Before anyone begins hyperventilating and weeping over their copy of Spirit They’ve Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished (which they bought in 2003 WAY before the band became really popular of course), Animal Collective have not confirmed anything about disbanding for good – they’re just “going on a break”.
In an interview with BBC 6Music one of Animal Collective’s main bros Panda Bear (AKA Noah Lennox) said the band are tired of touring and are taking some down time:
“There was just so much touring for us. We’re not really road dogs… so I think all of us are trying to lay low just for a second.”
But THEN:
Asked whether this was the end for the band, Panda Bear replied:
“There have been times in the past when I’ve thought we were done. So I don’t know, this could be it. I don’t expect it to be, I should say, but you never know.”
This is like The Beatles all over again. And, like in the case of The Beatles, there has to be someone to blame a la The Yoko Effect.
Panda Bear wrote the big crossover track “My Girls” – the band’s first ever ‘hit’ after 10 years together – and the lyrics refer to Panda Bear’s wife and daughter. Observe:
I don’t mean to seem like I
Care about material things
Like a social status
I just want
Four walls and adobe slats
For my girls
Translation:
People think I like designer motorbikes and days at the mens spa
as well as being really concerned about my “rep” because I’m cool indie band guy type
But my wife (AKA Yoko) and little girl are more important than that stuff
As long as I have enough cash to look after them that is all good
Now I have had hit single and sold many records
So have achieved that aim
The woman behind those telling words is Fernanda Pereira a Portuguese fashion designer who makes hats and clothes with accordian pleats in everything:
In the event that The Yoko Effect causes the undoing of Animal Collective, you can be soothed with the knowledge that Panda Bear (and potentially the other band members) will be putting out a solo album Tomboy in September of this year:
“My focus right now is just to do this record and make sure I do my best with that, and then when that’s winding down, I feel like I’ll move my focus back to the group… But no dates have been set in terms of us getting together to work on stuff,” he said.
To be continued.
