‘I started writing it the day after one of my best friends overdosed,” Joshua Cremer says slowly after some contemplation. He’s talking about the power of songs to have a life of their own, sometimes mysteriously hiding their true meaning—even from the artist—until a later time.
He points to the song “Demi” by his band Eyes Like Lanterns, who play the Catalyst this Saturday, Dec. 28, as an example.
“I didn’t really know what it was about until the whole thing was done and I realized, ‘Oh, this is straight grief. It’s me talking to my friend.’”
Currently based out of Santa Cruz, Eyes Like Lanterns is a dark and brooding Americana quartet. Grittier than the Lumineers but more chart-toppingly polished than, say, The Builders & the Butcher or Murder By Death, Eyes Like Lanterns formed in Chico in 2017. Originally, it was the name for Cremer’s solo project as he played bars, venues and wherever else allowed live music.
During the past seven years Cremer cut three EPs as Eyes Like Lanterns (2017’s Bury Your Name, 2021’s All the Way Down and 2023’s Plague Spells), playing various instruments to fill out the sound on the tracks.
However, earlier this year he recruited Jesse Kenneth Cotu Williams on bass, Jorge Marquez on drums and Billy Reese on second guitar for a new, fuller chapter in Eyes Like Lanterns’ story. It all began in a very typical Santa Cruz musician way: the service industry.
“Jorge and I work together at the Bywater [in Los Gatos],” Cremer says. “He bought a drum set and started learning the songs from Spotify.”
The irony is Marquez is actually a bassist who played in grindcore band His Irate Life. So why the switch to the skins?
“I was allowed to play drums now,” Marquez says, laughing.
A week later they picked up Reese, who suggested Williams, having played with him previously for country artist Brandon O’Connor.
Despite being a fledgling group, this quartet is made up of seasoned players. They’ve already played several shows and are looking to lay down some tracks on record in the new year. They kicked things off with a session at the Sound Store with Matt Wilson.
“I’m really excited to see where the songs will go from here now that I have a band,” Cremer admits. “I don’t have to worry about anything sliding. I can focus on my parts and we can do something together that we couldn’t have done individually.”
Reese agrees.
“We get a lot of freedom from Josh to do our own thing,” he says. “Which is so cool because our live act is so different than the records. The spirit of a song is still there even if we—as a band—play it completely differently.”
The upcoming Catalyst show—the band’s debut at the venue—is billed as an intimate show, offering seating instead of the usual “standing room only.” It’s a fitting choice for a band whose music needs to be mulled over and savored. Eyes Like Lanterns’ latest EP, Plague Spells, is a perfect example of why Cremer’s music commands attention.
While songs like “Simple Math” are upbeat, with almost a Mumford & Sons or Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros tone, tracks like “Coke Dreams” or the title track are streaked with sullen stripes. The EP’s closing song, “Ghost I Know,” is an homage to the past and the ever-changing nature of what it means to be human. More than just songs, Cremer sees his art as esoteric.
Or as Williams simply states, “It’s magic. Music can make you feel better or worse.”
“They’re spells,” Cremer says. “They’re powerful in the right hands and can change people’s lives. I think love and music are the only two strains of magic that we, as humans, have left and haven’t absolutely beaten out of the world.”
Eyes Like Lanterns plays at 8pm on Dec. 28 at the Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $19. 831-713-5492.
