Elijah von Cramon is a rock and roll lifer with the scars, psychic wounds and a great new album full of brokenhearted love songs to prove it.
Amidst all the chaos, it was von Cramon’s falling in love that led the band in an exciting new power pop direction on their latest album, Real Romancer. The line up on this impressive collection includes von Cramon (vocals/rhythm guitar), Joe Boyland (lead guitar), Nic Pugh (bass), and Josh Johnson (drums).
The result is an addictive mix of Paint Fumes’ core garage/punk sound embellished with some serious hooks. If you’re a fan of their current DIG! Records/Bachelor Records label mates, The Whiffs, and share von Cramon’s love of power pop legends like 20/20, Shoes and The Nerves, you’ll likely fall as hard for Real Romancer as I have.
Here are a few favorite quotes from the Big Takeover Interview:
Garage Rock/Punk Origins: “Paint Fumes first started with me learning how to play guitar in 2010 to help with all-day anxiety, all-day long panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts. I wrote a few songs and recruited my good friends Brett (lead guitar at the time) and Marcel (drums at the time) to start a band. At the time I was also running a venue out of my dusty, grimy basement, Sewercide Mansion. We basically formed in the basement breathing in spray paint fumes and black mold.”
Major Influences: “My early influences are still huge influences for me to this day. I’m still obsessed with The Gun Club. I don’t know if it’s apparent on the record, but that definitely was and is in my top influences. That and lots of old garage rock, but also A LOT of Killed By Death comp style stuff. I nerd out over all the weirdo punk shit. And, of course, mainstays like Johnny Thunders, Dead Boys and the likes. Also bands that were current at the time were huge for me like Jacuzzi Boys, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Black Lips, Useless Eaters, shit like that.”
About The New Power Pop Direction: “Real Romancer is my favorite of our albums, hands down. During quarantine I had gotten in a very weird but amazing relationship with someone who had a massive effect on me. I was writing songs constantly for the year we were together. Basically love songs. That relationship came to an abrupt end and I was still writing songs, but more about the frustation of it all. So this record is a mix up of all those songs.”