Q&A: The Thing Is Trading Digital Perfection For Analog Soul
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY CARLY LIGGETT ☆
Photos By Carly Liggett & Justin Labadie
THERE IS NO “UNDO” BUTTON ON A ONE-INCH TAPE MACHINE - For The Thing, that’s exactly the point. The New York City-based quartet, Zane Acord, Michael Carter, Jack Bradley, and Lucas Ebeling, has built a reputation on a sound that feels dangerously alive, a byproduct of their commitment to recording entirely analog and tracking live in a single room. Their third self-titled LP, independently released in 2025, serves as a raw time capsule of a band on the brink of their first massive North American tour, capturing a level of presence that most modern records buff away in post-production.
The band’s independence isn't just a label; it's a philosophy. After shopping the record and finding the industry offerings "mundane," they opted to do it themselves, rolling out the album through a series of experimental A-side/B-side releases. It’s a strategy that mirrors their namesake; a sound that, much like the monster in the cult classic film, is constantly shifting, evolving, and consuming influences ranging from John Fahey to Geese.
We sat down with the guys in Boise during their five-day stint at Treefort Music Fest to talk about the discipline of the three-take limit, the freedom of staying independent, and which of their tracks hits best at 5:00 AM.
LUNA: Thank you so much for talking with the Luna Collective. How are you guys liking Tree Fort so far?
ZANE: It's good. We've just been in Boise for like 5 days, so it's been really nice to kind of break up the tour.
LUNA: Is there any place, venue, or band you're touring with that you're looking forward to?
ZANE: The West Coast with The Macks. We're really looking forward to that.
LUNA: Can you guys tell us a little bit about how The Thing came to be?
JACK: The Thing has been a long time in the making. The three of us, me, Zane, and Mike, have known each other for a long time. Zane and Mike went to middle school together, and then Zane and I went to high school together, and then we all went to different colleges, played in different bands, and came back around, and decided to really go for it, and then all moved in together in New York City, and then we met Lucas, and have been touring ever since.
LUNA: How did you all come up with The Thing as a name? Was there a particular moment, reference, or idea that inspired it, and has its meaning evolved as the band has grown?
MIKE: There wasn't really anything in particular that inspired it. It just kind of came to be. I couldn't really think of a name, so we'd always refer to it as The Thing.
LUNA: Do you think the name evolved based on that?
MIKE: A little bit. I feel like it was fitting. It became fitting because we're all into so many different types of music, art, and stuff. I think our sound reflects that, and it's even gotten more and more reflective of that. I think it's a style that weaves in and out of things, kind of like when we watch the movie, The Thing. The monster takes on different things.
LUNA: In previous interviews, you've described the making of your records as capturing moments in time with your newest self-titled record. What moment does this album represent, and what inspired the direction it took?
LUCAS: The newest one, the intention was to do it all live in a room together. Without any computers, just a one-inch tape machine. We wrote everything and recorded it within a month. It really captures that time in our lives. We had been touring for a long time, and we were about to go out. I think it was maybe our first really huge American tour, 3 months, and before that, and it captures all the feelings that we had at that time.
LUNA: The tracks on your latest LP were recorded entirely analog, self-produced, and tracked live to tape. What drew you to that process, and how did it shape the sound or energy of these recordings?
LUCAS: I think what drew us to that is just getting a really authentic sound. We were already into tracking live and playing all together. So I felt like the analog thing pushed us more, especially when it comes to overdubs and fixing things. It really pushed us as musicians to kind of have it together when we do the takes and be super present and really in the moment. So I think that that's captured, and the tape just also creates a warmer, more authentic sound.
LUNA: When working in that kind of live, analog setup, how do you decide when a song is finished?
LUCAS: I think it's just a feeling we get after we do a take. Usually, it'll only be three takes, and then one of those just has a feeling of that, that was it. And that, that's kind of how it happened. We all look at each other, and we're like, that's the one. So, yeah, it's pretty cool.
LUNA: How did the release side of this album come together? Were you working with a label, or did you guys do it more independently?
ZANE: We did it independently. We wanted to switch it up, so we did six A-side, B-side releases throughout 2025. Starting in February and ending in August, with the album in its entirety. Yeah, we just tried something new. It was our third independent release.
LUNA: Was there any significance behind releasing it independently?
ZANE: No, we shopped it and didn't really like what we saw. So we just decided to do it ourselves. For us, the six A-sides and B-sides were a switch-up as opposed to today's day and age. With streaming, it gets pretty mundane, and it was just kind of an experiment for us.
LUNA: What's your guys' favorite song off the new record?
ZANE: Probably “Family Business”.
MIKE: Mine's probably, “Can You Help Me?”
LUCAS: “Dave's TV” is my favorite.
LUNA: Any artists that are inspiring you lately?
LUCAS: Hmm. Farrah Sanders. Yeah. Sweet.
Zane: Geese.
JACK: Wand.
MIKE: I've been listening to a lot of John Fahey.
LUNA: Last question: if someone is hearing your music for the first time, which song would you want them to start with, and why?
MIKE: I think “Can You Help Me?” is a good song to start with. Kind of features a lot of stuff.
JACK: Yeah, yeah, I think that's a good one.
LUCAS: I agree. Or “Dave's TV”.
ZANE: Yeah, “Dave’s TV” when you're waking up, at five in the morning. In the evening, “Can You Help Me?” If it's really late, “Malört”.
