After more than a decade of making music, Post Animal has returned with a new album, IRON, presenting audiences with a natural chemistry few can harness. Originally formed in 2014 Chicago, Post Animal is a partnership between Dalton Allison, Jake Hirshland, Javi Reyes, Wesley Toledo, Matt Williams and Joe Keery. 

IRON proves to be a uniquely atmospheric album and a celebration of collaboration rooted in friendship. Embracing range in the sonic landscape, the project brings a sense of growth in the woven tapestry of synthpop, classic rock and psychedelia. While the six band members took turns leading the collaborative process, emotionality and wit checkered throughout the lyrical stylings. An ode to their precise experimentation, the album is fluttered with a live feel that echoes in your head. 

In conversation with 1883, Dalton Allison from indie rock band Post Animal discusses the band’s symbiotic evolution and collaboration, being on the road for the ‘Back On You’ tour and getting the band all together for their new album, IRON.

First and foremost, how are you doing today? Where are you? 

I’m doing great. Right now, I am in Ithaca, New York. I’ve been living here ever since November of last year. We switched to more of a country place, that’s why there’s no service, no Wifi. I lucked out that this is a Zoom call. But yeah, it’s been a good day. A nice, easy pace out here. How are you? 

I’m doing well, thank you. Here in New York. 

Oh, cool. 

So you were in Chicago before. What brought you to Ithaca? 

Yeah, I was in Chicago. I had been there off and on for twelve or eleven years. Chicago was definitely home as far as being an adult in a big city. I live here with my partner, and we visited in the fall of 2023 because our friend had been going to Cornell at the time, which is one of the big universities here. We just liked it. We wanted to get to New York. She’s from the East Coast, so we wanted to be closer to New York City. But, we also wanted to take a break from a big city to see what that feels like. So this is like the perfect place. Because it’s a college town, it still has all the amenities we are used to, but at the same time, there’s so much more space and peace and privacy. There’s so much nature, which we experienced a bit in the winter, but now that it’s springtime, we are getting to see how beautiful everything grows in here. It’s really been about slowing down for a second, taking some stock and coming out to the East Coast to be closer to New York City. 

Well, I’m an East Coaster so…

You get it.  

Definitely, I get it. Once you get through the winter, it’s stunning. Congratulations on this album. It’s such a uniquely atmospheric album. It’s dystopian and grounded, its world-building, but held in place by your natural chemistry as a band. Could you tell me about the varying influences brought in by band members and how you find a balance to the sounds while writing and producing this record?

I mean, we have so many influences, but I think for this one, we all really came together on more of these straight-forward rock influences. It’s similar to the influences we had going on when we made ‘When I Think Of You In A Castle,’ where we are really focused on live instrumentation. A little bit more of a classic songwriter feeling, which also comes with Joe coming back into the picture. I feel like that’s something that he really has an interest in, which helps us be mindful when it comes to the songwriting approach. On previous records, I feel we were a little more, you know, going with our experimental impulses. I think we, not necessarily explicitly, but unspokenly, made a choice to be more songwriting forward on this album. 

When it comes to everyone coming together, we traded a lot more than we normally would on this album. I don’t play bass on every song, and for the first time, I actually played guitar on some of the songs and piano on one of the songs. We’ve matured since the pandemic in our relationships with each other and provided space for one another to not feel locked into a specific role. For this, we were a lot more freeform with everyone bringing in their own flavor and different instruments. It was easy, it was all easy. We didn’t run into any classic ego roadblocks or the things you always hear about with bands.

This time around, it was pretty quick, and everything just flowed out. I think it’s because we hadn’t done it in so long. We were just having a lot of fun. Sort of keeping things simple, not stressing too much and letting us speak about where we all were at that specific time in our lives. And a lot of us, when we switched to other instruments we aren’t so experienced with, we are kind of limited in a good way, we aren’t overthinking what we’re going to do. We’re just going with the feel of the part and not trying to do too much. I think a lot of it was this fun, free, feeling-based pie that we threw together. 

Well, it sounds like a symbiotic relationship when you’re saying people aren’t married to their instruments, or leaning into live instrumentation, and that must be a testament to your experience and time together as a band. You don’t have to be a pro to have the ability to test something out. 

Totally. It was all really in the moment. You know, three people start doing a thing, and then the rest of us waltz up. It was this location, it was a big house. It had a main room where we had everything set up, then this lower level that had the kitchen and a porch where we could sit on the back. It had a control room so you could hear people doing something. You just would go up and see what was available and start jamming along. Getting into the process. It was not really premeditated at all. That’s our core influence we share, this more classic rock influence and that naturally gravitated toward the top. 

Every member of Post Animal has multi-hyphenated skills, spanning all steps in the songwriting process. Songwriting, production, mixing, mastering, the whole thing. And on a writing trip, there’s always a day everyone is leaving, but let’s bring it to the beginning. How does a Post Animal album start? Do you write with a concept in mind, or write song by song and narrow down after? 

Some songs started with somebody picking up a guitar and started doing something. Then, I picked up the bass and added to it. I mean, for some songs, it started there. A lot of them were either that, or somebody had one core idea that they came with, but then really got fleshed out as a group. I feel like that always makes it easier. No one is having to learn anything. They are just contributing from what they are hearing in the moment. I mean, you’re not teaching anyone a part that you wrote. I think there are two songs, maybe, that someone had fully structured before. But, even with those, the amount of editing we did to them was pretty influential on what the final product came out sounding like. 

I would say most of it would be some core thing that happened that then gets built around. None of it was, you know, somebody had written the whole thing. We were feeling that it was all by chance that the six of us could even be together at that point in time, so there wasn’t pressure to make an album. We weren’t under contract from anybody; it just sounded fun. It was like, let’s do it. And then it was, that was awesome, let’s finish this. It was completely different from what the modern world… Like, there’s a lot of pressure on creating content. Sometimes there can be a lot of pressure on writing a song, you know, if I don’t come out of here with a song, then I’m worthless or whatever.

We were very lucky not to feel that way this time around. It made the whole process easier, and the songs came out better. Some of the songs are so goofy. I don’t think we could have made some of these choices, but it came along with this free feeling we all had. It was just fun, it was the most fun. Definitely, the most fun I think any of us have had in a music or a songwriting capacity as this group, at least, since 2016 or 2017 when we were working on ‘When I See You In A Castle.’ 

I think your relationships have so much to do with the songwriting process. Having the opportunity to not have a deadline, it always eases the room and makes creativity flow. But let’s talk about IRON. This album feels a lot more organic compared to previous releases. I read that you all got together for a few weeks in the middle of Indiana, and I’m curious. Did you record out there, and did your environment in Chicago, ten years ago, or Indiana now, impact the overarching sound of the album? 

This environment was similar. When we did ‘When I See You In A Castle,’ we were all living together in Chicago. We went to Paw Paw Lake Michigan, to our friend’s lake house. We recorded there. It was like we had this vacation-style… Which was the same as ‘Forward Motion Godyssey’ as well. In that sense, I remember when we were recording ‘Castle,’ I had spilt coffee on this computer, and the whole thing was maybe, you know, torched. But we flipped it over, went outside and played catch. We were totally feeling ease about everything. This was the same. So yeah, those environments definitely do contribute to having fun, at the core of it. We were also living together so day in and day out. We were cooking dinner together, all working together, all playing together. You know, living the same routines every day. 

Whereas, when we’re in Chicago, it was more of a clock-in, clock-out mentality. We went to the studio or our practice space and recorded something. Then, everyone would go home to different places and go about their day. It feels separate and a bit more individualistic. These scenarios, where we’ve gone on location, we’ve bonded. It’s a familial bond, a friendship bond. It makes it easier to communicate, which is a huge part of making music in a band. Your interpersonal relationships. If you feel like the vibes are off between a few of you, it’s really hard to make music. It’s vulnerable to share ideas and make something together. These scenarios where we’ve been sort of on vacation… We’re working very hard, but it’s work we love to do. It feels like a vacation from this grinding city life. 

It was the same with ‘Castle.’ We were a garage rock band from Chicago, going to some destination to record, not knowing it would be an album or anything like that. So yeah, I think sometimes in the city, it’s a little harder to resist the temptation to preemptively think about how someone is going to judge what you’re making or compare yourself to others. When we’re making music in that mentality, it just throws in that extra bit of business. You have that time because you go home or walk in the street, and are met with a lot of stimulus. It pulls away your focus. I don’t know if it would influence us in a psychedelic way, but definitely in a heady way. 

You said familial bonds, and this may be an assumption on my part, but of course, we have to talk about the voicemail on the track, ‘Maybe You Have To.’ Breaking my heart! If you’re comfortable talking about it, who is the featured voice, and what is the significance of that song on this album? 

That is Wes’ late grandmother, who left him that voicemail. That’s one of the songs that is a little more musically, well, premeditated. The version that had vocals completely got scrapped and rewritten when we were there. I think the lyrical content was focusing on grief. Now that we are all more mature, I feel like all of us have more experience with grief, whether that be the death of a family member or our relationships in life, things you wanted that you can’t have or can’t get them anymore… Anything like that. Including that song so early on the album on the tracklist was us being forward about real life and growing and being a bit more humble, I think.

Our perception of the song is, you know, what a beautiful message… The voicemail she left Wes. The way that it fits. It’s an elder wanting the best for you. A life-cycle sort of thing. None of us feel old, but we do feel a little wise in the sense of understanding more about life… The fragility of it and the immense beauty of it. The beauty of someone’s love for someone in their family or the next generation. And also, the grief and pain that comes along with that. There’s a line in that song that’s like, ‘It’s all a gift, don’t let a bit fall flat.’ So, it’s a song about telling jokes, but then when we stumbled on that… I mean, I can’t speak to their relationship. I know Wes was very moved by that voicemail. It was very emotional for all of us, but obviously, for him. The song is a nice way to offer people a chance to grieve. I think that’s what was behind it. 

Listening to that voicemail made me beeline toward the little physical things I have from people I’ve lost and just take time out of my day to appreciate them or read them. I thought it was a beautiful touch to the album. I feel like your lyrics and your message, specifically about grief, are something younger people want to say to each other but don’t know how to articulate. Maybe it feels too final?

Yeah, totally. Especially after COVID. So much happened with that generation… With us and our grandparents. So many people lost a grandparent. It was mainly Jake and Wes behind that whole thing. They wanted to acknowledge it in a beautiful way, like, let’s not be afraid to acknowledge it.  

Okay, to lighten things up a bit. I like to ask a few odd questions. I categorize songs by season: summer, fall, winter or spring. So, if you had to assign this album as a season, what would it be?

Oh, I honestly feel like it changes. There’s definitely some summer, definitely some fall. I would say it starts summer, for sure. Then it enters fall, I think most of it is fall. Contemplative. It’s a very fun album. Summery. But yeah, August, September… the last bit of summer. Let’s call it that. 

The album is beautifully cyclical. As I listened, I felt like ‘Last Goodbye’ and ‘Setting Sun’ are talking to each other, playing devil’s advocate on how to approach something ending. ‘What’s A Good Life’ and ‘Common Denominator’ exchange theories on who or what is the problem, how someone gets to where they are or wherever they may be. ‘Dorien Kregg’ stands alone while acting like a tie to the playful heart of the whole project. Or maybe, I’ve got it all wrong. But the title track, ‘IRON,’ exemplifies the cyclical nature of life, friendships, love, and more. It’s selfless and witty in its lyrical content. If you had to boil the project down to one question, or one answer, Post Animal is searching for… What would it be? 

I think a lot of times when we talk about it, and obviously we want people to take it as they want, but the core of this album for us was about our friendship with each other. It’s been so much time. Ten years that we’ve been doing this kind of stuff. From my personal perspective, it’s about being present in that time that you have and knowing that that is the time to enjoy it. Don’t take it for granted. Accept that it will end, you know, everything ends. It’s weird, but it’s not a reason not to celebrate that it’s happening now. It’s a relationship sort of album, but not romantically forward in our minds. Yeah. Sort of like a friendship album, enjoying that aspect. 

The tour seems to be one big family show between Post Animal and DJO. From everything posted and shared, it just looks like a blast. Tell me a bit about the atmosphere and how it feels to be on the road again. 

Yeah. It’s honestly a dream come true. It’s been so fun, like you’re saying. It’s everything that, idealistically, tour should be. I seriously can’t complain. We’re all very lucky to be able to do it, to be on it. I know DJO [Joe Keery] included, I know he feels really grateful that he’s at a time in his life where he can do something like this, too. He’s always wanted to do music, and I think doing it with us is special for him. And us, as well, obviously, because we never got to do it together. He went and started doing acting full-time at the time we were able to start touring. So it’s been all fun. There’s really nothing but how fun it is. The pictures look fun because we are all, absolutely, having the time of our lives. Just trying to enjoy the moment, because there’s no guarantee… That’s not a sad thing, but a reason to have as much fun as we possibly can. 

So far, we’re coming out and doing some of his songs. He’s coming out and doing some of our songs. There really is this shared, familial element. All the crew for him and everything… They’re being so hospitable to the Post Animal side of the equation. It’s all been exactly what I guess, it looks like, from the outside. We’re all so grateful to be able to do it, and to continue to do it. 

This was curious to me. You have this quote by David Lynch on your Spotify page: ‘If you want to get one hour of good painting in, you have to have four hours of uninterrupted time.’ What does that mean to you?

When we were recording, we were at this place for like a week straight. We need all day in order to get, I mean, we probably get a solid three or four hours of a-ha moments. I think, especially creatively, you need time to sit and block things out, dust things off your shoulder and create an open channel. At the end of the day, I think all of us would agree that a lot of creativity is received on a spiritual level. Inspiration from something that’s beyond ourselves. I think that’s kind of what he [Lynch] means, too. You have to have the time to settle into what you want to do. Creatively, you can’t be flooded with, you know, how am I going to pay rent? Or needing to go and do this or go and do that, get a different job, or… That stuff is eating your capacity to express yourself. You really need the time and the space to sit and let something happen. It’s not an active process where you can brute force your way through it. It happens naturally. 

Alright, I’ve got one more question. Another sort of odd one. When I listen to albums, I find myself personifying them. For me, ‘IRON’ is an adult waving kindly to their younger self, on adjacent rooftops on a cloudy and calm evening. The older version is tearing up, and the younger is smiling. It is peaceful, as it was meant to be. If you could personify this album, or if you have a specific picture in mind of making this album, what would it be? 

Honestly, just everyone smiling and bursting with joy from the heart. That’s really how we all think of it. There’s definitely what you’re saying… A wise element to it because we are put in a cycle where we were doing this ten years ago. Then we didn’t. Now, we get to do it again. You know, I’m 32, but I’m feeling very similar to how I felt when I was 23 or 24, when we all first started. So, there’s an element of me waving to my younger self from a place of comfort and excitement and all those things.

But also, there were so many times that we were just bursting out with joy and laughing. I’ll always remember how absolutely fun it was. I mean, the cover art is kind of cool and serious, but it’s kind of funny. It’s so funny. 

I’m picturing the behind-the-scenes; it had to be hilarious.  

Oh, so, so funny. Yeah, we were trying to ride that line while being serious. It’s a real photo with a real person directing us to look that way. But yeah, it was so fun. It was one of the purest joys that I’ve felt. It’s just ingrained in my mind. 

IRON is out now.

Interview EJ Saftner