Couch Potatoes// Living Room Songs

—by jack

Welcome to New York City Couch Potatoes sessions, we’ve got some amazing acts in the coming weeks! 

The BUILT BY ANIMALS session took place late at night on a Thursday in a Brooklyn neighborhood somewhere east of Williamsburg off the L line. Sorry, not being a New Yorker, I have very few contextualizing landmarks. Basically, if it’s not apropos Prospect Park, New York University, or Bergen Bagels, I can’t really do much good. Nick, lead singer of Built by Animals, welcomed us to his little apartment with a big smile on his face and a big sandwich in his hand. He tuned his guitar and shoved food down his throat; he traded jokes with the guitar player (God, I’m bad with names) who had on a wonderful little watch. The shoot was a lot of fun and there was even an empty fish tank. 

The song they played for us was inspired by Indie Darling Ellen Page. It’s called, “Ellen Page.” Whether the song itself is a full-joke, half-joke or no joke at all was impossible to tell from Nick’s deadpan expression and his earnest delivery. The song wasn’t a throw away or a gag or a kinda wink and nod- instead it was a fully fleshed out, kick ass pop song. About Ellen Page. Sung in a cluttered and dirty apartment by a dude with some sandwich on his mouth. Did I mention it was kick ass? The point is, a lot of contradictions and unexpected facts and a friendly guy and a great song made for an entertaining shoot.

Also, the mysterious and silent Latino dude who wandered in and out a few times mad the whole thing officially Lynchian.