Interview: Get To Know Denver, Colorado Rock Trio Elektric Animals

The Alt-Rock scene is continuing to show off to the world of music. Bands like Cage the Elephant, Imagine Dragons, and Nothing But Thieves are a few examples of the successful, well-known talent within this (somewhat thrown around) genre. I personally am thrilled over the popularity of alternative rock world wide. There are some incredible up-and-coming artists to look out for. One is the local Denver band, Elektric Animals.

I had the privilege of interviewing Elektric Animals frontman, Nick Sanders. Read below as we talk about the success of their single “Reckless”, and more!

Q. Congrats on winning Hometown for the Holidays! There were some great songs in the competition, your winning song “Reckless” obviously being one of them. How amazing did it feel to have your name announced as the winner?

A. We couldn’t believe it! We definitely felt like the underdogs because the other two bands had already made top 3 several times before. We were all in disbelief when they announced it, but also overwhelmed with happiness. It was all thanks to everyone who voted and we cannot thank them enough. If you’re reading this and voted for us, thank you! The top 10 songs were all amazing in their own way and all deserved the recognition. Channel 93.3 really is an amazing radio station when it comes to supporting local music.

Q. When you guys finished writing “Reckless”, did you expect the song to receive the attention it has gotten?

A. I think the hope is always that the next single is the one that piques people’s interest. But did we think it would get this much attention? No… haha

Q. Being a new band during covid, how do you feel quarantine both positively and negatively affected you?

A. Positively, it allowed us to have more time to write and keep writing, and then write some more. Then we’d take those ideas and turn them into songs. We’re actually still doing that now and we can’t wait to show you what’s in store for 2021.
Negatively, there were no shows that could be played. Shows in our opinion are the key to any band’s heart. When you lose that, it can really break your spirit as a musician. When shows went away, it was hard for all of us to stay in touch. We just kept telling ourselves, as long as we keep working hard, it will pay off eventually.

Q. You were lucky enough to play a show last month. What was it like playing a live show again after not being able to for so long? What was the crowd like?

A. The funny thing about that is, last March we played a show literally 3 days before the shutdown. Then again we played a (socially distanced of course) show in November about 3 days before another shutdown! So we’ve been very lucky to have gotten to play at all this year. As far as the socially distanced show goes, it was definitely… weird. To have 50 people in a 600 capacity venue, all sitting down with masks and socially distanced is a bit off-putting I would say. Playing again was a great feeling though and the crowd was as rowdy as they could be. The show was sold out! Haha, so we take the wins where we can get them.

Q. Any new music releases coming up that you’re able to tell us about?

A. Yeah! We are wrapping up a new single right now. Working with our good friend and fill in drummer Eric Everhart. He produced and mixed our song “Reckless” which snagged us Hometown this year. We also are going into the Blasting Room in the next month or so to record another song.

Q. What is your favorite Denver venue to play at?

A. It always feels like it changes, but one of our favorites has got to be Lost Lake. I believe the capacity is around 100ish? So it’s a very intimate venue and the sound and layout of the room are great. The bar is behind the soundboard and a giant wall, so it doesn’t give such a rock band at a dive bar vibe. Plus, the staff there is always very welcoming and helpful. Support our local venues!

Q. If you could pick one band to open for, who would it be?

A. I personally (Nick) would say INXS with
Michael Hutchence. Of course, he passed away in ’97, so not going to happen. But another artist I think would be a blast to share the stage with is The Black Keys. Those guys have some great tunes and I always find myself cracking up to their videos on social media.

Q. Who are your major musical influences?

A. One of the great things about our band is our influences range a ton. We all come from completely different backgrounds. My influences for example are 80s pop and 90s alt rock mixed with a little early 2000s Pop Punk. I know Oscar’s are deeply rooted in 70s Rock and Blues. Jerrid is just a devil horns Rock N Roll kind of guy.

Q. Since it’s the Holidays, what Holiday song would you like to cover?

A. The obvious go-to answer here would be Wham! – Last Christmas haha. But if we are trying to go against the grain I would say Happy Holidays by Andy Williams. We could nail that one!