Plants and Animals

Plants and Animals, July 2007

Background information
Origin| Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres| Indie rock
Years active| 2003 (2003)–present
Labels| Secret City
Members| Warren Spicer: guitar, vocals
Matthew Woodley: drums, vocals
Nicolas Basque: guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals
Website| plantsandanimals.ca

Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band from Montreal (featuring two members originally from Nova Scotia) which comprises guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woody Woodley.[1] The trio began playing together as kids and emerged on the international scene in 2008. They are signed to Secret City Records.[2]

## Career

[edit]

Plants and Animals' self-titled EP was released in 2003 via Ships at Night Records.[3] In the fall of 2007, Plants and Animals released the four-song with/avec EP.[4]

Their full-length debut Parc Avenue was released on February 26, 2008 in Canada and on March 25, 2008 in the United States.[5] The album was recorded entirely on analogue tape and features string parts by Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize,[6] and was nominated for a 2009 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year; the band were also nominated for New Group of the Year.[7]

The band released their second LP, titled La La Land, on April 20, 2010.[8] The album was recorded in both The Treatment Room in the band's hometown of Montreal and La Frette Studios outside of Paris, France.

Their third album, The End of That, was released on February 28, 2012.[9] The trio spent nearly a year preparing a catalogue of songs before entering the studio.[10]

Waltzed in from the Rumbling, their fourth full-length, was released on April 29, 2016.[11] In November they followed up with Passed Out from the Waltzing, an EP of B-sides from the album.[12]

In 2018 they released an expanded 10th anniversary edition of Parc Avenue, featuring several bonus tracks.[13]

Their fifth album, The Jungle, was released in October 2020.[14]

In 2022 Basque released the album Le soleil et la mer with his side project Bibi Club.[15] In 2024, Spicer released an album with the side project Unessential Oils.[16]

## Discography

[edit]

### Studio albums

[edit]

* Parc Avenue (2008)
* La La Land (2010)
* The End of That (2012)
* Waltzed in from the Rumbling (2016)
* The Jungle (2020)

### EPs

[edit]

* Plants and Animals EP (2003)
* With/Avec EP (2007)
* Passed Out from the Waltzing (2016)

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Song  | Chart peak  | Album

|
|
|

CAN
Alt
[17][18]
2012  | "Lightshow"  | 29  | The End of That
"Why & Why"  | 36
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

## Appearances in the media

[edit]

Plants and Animals' single "Bye Bye Bye" was available for free download on iTunes for a week in late August 2009. The song was featured on season three episode 13 of the TV show Chuck.

"The End of That" plays at the end credits for Joe Swanberg's film Drinking Buddies.

"Lightshow" was featured on the soundtrack for The Lifeguard.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Schneider, Jason (September 2007). "Interview with Plants and Animals". Exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on April 14, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
2. ^ Craig, Lindsay (June 21, 2007). "Secret City Signs The Go! Team And Plants And Animals". Chart. Archived from the original on July 28, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
3. ^ Bottenberg, Rupert (January 29, 2004). "Flora and phonics: The strange nature of Plants and Animals". Montreal Mirror. Retrieved September 27, 2007.
4. ^ Ben Rayner, "Thriving in their musical habitat; Plants and Animals trio cultivate first tendrils of fame ahead of debut". Toronto Star, February 17, 2008.
5. ^ Michael Barclay, "Plants and Animals’ Parc Life", Exclaim!, February 19, 2008.
6. ^ Patty Stewart, "Polaris lists finalists among summer's best music". Prince George Citizen, July 10, 2008.
7. ^ "2009 Juno Awards nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 3, 2009.
8. ^ Jessica Lewis, "Plants and Animals: La La Land". Exclaim!, April 19, 2010.
9. ^ Alex Hudson, "Plants and Animals Roll Out Canadian Tour". Exclaim!, December 6, 2011.
10. ^ Brown, Emma (February 27, 2012). "If Plants and Animals Were Plants and Animals..." interviewmagazine.com. Retrieved February 27, 2007.
11. ^ Stephanie McKay, "No worries gonna find Plants and Animals". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, June 8, 2016.
12. ^ Brock Thiessen, "Plants and Animals Share New B-Sides EP". Exclaim!, November 29, 2016.
13. ^ Calum Slingerland, "Plants and Animals Treat 'Parc Avenue' to Expanded 10th Anniversary Reissue". Exclaim!, February 14, 2018.
14. ^ Brock Thiessen, "Plants and Animals Return with New Album 'The Jungle'". Exclaim!, June 23, 2020.
15. ^ Dave MacIntyre, "Montreal, meet Bibi Club, the king and queen of living room party music". Cult MTL, March 2, 2023.
16. ^ Alex Hudson, "Plants and Animals' Warren Spicer Announces Debut Album as Unessential Oils". Exclaim!, February 20, 2024.
17. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock - January 31, 2012". January 31, 2012.
18. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock - May 22, 2012". May 22, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Plants and Animals official website
* Plants and Animals at CBC Radio 3
* Media related to Plants and Animals at Wikimedia Commons

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz