fokushima

Everyday Animals are a "progressive groove pop" band led by singer/songwriter Kevin Shima (guitar & lead vocals) featuring Adam Darlin (drums), Will Schulz (bass) and Brian Hobart (keys & vocal harmonies). Defined by unforgettable melodies, intricate vocal harmonies, hopeful lyrics and infectious funk influenced grooves, Everyday Animals offers an approachable sound that inspires people to dance and sing along at the same time. The band came together gradually over the course of 2005 by attending weekly jam sessions at a club in Athens, Ohio (home to Ohio University). “It was like a meat market for musicians looking to join bands,” explains Shima, “and we could basically audition one another in a live setting to get a feel for which musicians worked best together on stage.” Once the lineup was in place, the band quickly arranged a set of Kevin’s original songs and began performing regularly in 2006 under the name 'Fokushima.' The combination of Shima’s intimate songwriting and the band’s ability to develop and expand the songs onstage created an explosively dynamic live concert experience that thrilled music fans all over the area, and by 2007 Fokushima had developed into one of the largest drawing acts in town. In 2008 the group relocated to Los Angeles, and changed the band name to 'Everyday Animals' shortly thereafter. With two independent releases under their belt (2006’s “Worried Well” and 2008’s “The Fokushima E.P.”), the band currently performs live at clubs and special events on the West Coast. “My goal as a songwriter,” continues Shima “is to make a significant contribution to the desegregation of popular music by combining a somewhat European sense of melody with an American sense of rhythm derived from soul, funk, and R&B. Our goal as a band is to never play the same show twice, and to feel as though we are really giving something useful to the audience.”