animal hands

Animal Hands are an Australian rock band from Melbourne.The band's line-up includes founder and songwriter for the band Danielle Whalebone (vocals, guitar) alongside members Kleber Croccia (lead guitar), Jamie O’Shea (bass guitar), Nigel Judd (drums). The band name Animal Hands is derived from Australian crime film titles Animal Kingdom (2010) staring Jacki Weaver as “Smurf” the matriarch of a Melbourne crime family and Two Hands (1999) with Mariel McClorey as Helen who in retaliation for the death of her friend Pete shoots Pando and his gang dead. Manager, Photographer and filmmaker Damon Eames has been working with the band since 2012. Both Damon and Danielle have worked together to produce seven film clips and a youtube series documenting the evolution of the band. The band intends to release film clips for every track on their upcoming album “Tonic Clonic”. Animal Hands cover art features artwork by Lucy Hardie an Australian artist who specializes in fine pen and ink drawings. Animal Hands released their self-titled EP in 2013 at Cherry Bar located on ACDC Lane in Melbourne. The EP was recorded at Birdland Studios with prestigious Australian producer Lindsay Gravina (Rowland.S Howard, Magic Dirt) and was engineered by Rob Long. The EP featured a cover track written by Matt Johnson (The The). Throughout its career, the band's music has been described as bittersweet alternative rock. Lords of Metal (NED) regarded the music as possessing the quality of “Authentic underground punk/wave” and "Garage, grunge sounds that work in juxtaposition to frontwoman Danielle Whalebone’s crooning vocals, a great combination” Tone Deaf (AU). Their Single “Roaring Girle” released in 2014 debuted on Australian radio station PBS on “Go for Broke” hosted by Ken Knievel and was followed by the band's first statewide tour. In 2015 the band released “Edge of the world” radio presenter Ugly Phil gave the single a spin on Triple M “Homebrew” and it received further airplay on RRR breakfast radio and by stations both nationally and internationally receiving a review in Germanys OX-Magazine amongst many other praising reviews. Animal Hands were nominated for Cherry Awards in 2015 and 2016 and were invited to support both “The Troggs" and “Dallas Frasca" on their world tours, at their shows in Melbourne. During this time the band also began recording their debut album “Tonic Clonic” once again at Birdland studios. The album features a cover track written by Neil Finn (Split Enz). Upon drawing close to the completion of the album's recording in 2016 the band fractured resulting in the bass guitar and lead guitar having to be re-recorded. Described by The Dwarf (AU) as “a woman with all the strength and grace of Adalita Srsen of Magic Dirt”. Danielle continued the project and was then joined by bass guitarist Jamie O’Shea and Kleber Croccia who's previous band “Volver” (BRA) received the Rolling Stone Magazine award for 12th Best Song of the year in 2012. The band wrapped up recording at Birdland in December 2016, mixing in the last week before Birdland Studios moved. The first single from the album titled “Hunger” will be released with accompanying film clip in December at The Tote Hotel located in Collingwood, Melbourne a nostalgic venue that has hosted Australian punk, post-punk, heavy metal and hardcore bands since the 1980’s. The single artwork by Lucy Hardie is a section of the upcoming album “Tonic Clonic’s “artwork titled “Four Stages of Suffering”.