Track By Tracks: ELM TREE CIRCLE - NO FOMO (2020)

1. FLOW:

The trio is back with a new single and Germany tour in the fall. On October 4th the song “Flow” (via Krod Records) is released off the second studio album “NO FOMO” which is to be expected for spring 2020. Together with a bunch of other songs the band is pointing at the currently trending problem: FOMO aka Fear Of Missing Out – Triggered by social media consumption or high ambitions. “Flow” is about restlessness and the urge to move on. That’s why the song also doesn’t allow to sit still with its upbeat drums and catchy guitar riff. Originally the band tried to play a song from the first album when they messed up and played this combination of drums and guitar instead. It was instantly clear that this was probably the best fuck up so far.

2. All About You:

This single is about a single telling a story about “staying friends” with an ex. We’ve almost all been there... You tell them how great you’re doing just to get that satisfaction and another reason to talk to them. After all you realize it’s just been part of this crazy addiction that got way out of hand. A couple of cringy selfies and drunk texts later you begin to regret this quick and easy fix. Now you think there’s only one way out of this: A big trip to somewhere far far away. Just to clear you’re head. Guess what... Exes love trips and why not meet up at the destination? You’re besties after all right??!

3. I Got It:

The song I Got It describes one of those moment life seems to kick you whilst you’re down. When everything goes to shits you just wanna say fuck it and burn the whole place to the ground. Of course we are exaggerating but who can’t relate to that. The story in the song is about someone who just found a disturbing message on a phone. Turns out it’s his/her partners’s phone who just lost an affair. A crappy way to find out that your partner was cheating. The story continues at a gas station where the downward spiral continues. It’s a semi-fictional story that emphasizes the theme of our upcoming album “No Fomo” aka no fear of missing out. Our sophomore album takes a spin at the modern phenomenon of never feeling enough in a world of constant connectivity in social media.

4. Violent Soho On The Mood:

This song was written while I explored the punk rock scene in Melbourne, Australia for a few month. I had this grunge duo project with my buddy Grant going on and he showed me around the local scene. One night we were going to this house party in Footscray, a rather suburban part of town where a lot of the scene stuff was going on. It was a pretty memorable experience. You had to wear glitter on your body in order to get in and they had some sick bands playing in the kitchen. The glitter stuck with me for weeks after. The memories of that night went into this song that we wrote together as a little keepsake for the good time we had during the whole time I was in Melbourne. I finished my stay with a tour together with Grant. I opened as Elm Tree Circle and we finished the night with our grunge band where I banged the drums. Oh, and the song is titled after the opening line in the first verse. We always listened to Violent Soho before we jammed or went to sweet parties. A band that’s worth checking out if you haven’t heard of it. The “Yay yay yay yay” in the verses is a tribute to their song “Covered in Chrome”.

5.Settle In:

A lazy sunday comes to my mind when listening to Settle In. Laying in bed and not even having the energy to pick up a food delivery from the front door while feeling rushed by your partner or friend who is constantly seeking the next thrill and is getting restless just laying around.

6.Tripping:

Paranoia is the best word to discribe this song. I’m one of those people who does not handle weed well, almost like a bad trip on psychedelics. Overthinking and basic survival fear kick in for no good reason. All of this gets amplified when walking down a sketchy part of town or just seeing a simple sign that warns of wildlife in the woods.

7. Going:

Everyone seems to have it figured out but by closer observation we’ll soon realize that everyone is just winging it. Life and circumstances are often just a replication of what’s already happened in the past. Nothing is really authentic so we might as well not try so hard and be so hard on ourselves. Scratch an idea, choose a new path when you feel stuck. There’s nothing wrong with turning a ship around. This song is touching on all of those ideas.

8. More:

A story about two individuals meeting each other on a night out. First it’s a fling, then it gets more serious and both realize they constantly want more out of the current situation. In a good way. And yes, it’s about me having met someone... There you have it.

9.Walking On Doom:

Shortly after the encounter in “More”, anxiety kicked in. Strong feelings of restlessness. The fear of missing out. The overwhelming pressure of making a difficult decision without any glimpse of a promising outcome while risking other great opportunities. Walking on the edge of insanity and not being sure of what’s real or plausible anymore.

10.Done Running:

This track is a good finisher for the album cause it wraps up all of the bullshit flackyness that preceded the song. It’s finally making a call for decision and knocking the BS off the table. It’s about taking a risk and being okay with it. Okay with a bad outcome or to be exposed as imperfect. In the end it’s the perfectionism that got us into this iffy situation and the only way out is to go completely against it.