Annuals

Singer/songwriter Adam Baker, guitarist Kenny Florence, bassist Mike Robinson, guitarist Zack Oden, pianist Anna Spence, and drummer Nick Radford formed the orchestrated, expansive indie rock sound of North Carolina’s Annuals. Three of the members—Baker, Florence, and Robinson—grew up in Raleigh and first performed together in separate childhood groups before Oden, Spence, and Radford joined to establish the full collective in 2004. The band’s lively approach drew from Mike Patton, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Radiohead, and Aphex Twin, and its early reputation rested on energetic concerts that featured frequent instrument swapping among the players.

Domestic dates alongside Tapes ’n Tapes aligned with the October 2006 release of the debut album Be He Me on Ace Fu Records. Pitchfork and Stylus Magazine both highlighted the orchestral pop elements, generating substantial online attention, while NME coverage helped cultivate listeners abroad. Two EPs appeared in 2007, followed in 2008 by the additional EP Wet Zoo and the full-length Such Fun, whose cover art came from Bob Ross and whose production was handled by Jacquire King. Sweet Sister arrived in 2010 as a stopgap release while the group finished its third studio album, Count the Rings, issued later the same year. The self-released Time Stamp surfaced in 2013.