With new album, Sweet Unknown released on Easy Eye Sound and a tour with The Black Keys set for the summer, the planets are aligning for Ceramic Animal. Time for 13 Qs.

Ceramic Animal have released a new album Sweet Unknown, earlier this month. Their fourth to date.

Latest single from the album, ‘Valerie’ is an ode to rock n roll and its classic tropes. Its upbeat instrumentation dichotomizes the darker lyrics as it tells of the rise and fall of a mysterious muse, Valerie. “The underlying themes reveal how someone can seem like they have it all together but everyone is struggling in ways that aren’t always apparent,” said Ceramic Animal singer Chris Regan. The music video features a series of vignettes picked directly from MTV’s hair band era. 

The band recently announced a major North American summer tour supporting The Black Keys. The dates will kick off in Las Vegas on July 9th and Ceramic Animal will continue on through July 30th where they’ll wrap in Philadelphia, PA.  Sweet Unknown will be the first release for new label home Easy Eye Sound. Sweet Unknown was produced by Dan Auerbach.

Watch the ‘Valerie’ video below.

Ceramic Animal originate from historic Doylestown, Pennsylvania, about an hour north of Philadelphia. The band features a trio of brothers—Chris Regan (vocals, guitar), Erik Regan (drums) and Elliott Regan (vocals, keys)—along with childhood friend Anthony Marchione (guitar) and Dallas Hosey (vocals, bass).

A guitar band of the highest-order with an acute focus on songwriting, they fuse post punk, psych and 70’s pop together in a sound not too far from contemporaries like The War On Drugs, Strand of Oaks or fellow Pennsylvania artist, Kurt Vile.

Before reaching the ears of Easy Eye Sound owner, producer and The Black Keys frontman, Dan Auerbach, the band had found critical 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. They never made a conscious decision to keep things ruggedly DIY; instead, they just felt their way in the dark and did what five boys from Doylestown, PA would do – work hard.

Lively and imaginative, Ceramic Animal’s music highlights a very real and relatable strain of emotional alienation coursing through the lyrics, where people leave you with holes in your life, where flickering memories of brighter times offer the only comfort. The three Regan brothers lost their father – their greatest influence and biggest fan – just before the making of latest album, Sweet Unknown. It makes for a more reflective record, but not one devoid of hope or warmth.

We fired off the usual 13 Questions and guitarist Anthony put pen to paper.

P3dro: Where are you and what are you doing?

I’m walking over to the hardware store to buy a boomerang in my new wooden clogs

P3dro: What is your favourite view?

Looking down at these brand new wooden clogs

P3dro: What is your favourite swear word and why?

“Get clogged!!”

P3dro: What was the first record / cd you bought with your own money?

Probably a KISS record

P3dro: Marmite. Yes, or no?

Definitely not

P3dro: If you could go to a gig right now, anywhere in the world, which band would you see? And in which venue?

I want to go to a venue I’ve never been to before and see a band I’ve never heard of

P3dro: Who are your musical influences?

I’m a sucker for The Doors and some mean Ace Frehely riffs

P3dro: How do you like your eggs?

Over easy

P3dro: Tell us something we don’t know.

The boomerang I bought already got stuck on the roof

P3dro: Which city do you recommend we visit – and why?

Philadelphia, because it’s where everything happens

P3dro: What’s your drink of choice?

A hot cup of coffee in the morning and a crispy Corona light in the evening

P3dro: What band or album do you think we should check out right now?

Sweet Unknown by Ceramic Animal

P3dro: Do you have anything else to declare?

I declare peace, love & rock n’ roll

Ceramic Animal will be on tour throughout 2022. A full list of tour dates are below.

TOUR DATES:

Mar 6 – Philadelphia, PA  – Johnny Brenda’s

Mar 12 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Stopover

Mar 20 – Dallas, TX – New New Festival

Supporting The Black Keys

July 9: Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena

July 11: Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater

July 13: Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater

July 15: St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater St. Louis

July 16: Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center

July 17: Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Tinley Park

July 20: Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

July 22: Jones Beach, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

July 23: Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

July 25: Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion

July 27: Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

July 29: Boston, MA – Xfinity Center

July 30: Philadelphia, PA – Waterfront Music Pavilion (formerly BB&T Pavilion)