Interview: Analog Party discusses new EP, song collaborations, inspirations and more

Written By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

On the heels of releasing a new 5-song EP titled Exhibit A (out this Friday, April 25), Analog Party just released the second single from the album: title track, “Exhibit A.” Last year the first single, “Can I With You?” was released.

Analog Party is primarily a solo project that formed in 2019 by Los Angeles’ rocker Animaan Pathak who took time out for an OOTB interview to discuss the upcoming EP and new song, collaborations and much more.

I really dig the new song “Exhibit A.” It’s grungy and modern, a bit less ambient than “Can I With You?” Why and how did you choose this song as a lead single for the upcoming same-titled EP?

Thank you! It's definitely harder and more aggressive than "Can I With You?,” though it preceded that song in the writing process.

As a first taste of the EP, it's a fierce, high-energy opener and took the best heavy elements of my past material while pushing things into new territory.

Lyrically, I feel it's relevant to the disorder in the world right now. It's a good song to kick things off with the EP—I think it represents the musical "core" of Analog Party well.

How did the collaborations come together with Matt McJunkins (Poppy, A Perfect Circle, Ashes Divide) and Charles Horin (Post Profit, Tiger Cub)?

Charles is one of my best friends and my longest musical partner—we grew up together playing in local bands as bassist and drummer through our teens and early twenties.

He was actually part of Analog Party as an official member until the recording process for this EP, at which point he had some touring opportunities and the gig with Post Profit on the table.

We're still buddies and I am sure we'll continue to collaborate together in some capacity. He's a far better bass player than I am, so his contributions to this EP—including writing the music to "Delira"—were key.

I got introduced to Matt by a mutual friend and first worked with him on a previous single "Riptide.” He co-produced and engineered that song, so I brought him into the fold again during the early sessions for this EP.

We worked on early versions of "Delira,” “Replica" and "Can I WIth You?" together, and he added some amazing synth textures to the latter.

He's a great guy and helped open up my approach in terms of exploring sounds outside the traditional heavy rock realm.

We have a blast in the studio together and watching him take down five shots of espresso and continue the session without skipping a beat is truly a new benchmark for human endurance.

What do you hope listeners will take away after hearing all five tracks?

I hope that listeners get whatever they need from these songs...whether connecting on an emotional level to the lyrics or just simply having their itch scratched for exciting new rock music.

Though it's only five songs, this EP was sequenced intentionally to take the listener on a ride musically and thematically, hopefully leaving them wanting more!

I think the material is strong and offers something a little different from what's out there in the rock world today, so hopefully listeners feel the same way and it catches on.

Starting out as a drummer, what inspired you to go beyond the drum set?

I love the drums and it often feels like homebase behind the kit, but ever since I was a kid and got into music on a deeper level, it was always about the songs for me.

At some point, I knew I wanted to create and write my own music, so I naturally gravitated towards guitar and started teaching myself via guitar tabs and writing little riffs, piecing crude arrangements together.

Charles and I would jam with other musicians when we were younger—trying to form that tight four or five person unit—but we could never quite land the right chemistry.

Eventually, I got into singing out of creative necessity too, taking vocal lessons, performing, and writing a lot of songs, trying to find my voice.

Artists like Trent Reznor or Chris Cornell are huge influences in terms of being self-sufficient as songwriters and 100% authentic to themselves.

I owe a lot to my mentors, influences, and bandmates for the inspiration and encouragement along the way.

Lyrically, how personal would you say the EP is and what topics do you touch on?

I've drawn a lot from personal experiences with these songs—depression/anxiety, addiction, relationships etc.

I'd also say we truly live in an unprecedented turbulent time, socially and politically, so that has definitely bled into these songs without a doubt. It's hard not to have a mini-anxiety attack when you wake up everyday and read the news.

In general, these songs are a way for me to make sense of existing in a chaotic world, whether that's self-imposed or external chaos.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The Exhibit A EP drops Friday, April 25, and there's a music video for "Exhibit A" coming soon as well.

People can follow me at @analogparty on Instagram to keep up to date on shows (announcing soon) and new music. There's more to come!

And thank you to anyone out there who digs the music and has supported me along the way.