The Rainmaker Media Group is Proud to Announce the Release of New York-Based Singer-Songwriter, John Scheaffer and His Band Ceramic with the Release of The Past Ain't Far

BOSTON, MA, October 29, 2010

'The Past Ain't Far' for New York-based singer-songwriter John Scheaffer, whose band, Ceramic, draws on an exciting array of modern and vintage influences on its full-length debut.

The first question everyone loves to ask emerging artists upon the release of their debut album is the one about their musical influences. But what if, as in the case of The Past Ain't Far, the full-length debut of John Scheaffer's New York based band Ceramic, there are way too many artists to list?

As a teenager, the singer/songwriter had the good fortune to have access to his dad's intensely diverse 3000 LP collection--which over the years gave rise to Scheaffer's love for everything from heartfelt rock and pop to soul, blues and acoustic roots rock. With a sound that draws inspiration from the British Invasion bands, 60s psychedelia, country, 70s pop, Stax and Motown and Chicago blues, The Past Ain't Far is a multi-talented artist's way of paying homage to his dad and the musical dreams those records helped cultivate.

The Past Ain't Far draws the listener into Scheaffer's family experience in other ways as well. Not only do we learn that the multi-talented performer began his musical life playing family reunions and weddings in the coal regions of his home state of Pennsylvania, but we get every ounce of raw emotion that comes from recording these ten compelling tracks during a period where Scheaffer's mom passed away and his daughter was born. Produced by Scheaffer and Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, AM) with tracks engineered alternately by Newman and Bill Racine (Flaming Lips, Rogue Wave), the naturally eclectic collection moves fluidly from alt pop rock and rustic dream ballads to blues and rock dirges--all tinged to some degree with a blanket of cool and trippy psychedelic dusting. Beyond the strong reception given the album, Ceramic has licensed several songs to NBC, Warner Bros., Fox and various independent films.

The Past Ain't Far features cameos from several New York musicians that Scheaffer performs with locally in and around his home base of Brooklyn--and who make up the core of the Ceramic musical experience. These include vocalist Kendal Meade (Sparklehorse, Mascott), and violinist Margaret White (Sparklehorse). Recent Ceramic performances include gigs at the intimate Pete's Candy Store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn; the Mercury Lounge and Piano's in Manhattan's the Lower East Side. He moved to New York after spending several years immersed in the music scene in Los Angeles, playing with various bands and working as a semi-formal session player.

A few key tracks from The Past Ain't Far not only reveal Scheaffer's rich musical palette, but also fascinating snapshots from his life. The moody, heartfelt and alt-country "Angels in the Desert" contemplates the spiritual dimension of the war of Iraq and Afghanistan and the conflicting promises of Christianity and Islam. The sparse, easy rolling "Blue Comet" is an intimate, nostalgic piece that takes us to where the singer grew up, 100 yards from the train tracks that ran along the Susquehanna River. "Velvet Coat" is a harder edged, distorted electric guitar driven tune whose raw energy reflects the nasty breakup of a marriage gone awry from the beginning. It's about re-evaluating one's life after realizing the person you loved wasn't the "answer" you thought he or she was. Scheaffer's softer, romantic side emerges on the acoustic based, Tom Petty-flavored opening track "You Give More Than Enough."

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