Imagine my horror when I opened up my email and discovered a band asking me to listen to their music by the name of Elmer & the Ceramic Trees. Growing up in a family of ceramists, I’d seen more than my fair share of them over the years and was a little afraid my past had followed me here.
But, fear not, gentle reader, no matter what horrible past I have endured, I will always give your music a listen to and have great hope that it will fit nicely into my station format. Format you ask? You know, the one where I play what I like. There is no magical equation, unfortunately.
Indie singer-songwriter Robbie Haas began his solo project, Elmer & The Ceramic Trees, in the summer of 2012. Blending a low-fi fusion of indie rock, post punk, jangle pop; the inspirations are abundantly clear. Peeling back the layers, you can hear the slow, murky, powerful drums of The Cure, the catchy melodies of REM and, the lyrical honesty of The Smiths. From the first listen, it feels recognizable, like an old friend that you’ve never forgotten. It’s this familiarity that draws you into the atmospheric landscape Haas creates. Drawing inspiration from the iciness of winter, 80’s post punk and straightforward indie pop, each track on his second release Saturday Night Satellite tells unapologetic and raw tales of love and loss.
Strawberry Tongue is pleased to announce the addition of his song, “Winterlong” to the station playlist. Written during a dreary Wisconsin winter, this song perfectly describes the kind of profound melancholic yearning that is only best described by the German term sehnsucht, a feeling of intense and yet somewhat vague bittersweet longing.
Learn more about Elmer & The Ceramic Trees at Bandcamp, where you can listen to more tracks