Q: This song was first written 35 years ago. Walk us through your writing and production process in coming back to “The Kids,” and how it has changed from its first iteration.
ANIMAL SOULS: ‘The Kids’ has been sort of a pet project with me. I originally demoed the song on 4-track in 1989 and I though it was pretty good then. Everyone I played it for thought it was good, and I felt I had something special with this song. This was during a time when I was writing a lot of music and moved from one song on to the next.
Fast forward to 2021 and the Covid pandemic killed my 27-year career at Live Nation Entertainment. This offered up the opportunity to focus seriously on producing my music. Along with the help of some fabulous musical talent here in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, I was able to produce a 10-track album ‘Wisdom Of Crowds’ on which ‘The Kids’ appeared. Overall, I was happy with the results, but something was bugging me about it. The performances were great, but I thought to myself that I could have done better with the production and maybe someday I’ll try again.
In late 2023 I started re-recording ‘The Kids’. For various reasons, the track took longer to finish than I planned but I am so thrilled with the way it turned out. The song itself hasn’t changed at all over time, same weird song structure, same lyrics and melody, and overall, the same arrangement. But this version has the punch and intensity I was looking for and adding some Hammond B3 and mellotron added a lot of atmosphere. Preston Sawyer, who sang and played lead guitar on the 2021 version is back on this latest iteration with a smoking guitar solo. I think what really takes this version over the top though is the vocal performance by Ava Wolysnuk. After Ava sang on my ‘Take Me Home’ EP (released February 2024), I was determined to get Ava singing on ‘The Kids’. I am so lucky I did, because the emotion and power in Ava’s voice really shine!
On a related note, I’d like to give a shout out to all my musical mates who have helped me bring my songs to life. Thirty-three (and counting) different players and singers, both local and abroad, have appeared on Animal Souls tracks. I couldn’t have done this without them.
Q: What did you enjoy most about making this track?
ANIMAL SOULS: The best part about producing ‘The Kids’ was having all the tracking done and getting down to editing and mixing the track. When I first started recording this version in late 2023 I was so excited as everything was sounding great and I was hopeful that it wouldn’t take long to finish. But then a few things got in the way. Both my wife and lost our moms in the last year or so, there was a lot to deal with that put my music on the back burner over a large part of 2024. I was able to finish a couple of other projects during this time (mentioned below) but as for ‘The Kids’, it would have to wait. When the recording was finally done I think I breathed a big sigh of relief and was energized to finally get it finished. There was a time in 2024 when I thought about just abandoning it but now, considering the final product, which I think is my best work so far, I’m glad I stuck with it.
Q: Who would you most like to collaborate with, if it could be anyone in the world?
ANIMAL SOULS: There are a few artists I’d like to collaborate with, but I’ll pick two for now: Peter Gabriel and Iggy Pop.
My wife Eileen used to say that I reminded her of Peter Gabriel, partly my looks (l think) and maybe my music too. The real reason though is that I’ve always been a huge Peter Gabriel fan, from Genesis through his solo career. I lost interest in Genesis after ‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’ but I love everything he has done in his solo career. I admire the way he transcends genres and the positive messaging in his music.
In my early songwriting days, I imagined writing songs for Iggy Pop. When I heard ‘I’m Bored’ I thought to myself “I can write stuff like that”. I had been an Iggy fan long before that but in my mind I actually thought I could hear singing on my stuff. I think even said to Eileen a few times “hey can’t you hear Iggy singing on this one?” Seriously though, I do have a song in mind for Iggy 😊
Q: In your own words, how would you describe the music that you typically create?
ANIMAL SOULS: My personal taste in music is all over the place, just like my own music. I grew up listening to and playing mostly hard rock and progressive rock, bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and the like. But I also enjoy folk rock, and I was big on new wave in the 80’s. That kind of describes my music; a little bit of everything and maybe a little stuck in retro mode.
I don’t write songs with any style in mind. As the songs progress I think about what instrumentation I hear on the track and wherever it ends up, that’s the style it becomes. You could say that no two Animal Souls songs sound alike. I really enjoy experimenting with different sounds in my music. If the song calls for it you’ll hear a flute, dobro or fiddle, distorted guitars and lately a good dose of organ, mellotron and synthesizers.
Q: What projects are currently in the works?
ANIMAL SOULS: I have a few things on the go right now. Aside from promoting my latest single ‘The Kids’, at the top of my list is a new Animal Souls album that I hope to have out in the spring of 2025. This record will have 9 or 10 tracks including a couple of brand-new ones plus tracks that I have released previously as singles only such as Midnight Sky, Lessons Of Love and On My Way. For me, it’s my personal ‘best of’ work I think. The songs on this album really showcase the diversity of musical styles that I enjoy working with.. from folk-rock through synth wave to prog-rock.
Last year I produced the debut EP ‘Jar Of Reality’ (released November 2024) for local folk-rockers Cracked Wheat and co-produced an EP ‘Something In Between’ (released March 2024) for local singer-songwriter Kaleb Vess, also his debut. I think there may be another Cracked Wheat record on the horizon, and I will also be working with a couple of other local artists this year on their debuts as well. I really enjoy mixing and producing the work of other artists, almost as much as I enjoy working on my own music.
And, just to make sure I don’t have too much idle time on my hands, I also play bass in a rock band here called 3rd Deck. To date we have released two 5-song Eps, ‘3rd Deck (released March 2022) and ‘Caution’ (released June 2023). We are working on a new record now, 5 songs almost finished.. we’re not sure if we will release it as an EP or keep going and do a full album.. we’ll see.
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
ANIMAL SOULS: I don’t know if there was a ‘moment’ per-se, but my teenage years in Burlington, Ontario was the stretch of time when I went all-in for music. A few of my friends and I were newbies on our instruments, some better than others, but we all jammed together and had a blast; the best of times. Some of my favourite musical memories are from that time, playing at house parties. The enthusiasm we all had for getting better, learning how to play with others and be creative, is something I believe I’ve carried with me to this day.
If there was a pivotal decision I made that set my course on music, it was probably hopping on a Greyhound bus in 1983, in Toronto and ending up in Courtenay, BC, with my bass in hand. At that time, Courtenay was a hotbed for music and arts. I met so many talented and creative people during that time and made connections that helped me big time when I moved from the island to Vancouver on the mainland. The rest, as they say, is history.
Interviewed by Taylor Berry
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