The first seeds of the band were originally planted on Canada’s salty-aired East Coast in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Young Warren C. Spicer and Matthew ‘the Woodman’ Woodley had begun playing together in high-school bands. The sea winds eventually carried them through the vast plains of Quebec to Montreal (a journey they would come to know intimately as the years wore on). It was in the now hallowed halls of Concordia University’s music department that they would come upon Nicolas Basque, a strange francophone native that shared their musical inclinations (and a trappeur’s finely-tuned taste in cuisine). It wasn’t until then that the three boys became men, signified their union with a name, and that Plants and Animals emerged from the wildlife.
In 2003 they bat out an instrumental menagerie of song-like folk-beasts, and put some of them to tape in the form of a recording that local label Ships at Night would later release. By 2005 the three young men were taming the sprawling wilderness of their sound and sculpting real songs, as Spicer also lead the way to a (hitherto unheard of) vocal domination of their material—as if he had been possessed by the ghost of some recently departed soul singer. During this time Spicer and Woodley would occasionally stop by to care for some of the neighbours—Timber, Socalled, and Katie Moore—and play. All the while, the Halifax-born were jamming and pruning with Basque, harnessing the band and its songs like a wild horse. Some called it post-classic-rock. Some called it folk-prog. Those who knew better didn’t say anything at all.
In about the summer of 2005 they carried a 24-track Studer “bull” up the stairs of Spicer’s apartment and split their time between their new makeshift studio there (aka Le Carillon Tropical), and the Treatment Room. By fall 2006 the foundations of what would later become Parc Avenue were layed, the band was playing shows (and singing), and a relationship with Montreal label Secret City Records was formed. By summer 2007 the once-monster was complete, temporarily tamed, housed, and ready to be unleashed. While the band awaited the release of Parc Avenue, they kept busy touring in the US, Canada, and Iceland, working on their album art and recording with/avec EP that was released in Canada in October 2007.
Since Parc Avenue was released in early 2008 the band has played over 175 shows, circling the Western world more than once, including appearances at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, Primavera in Barcelona, Central Park Summer Stage with the National, and even one night in Columbus opening for Gnarls Barkley, after Danger Mouse discovered Parc Avenue and invited them out.
In January 2010 Plants and Animals announced their latest offering, La La Land, due out on April 20th on Secret City. The album was recorded at the band’s home-base studio in Montreal, The Treatment Room, and at Studio La Frette outside Paris, a brokedown old mansion filled with vintage gear and a killer board in the cellar instead of wine. Spicer says, “the Paris stuff is like a nice Bordeaux and the Montreal stuff is more like a baked potato. Sessions in Paris ended by 10pm, sessions in Montreal by 6am.” Rum and cokes supposedly inspired the initial Treatment Room sessions in late 2008. The album’s first track, “Tom Cruz,” eventually came out of these late nights. As the Woodman tells it, “it was December, pre-Christmas, so we fuelled the session with rum and cokes. They made us feel like Tom Cruise. It gave us killer smiles and made our enemies wither.”
Feedback in the Field
Plants and Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel the planets at work
I can feel them moving
Oh
There's something in the air tonight
the winter birds returning
Like animals, they play (???)
I can feel it changing inside
It's like a weight has been lifted
Oh there's something that's controlling me
Let the moon turn the tides
(Alright!)
The feedback in the fields when the mating song begins
Like animals, they play (???)
The lyrics of Plants and Animals' "Feedback in the Field" suggest that the singer is keenly attuned to the natural world around them. They seem to feel a deep connection to the earth's movements and the rhythms of the seasons, as embodied by the return of winter birds and the shifting tides controlled by the moon. When the mating season of animals begins, the singer hears "feedback in the fields," perhaps referring to the sounds and vibrations created by animals calling out to potential mates. The line "Like animals, they play" may suggest that the singer views this primal instinct as a kind of joyful expression, unencumbered by society's restrictions and expectations.
The song overall seems to celebrate the raw, unfiltered energy of the natural world and the way it can momentarily liberate us from the constraints of our human lives. The phrase "It's like a weight has been lifted" suggests a sense of relief or release, as if the singer has briefly been freed from the pressures and stresses of everyday life. The song ultimately seems to suggest that there is something pure and vital to be found in connecting with the earth and its cycles, and that listening to the primal music of the animals can serve as a reminder of that.
Line by Line Meaning
I can feel the planets at work
I am aware of the influence of celestial bodies on our lives
I can feel them moving
I sense the cosmic energy in motion
Oh
An exclamation to emphasize the preceding statement
There's something in the air tonight
I have noticed a change in the atmosphere
the winter birds returning
I observe the arrival of migratory birds
And the feedback in the fields when the mating song begins
I am aware of the natural sounds that occur during the breeding season
Like animals, they play (???)
Animals engage in mating rituals similar to humans
I can feel it changing inside
I sense a personal transformation taking place
It's like a weight has been lifted
I feel relieved of a burden
Oh there's something that's controlling me
I am subject to external forces beyond my control
Let the moon turn the tides
I surrender to the natural ebb and flow of life
(Alright!)
An exclamation of enthusiasm or encouragement
The feedback in the fields when the mating song begins
I am attuned to the rhythms of nature during the breeding season
Like animals, they play (???)
Wildlife exhibits behaviors similar to human courtship and mating
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matthew F Dowd
These guys are for real. Great band.
TehPwnerer
I'm really surprised this didn't catch more attention. Catchy, fun and wtf video!
xhwl
Surprisingly this band is even better live. The addition of the keyboard on this song live is amazing and really completes the song. Loved seeing them open for Wintersleep in Moncton.
jvapa
Probably one of the only bands where I can listen to the whole record and enjoy every moment of it without wanting to change a song. I love them I hope I can see one of there shows soon!
JBone
definitley. I saw them 3 days ago live... i didn't have a clue who they were, they were opening up for wintersleep and all i can say is epic. they are just as good live (if not better) as they are in their recorded songs. plants and animals = amazing performance
Nathan
love this song so much
KillaHug
Great song and great video. I actually can relate the video to the song: it's all about Parc Avenue and the mountain; it's about the wild-life real and imaginary living on the Mont-Royal, and how it comes down to Parc Avenue. Just like a nice Sunday afternoon in the summer, with people flooding the street coming down from the park.
Kyle
dude love the music, vid and instrumentals its all EPIC!!! keep a rockin!
zachary lapenat
Been trying to figure out how to play this song for two days man. I can't seem to nail the progression. Its unreasonably groovy.
schneidable
it's true... they're amazing, so much raw energy! musicians, definitely not hipsters