTunes as Single of the Week, and the platform names Animal Kingdom its Best New Alternative Act.

After extensive touring in the UK and Europe around the debut release, the band works on its second album, The Looking Away. The group writes and demos more than 30 songs in a studio space in a rundown church in North London, then chooses a smaller set to record with producer David Kosten, whose credits include Bat For Lashes and Everything Everything. Recording begins in February 2011 and finishes later that summer. The album is released by Mom + Pop Records.

Style and themes

Animal Kingdom’s music combines indie rock with atmospheric, melancholic elements. The band aims for a wider sonic palette on The Looking Away, using production that bends and layers sounds rather than presenting guitars and drums in a straightforward way. The album includes “Strange Attractor,” which Richard Sauberlich describes as a chemical love song, “Get Away With It,” a protest-pop track, and “Straw Man,” which he calls a beautifully depressing song.

The second album centres on selective inattention, disengagement and personal complicity. Its title, artwork and lyrics all circle around the idea of looking away or tuning something out, even when it is uncomfortable.

Live work

Animal Kingdom tours extensively in support of Signs and Wonders. The group also makes its U.S. debut at Lollapalooza and Outside Lands while promoting The Looking Away.