New Certain Animals single Automaton is the opening track of the upcoming album 'Songs To Make You Move' and immediately lets you hear what the band stands for in terms of style and content. The song tells about the uneasy relationship the three band members have with the far-reaching automation and digitization of contemporary life. In their view, nowadays people allow themselves to be led like little lambs to where tech giants and social media lead them.
The trio brings a message to the listener and at the same time a warning that is not merely bad or good, but that gives the listener food for thought. This message is wrapped in a song with an opening riff that seems to have been borrowed from the amplifier-melting arsenal of Neil Young and which then continues the pace with a relentless groove reminiscent of a marching column of robots. When the warning sounds, one arrives through typical "Ringo-fills" and "I Am The Walrus" orchestration to the final round ironically carried out with one of the favorite toys of Electric Light Orchestra: the vocoder (a device that actually is a speech computer).

Rotterdam based trio Certain Animals serves you melodic rock filled with vocal harmonies. The members aren't afraid to show which records they've been listening to. Musical giants from the 60's and 70's are spinning on their turntable on a daily basis. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Electric Light Orchestra are regular companions in their musical life, but also the fuzzy and phasey sounds of contemporary bands like Tame Impala influence the music of Certain Animals.
Without being stuck in the past and with a critical view on the present, the band brings you their intriguing sound which makes for an energetic live show filled with intimate moments and explosive bursts of energy.

In less then three years, the band managed to build a strong live reputation by playing shows on major Dutch festivals in famous venues all over the country. After having played across the border in Belgium, more international gigs in Germany have been confirmed for spring 2020.

While busy touring, band members Thijs van Leeuwen (vocals, guitars), Niels-Jan van Dijk (bass, vocals) and Kees Braam (drums, vocals) managed to build their own recording studio at a former red light district in the port of Rotterdam. At their home base the trio writes, produces and mixes their music single-handedly, working towards the release of their debut album scheduled for spring 2020.

"Holland's hope in anxious times!" - Gijs Jolink, Zwarte Cross festival

"A very intriguing sound in which 70's artrock elements are stirred through the fuzz with ease. (...) With Certain Animals we have another exciting new band to listen to!" - Blues Magazine

Automaton is out now on BERT music (a division of TCBYML)

writer: Thijs van Leeuwen, Niels-Jan van Dijk, Kees Braam
ISRC: NL-C8O-19-00148