Annuals

The Most Serene Republic

What Laura Says

Annuals, the North Carolina based 6 piece, have had an incredible ride since their acclaimed debut album, Be He Me, came out over 3 years ago. Released when the band members – Adam Baker (songwriter/vocals), Kenny Florence (lead guitar/backing vocals), Mike Robinson (bass/backing vocals), Anna Spence (keyboard/piano/backing vocals), Zack Oden (drums/guitar) and Donzel Radford (drums/percussion) -- were all around the age of nineteen, the album spread like a wildfire around the globe. Critics (everyone from Rolling Stone to the New York Times to the NME) and fans alike fell instantly for the young band’s expansive, energetic sound, igniting a frenzy amongst bloggers that has shown no signs of slowing down.

Annuals then delved into their sophomore creation, Such Fun. Adam Baker, songwriter and leader of this talented collective, worked with the band and wrote and demoed in short pockets of downtime between touring the world for almost 2 years straight. In early 2008, Adam teamed up to co-produced Such Fun with the acclaimed producer Jacquire King which was released on Columbia subsidiary Canvasback Records in October 2008.

Annuals sound comes from many different places. The band's musical influences range from such greats as Johnny Cash, Hayden, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon & Mike Patton. Adam Baker creatively shapes these musical influences with the dynamic sounds of nature, mountain streams, woodland wildlife, even sneaking in elements of Africian and Latin folk music. All melded together with Adam’s sharply-honed melodic sensibilities, depicting themes of loneliness, loss, love and the organic world.

2010 turns yet another page in the story of Annuals. First chapter, the release of Be He Me that marked Annuals as one of the first “blog darlings”. Next, they were quickly propelled into the delicate (and crumbling) world of major labels with the release of Such Fun. Now, at an age where most bands are just starting out, Annuals, all in their early twenties, have some serious experience under their belts. The Sweet Sister EP marks the most dynamic and independently creative Annuals music to date. A collection of new songs written, recorded and produced entirely by Adam in his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina in Annuals’ owned Terpsikhore Recording Studio. It is Annuals music at it’s purest. No A&R folks, no big time producers, just Adam and his five extremely talented childhood friends…making music the way they want to.