by Adelie Salagnac
photo by Sarah McKenna-Mill Photography
Ceramic Animal – such a poetic and idyllic name for an equally talented band. If you’re a daydreamer like me, Ceramic Animal’s genre can evoke and remind you a lot of things: a chilly spring afternoon, petals and leaves floating around you; a few hours spent in your childhood best friend’s backyard, way back when you had nothing to worry about (except maybe on which make-believe adventure you’d go on next); the taste of a sweet hot chocolate, drank under a warm blanket while watching the snow fall down through the window.
On an interview with Stannews.com, the band explains: “As far as the band name, Ceramic Animal helps explain how we come into this world: soft, pliable, moldable, but with an innate hunger, drive, and ability. Over time you harden, become less flexible, less free to do what you want. You become painted by your experiences and actions — you can sport badges of courage and triumph or sorrow and regret. Your Ceramic Animal is your legacy. It’s what you leave behind when you are gone. We chose the name to serve as a reminder of how lucky we are to be playing music, to have each other, and that time is short. The choices you make every day shape who you are and what you are capable of; there is no time to fuck around.”
Defined as a psych-rock band, the dudes in Ceramic Animal like to remind us that this label is more of a guideline than a strict law to follow; they like to experiment with various sounds and styles, much to our pleasure. Their number 1 goal, while making music, is to make people feel something, and embrace their emotions.
This four-piece band has been making music together for as long as they can remember. Maybe it is one of the reasons why their songs sound right – you can almost hear the chemistry between them. Erik Regan was nice enough to answer some of our questions about the band. He explains: “Three of us being brothers with instruments I feel like we never didn’t play together—it was always sort of there. And Walker too, he was playing in bars with his Dad’s band since he was 11 or 12. When the four of us first got together it was really just to play casually—but an opportunity to play a local show fell in our lap early on and we took it. From then on we were a band. A bar band, but a band.”
Ceramic Animal has come a long way since the band first started out playing shows at your local washed-up pub. “People would come up to us after our shows and ask if we had original music, and if they could buy a CD,” Regan remembers. “We figured ‘shit, we should probably get on that!’ At first we just worked original songs into our sets little by little, then we had enough material people dug that we ditched the cover act and became Ceramic Animal.”
And the day has come: Ceramic Animal is releasing their debut album in April, and it is promised to be both brilliant and unsettling. An exciting, scary and enhancing experience for all four of the Ceramic Animal guys. Regan says: “The best part about recording is the writing and experimentation. Being real stoked on a new idea for a song and watching it come to life in front of you—there’s nothing like it. The first 80% of the song always seems to come easy; it’s the last 5% that is the toughest. A song will never feel “perfect” – but at some point you need to cut the cord and call it “finished”. That’s the tough part—knowing when a song is ready to be released into the wild.”
photo by BobbiAnn Zaccarelli
Some of you might have already heard “Against The Wall”, or “Mad”, off of their forthcoming album. So far, it has seen nothing but praise and excellent feedback. Ceramic Animal is one band to bet on. Regan can’t help but feel extremely excited about the future and above all, grateful for their fans, who not only dig the new stuff, but have been vocal about it. Spreading the word along the fans are critics and media outlets. Regan says: “They have been really supportive of the sound too—we’ve gotten some great write-ups and surprise airplay from WXPN, WDIY, and WKDU among others.”
Songs like single “Against The Wall” have everything a song needs to become a fans’ favorite: captivating melody, echoing vocals, and profound lyrics. “This song deals with the idea that no matter how close you are to someone, no matter how much of yourself you share with them, there will always be a space between you physically, psychologically and emotionally. We can never fully understand someone else’s feelings or intentions.”
Growing up listening to artists such as Lou Reed, Jethro Tull and Roxy Music, Regan & Co. have a huge roaster of influences, playing a big role in shaping their unique and fresh sound. “As a house band we covered songs from the ’60s and ’70s, stuff we liked. Well-known tracks from Hendrix, Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, or Bowie. But also lesser known stuff by the Tremolos, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, or the Hollies,” recalls Regan. “Our sound kinda pulls from influences of that era anyway, so working our originals into the set gave us a chance to test our stuff on a live (usually receptive) audience.”
And how could one forget about Bowie, for whom the band recently released a tribute song, “Moonage Daydream”? “Bowie is spectacular,” says Regan, “as a writer, producer and artist, obviously. But he was a principled businessman too, and stuck up for his friends and artists he believed in. One in particular was Mott the Hoople, Bowie essentially gave them “All the Young Dudes” as they were on the cusp of breaking up. It revived their career and they were able to put out two of our favorite albums, Mott and The Hoople. Check out the song “Alice” off of The Hoople. You will see what we mean.”
To catch a taste of Ceramic Animal’s live performance, hang on tight: the band is getting ready for a series of spring shows in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. “Philly is a great place to play music. We weren’t sure what to expect being from the suburbs, but the scene has been really welcoming and supportive. We can’t speak to what it’s like playing in Austin or Seattle or another classic music town, but as far as logistical accessibility, scene comradery, musical diversity, and cost of living, I don’t think you can beat Philly right now. The best part might be that it’s only getting stronger, and more recognized which is awesome for all of us. Would our music have been different if we lived somewhere else? Without a doubt, but it’s tough to anticipate how.“
Check out below the list of the band’s upcoming appearances:
– May 6th at Puck Live in Doylestown
– May 13th at Bourbon & Branch in Philly
– May 19th at Pianos in NYC
– May 20th at the TD Bank Stage in Bethlehem
“We have a nice summer planned too with some festivals, studio appearances, one off shows, and a late summer regional tour. We won’t stop writing or recording though, so expect more from us this summer and a second album in late 2016.”
