EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Those Handsome Animals – Things Will Be Better In The New Year

Those Handsome Animals are back and aiming to kick off the new year with an almighty bang!

Thomas Millett who fronts the four-piece, Those Handsome Animals, has announced that a highly anticipated new EP, ‘Hits Volume II’, is on the way. Across 2016 they only released one song. “It was agonising”, Thomas explained; “We feel the usual route to get places isn’t going to work for us. We’ve always been prolific at songwriting, so 2017 is going to see us release an alarming amount of new music. Next year you can expect from us, two new eps and an album, we’re going to release what people release over a career in one year.”

‘Things Will Be Better In The New Year’, written by Thomas Millett was initially for a friend that was going through a rough time. As time progressed over 2016, with legend after legend dying, the song seemed to resonate with the band as a message of hope that it can’t be as bad as 2016.

Taken from the band’s second EP (Hits Volume II), the track sees a beefing up of the bands already muscular sound. With a new drummer, Derrick Carter on the sticks, the group’s music is getting more complex and this is something on display with ‘Things Will Be Better In The New Year’. Based around almost entirely harmonised guitars, the band’s two lead guitarists Thomas Millett and Gavin Hankins duel their way through the song leading to the triumphant outro.

You can listen to the track here EXCLUSIVELY on ICM.

In an exclusive chat with ICM, we asked Thomas Millet about any influences behind the new track. “The Cars, Status Quo, Metallica as well as countless pop songs. We see ourselves as a heavy pop group, and prefer the term Alternative than Indie, as we don’t feel like we fit in on that tag.”, Thomas explained.

Thomas Millet also stated that the song is dedicated to the late Rick Parfitt of Status Quo. Those Handsome Animals believe they owe their sound to the band.

There are countless Christmas songs so much so it has become a music industry tradition. In the same interview, Thomas Millett mentioned the following; “There have been countless songs about Christmas, but I don’t think there’s been any about the new year, so I’m hoping to create a new lucrative market which will become a cash cow for us every year.”

‘Things Will Be Better In The New Year’ is taken off Those Handsome Animals soon-to-be-released EP, ‘Hits Volume II’. The EP boasts the following track listing: