It's hard to finger exactly where music touches you sometimes. It's a deeply personal experience when you connect with a band, one that cannot be forced, and most certainly cannot easily be explained. I often equate it to a good friend; one moment you don't know they exist, the next moment they appear and touch you in some way, and then you can't imagine life without them.
That was my exact experience with Other Lives, the tremendously talented group from Stillwater, Oklahoma. I first came across the enigmatic group in the winter of 2011, and was instantly mesmerized by the song Tamer Animals, from the album of the same name. I was immediately pulled under by the driving drums and the haunting voices, which eventually gave way to Jessee Tabish emerging from nowhere with a voice that commanded my attention. Everything about this song speaks of a time and a place that I've never been to, and yet, feels so familiar at the same time.
I think that is how I would sum up Tamer Animals as a whole. It's an ethereal experience, the kind that takes you on a dreamy adventure that you just cannot fully experience in your waking life.
I was lucky enough to speak to a few of the members of the band after the show, but spent the most time with bassist and percussionist Josh Onstott. I was struck by the how gracious, introspective and honest he was. He immediately told us how excited they were to be touring, and how mind blowing it was that they would be opening for Radio Head. How pleased he was with how the show went, and how well received they were. At the same time, he was the first to admit that their first go around wasn't the best, and their self titled album was hobbled together in a few short months. It left them with a terribly bad taste in their mouth, and so they spend roughly 14 months together in a house in Oklahoma recording Tamer Animals.
What shines through all of this, is that Other Lives comprises a group of passionate artists who care deeply about their craft, and not the glitz and glammer of being musicians.