Montreal’s Plants and Animals have been around for a long time. Ten years, to be precise.
In that time, they’ve released an EP and four full-length albums, the most recent released in February of this year. This newest album, The End of That, was written with the idea of keeping the sound pared down, more natural and free of over-processing.
Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with drummer Matthew “Woody” Woodley in anticipation of the band’s visit to Cleveland. Get to know the band a bit, and if you’re in Cleveland tonight, head out to the Beachland Tavern for their show.
Was there a record from when you were growing up that had a major impact on how you listened to music?
Hmmn… that’s a good question. Yes, of course. I discovered music growing up, and it probably had one of the most profound effects on me. I don’t know, when you find a record that you listen to over and over and over again, you like it because it connects with you, connects with what’s going on in your life. Maybe that’s better than listening to the timbre of John Coltrane’s saxophone.
What would you say drew you to the drums?
I banged on pots and pans when I was a little kid, like other kids do. Most kids grow out of it, but I guess I didn’t. In grade school I took piano lessons through grade school, and then in seventh grade a whole window opened because I could join the school band. And I said, “Okay, I want to play the saxophone.” So my mom took me to the music shop, and we went to the saxophones, and I squeaked and squawked on it for two or three days, and then she was like, “Why don’t we just get you a drum set.” I guess she had that mother’s intuition that I wasn’t meant for the saxophone, but I don’t think it was too hard to figure out. Then I started playing the drum set, and I never stopped.
When did you start playing in bands?
I started jamming with other people probably within a year of starting to play drums. So, I was probably 12 or 13.
How did you meet the other members of Plants and Animals?
I met one (Warren Spicer) because we went to school together when we were little kids; we met in middle school. Then we both went to Montreal to go to music school at college or university—whatever you want to call it—and lo and behold, there was Nick Basque, doing his homework. Warren and Nick actually met and became friends; they were taking a composition class, I was taking a year off exploring other avenues, and then we became good friends. I came back from a year abroad, and we started playing together, and it’s been ten years now since that happened.
How do you guys keep it together after ten years? That’s pretty impressive.
I have no idea. It was a labor of love for a long time; we had other lives and jobs and things like that, and then it turned into our jobs, and we became a touring band, and it still remained a labor of love.
What’s the best part of touring?
Two parts: playing in front of people, which is my favorite part of music, and the travel. Even though it’s a weird kind of travel, I really like that, going to different places and meeting different people.
What do you miss the most while you’re on tour?
Cooking. You get tired of restaurants. Our friends and lovers. I miss my girlfriend a lot.
How do you feel that the new album’s sound differs from your previous albums?
There’s more cohesion from beginning to end; it doesn’t branch off in a million different directions. There aren’t too many synthesizers; it’s just more cohesive. And that’s what we were going for. We made a conscious decision to make it as direct and naked as possible. That’s the decision we made, and I think we achieved our goal for the most part.
Clevelanders, if you’re out and about, and you need some good music in your lives (and yes, you do need a little variety… haven’t you listened to enough Adele lately?) head on over to the Beachland Tavern tonight for a special treat of Plants and Animals, Nights, and Bethesda. These three bands will not disappoint!
