Melbourne-bred emo rock exponents Ceres are one of the most buzzed-about acts on the roster for BIGSOUND this year – and with good reason.
Part of a wave of bands proving emo is no longer a dirty word, the band have cemented a reputation for their quality songwriting and their steadfast work ethic.
We recently caught up with Ceres’ Tom Lanyon to ask them a few questions about songs and songwriters who inspired them during the writing process for their new album Drag It Down On You, out today via Cooking Vinyl Australia
Los Campesinos! – ‘The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future’
The first Los Campesinos! song I’d ever heard. And it rattled me. Such a crushing song. When Gareth sings “This thing hurts like hell, but what did you expect?”. Oh man.
If I didn’t hear this song years ago, then Los Campesinos! wouldn’t be my favourite band, and I wouldn’t have asked Tom Bromley to produce the record that became Drag It Down On You. So glad all shit happened.
Luca Brasi – ‘Theme Song From HQ’
There’s a lyric in Baby’s Breath, the last song off Drag It Down On You, that goes: “Tyler taught me how to swear, in the songs I thought that no-one would hear”
I always hated swearing in my own songs, always felt forced an weird. Seeing Luca Brasi so many times, and becoming really close friends with them, including Tyler—I just loved the way you could feel by simply yelling “FUCK”, or in this case “Fuckin’ record player”. A swear word conveys in one word, what could easily take many. He doesn’t know it, but Tyler taught me that.
Blossom & Snow by Fraser A. Gorman
Oh man. What a song. The ending of Choke is basically a poor-man’s version of this song. It has a similar chord structure except I strum it like a brute and Fraser plucks it like an angel.
I’ve covered this song acoustically a few times, and it bums everyone out in the best way. I don’t think I’d ever played a minor chord before trying to learn this song, so I guess there’s that too.
Anathallo – ‘Kasa No Hone: The Umbrella’s Bones’
If a song naturally goes for thirty seconds, or a minute, or two—then thats how long it should go for. Don’t force it. Kasa No Hone has been in my head for a long time, I actually sing about it on our song Woodwork.
But anyway, besides this being an incredible song, it taught me to not fight the process, to follow each song’s build and tension. It even taught me a little Japanese, too.
Holly Throsby – ‘Only A Rake’
Could be my favourite song of all time. This song will influence me always and forever. The most melancholic thing I could ever imagine.
Never forget the first time I heard it, been trying to write something as good or as beautifully sad since.
