Ceramic Animal forge glam, post-punk, psych rock and '70s pop for an original and exciting sound. Produced by Dan Auerbach, Sweet Unknown marries T. Rex glitter-stomp with the slow rush of Tame Impala and extravagant melodicism of Todd Rundgren.
Strutting out of the industrial town of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, about an hour north of Philadelphia, Ceramic Animal forge glam, post-punk, psych rock and '70s pop into an original and exciting sound. The band features a trio of brothers - Chris Regan (vocals, guitar), Erik Regan (drums) and Elliott Regan (vocals, keys) - along with childhood friends Anthony Marchione (guitar) and Dallas Hosey (vocals, bass). Touring constantly since they played their first notes together, the band put their personal stamp on these familiar sounds while garnering critical acclaim and commercial success on their own terms. Ceramic Animal funded, produced and self-released three albums and attracted a large and far flung fan base spanning generation and genres.
Both their music and ambition impressed Dan Auerbach, who signed Ceramic Animal to his Easy Eye Sound label and invited them down to Nashville to write and record their fourth album, Sweet Unknown. It was a dream come true for the band, who had a few Black Keys covers in their early setlists, and they relished the opportunity for collaboration. Together, they created an album that combines all those hard lessons into music that marries the glitter-stomp of T. Rex with the slow rush of Tame Impala and the extravagant melodicism of Todd Rundgren. In contrast to its musical exuberance, an undercurrent of sadness runs through the songs, which address loss, absence and emotional alienation. This band of brothers shows how music can connect people, if only for a few minutes; Chris declares on a chorus that will surely get audiences singing along, “Strangers dance like soulmates to our forever song.”