Avant-garde Southern Californian music collective, Alphanaut, are back with a dynamic new track. ‘Shake The Rhythm’ follows the release of lead single, ‘Virtual Love,’ along with the announcement of their album coming October 15th.

As the second single, the bright horn section lends a big band influence, while the pizzicato chorus hook adds a playful pop element. This special album edit features a gradual chorus fade towards the end that’s taken over by a jazzy improv jam session where the musicians let go of traditional song structure and have some fun showing off their chemistry as a band.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Alphanaut about the latest tunes, challenges, technology and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

The band are all currently living in the Palm Springs and Los Angeles area. Alphanaut as a collective is made up of Mark Alan – vocals, Jeff Kingfisher – keys, harpejji & continum, Austyn James – bass, Jeff Beardeaux – drums and Paul Rabbit – guitars. We have so many diverse musical influences it’s hard to list them all. However, on this record we tapped into our love of 80s new wave, prog rock, ambient with a little dash of jazz and soul here and there.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

M: My nephew Austyn and I had started creating tracks together and soon met Jeff K and Jeff B in town and we all immediately clicked. We have a genuine connection as good friends and a passion for what we create together. That keeps us motivated to keep going even during these difficult times.

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

M: Our new record “On Some Planets This Is Pop” was made with a brand new band lineup where a majority of the material was created as a collective through nearly two years of jam and writing sessions. This was the true band experience I had been yearning for, where my previous records were me writing everything and working out arrangements with my previous co-producer Fox Scarlett and musician friends I hired.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

M: Honestly, it’s all a challenge, but anything worthwhile is. With all the competition for listener’s ears, we truly appreciate each person that takes the time to listen to our work. Technology definitely helps though it can be a lot to keep up with.

What was the last song you listened to?

M: Efterklang’s song “Living Other Lives”. They have been my fave band for over a decade. This new track is different for the band but I really love it. They are always experimenting and pushing themselves which is one of the things I love about them.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

M: Vinyl, hands down. Especially older records with extensive liner notes, photos and gate fold art. When I have time I love relaxing with a collection of records, but my day to day way of discovering music is streaming or Mp3s.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

M: We pretty much all use either Spotify or Apple Music because of the ease of use of both platforms. There’s nothing better than stumbling upon your next favorite band or song because you found it on someone’s playlist. Also using Spotify’s artist app is a great way to discover where our audience is around the globe.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

The band’s official website can be found at https://planetalphanaut.com and we can be found in Instagram @alphanaut and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlphanautMusic

Anything else before we sign off?

Thank you to everyone who’s been so supportive of the project over the years and to the fans around the globe. A big thanks from us all to IMD for this opportunity to be included in this feature.