Inside TRAMHAUS’ Beautiful Post-Punk Chaos

Tramhaus are Rotterdam’s live-wire post-punk revelation, a band celebrated for explosive shows and songs that hit like a spark to dry air. With a sound that effortlessly stretches from shoegaze textures to raw punk-rock urgency, the five-piece blend their diverse musical backgrounds into something both unpredictable and fiercely cohesive. On stage, that chemistry becomes undeniable, pulling audiences into a whirlwind of intensity from the first note to the last.

Despite their relatively short existence, Tramhaus have toured relentlessly, building momentum with every performance. In 2023, they completed a successful tour across Japan, and in September 2024 they released their debut album, “The First Exit,” receiving a rare wave of unanimous acclaim: major Dutch newspapers De Volkskrant, NRC, and Trouw each awarded it a perfect five-star review. Their sold-out show at Paradiso’s main hall earned equally flawless praise, while internationally the band continued to surge, including a month-long European tour in fall 2024, packed with sold-out venues.

With major plans ahead, including a new Asia tour and an extensive run of shows across the EU and UK, Tramhaus are clearly a band on the rise, and they’re coming to Bucharest soon. Now, let’s get to know the band a bit better!

Hi, and thank you for your time! I’m sure fans would be interested in knowing more about your backstory. How did you start the band?

We started out of boredom during covid. Our country was in a lock down; we couldn’t go to work (or shows) so we decided to pass the time by making music. The first time we came together in the rehearsal space we wrote two songs so we decided to keep at it since it was really fun and going well.

For newcomers to your music, if you had to pick one track that shows people who you are as an artist, which one would it be?

I’m not sure the rest of the band will agree with this, but for me (Nadya) right now there is only one answer: ‘Ffleur Hari.’ It’s got a bit of everything that we like to do; group vocals, weird guitar solo, softer but slightly ominous verses and a loud, powerful chorus.

Is there a specific philosophy or worldview underlying your music?

We are a very democratic band. If one of us really doesn’t like something that we’re working on, we won’t continue. So anything you hear and see of us has been vetted by all of us. Aside from that: we started making music together because it’s fun and by asking ourselves from time to time if this is still the case we make sure that that fun and love for music are the main reasons to do what we do.

How do you think your sound has evolved over the years? Did you always have in mind to sound the way you sound today?

If you listen to our very first release and compare it to our latest you can definitely hear some development in sound. This has partly to do with the confidence we’ve gained since the beginning but also with our interest and collaborations with audio engineers. When we started we had a loose idea of what we wanted to sound like, but I think we quickly deviated from that idea by just fooling around and making mistakes that turned into really cool sounds.

Take me through your sound design process. Does the conception come first or do the songs evolve naturally – do you have a clear idea of what it will be before you start to make it?

This changes per song and also depends on what part in the writing process of a release/record the song is made. The first few songs are most often made with a specific idea in mind. This idea will include the way the song should sound and roughly how the sound should develop over the course of the song. During the process of translating the idea of a sound to an actual sound, lots of things can happen. Sometimes we discover that the overall sound just doesn’t work with the rest of the song. Or we stumble on a different sound while trying to translate the idea and we’ll just go with that new sound. Or the idea just flows from mind to speaker. That is a rare occurrence though.

During the recording process in the studio is when we sculpt the sounds to what will end up on the record. Some sounds can work great in our dead beat rehearsal space but end up sounding weak or cheap on the first few takes. To fix this we tweak with pedals, use different amplifiers, different rooms, different microphones until everyone agrees it sounds as it should. It can be tiresome and invigorating at the same time.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?

So far, what worked for us is to limit ourselves to a specific time period. Say, two to three weeks to write songs and two weeks to record them. During this time we lock ourselves in the rehearsal space for hours on end with very few breaks in between. This method started more out of necessity than anything else considering our busy touring and work schedule, but it works for us. This way we don’t have too much time to overthink things or get distracted and swallowed by the details. I don’t know if we really need time pressure to create, since we haven’t really done it without, but it’s working so far!

In how much, do you feel, are creative decisions shaped by cultural differences – and in how much, vice versa, is the perception of sound influenced by cultural differences?

I think we all grow up with certain ideas and ideals on how art should be made and perceived. These ideals are shaped by the culture that we surround ourselves with. During childhood this is less of a mindful choice and more of a result of your actual surroundings, but this can change the older you become. You can choose to broaden your interests, your influences. These things are a big part of the creating process and are also a big part of the process of experiencing music / sounds.

How do you know when a track is ready? Does it ever become difficult to refine ideas or stop perfecting?

This is something we, and especially me, had to learn while making records. Thankfully we’ve worked with engineers and producers that we trust to make this decision for us when we ourselves weren’t certain. So whenever you have doubts on whether it’s finished; just ask someone you trust.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise, or reading poetry play?

We drink loads, and I mean loads, of sparkling water, but I don’t think that has any special qualities to help you get into the right mindset haha. There is no real super food or anything, but being well rested and well fed can help you focus on things that you need to focus on. And I think the people that you’re creating with are a huge influence. They can help you push on or remind you to take a break at the right time. Fresh air can do wonders for your mind.

Guilty pleasure time. What would you say are some of your current most guilty pleasures? All is fair game-food, books, video games, whatever floats your boat. Let us have it.

Some of us play Call of Duty or Fortnite from time to time. Oh and we eat copious amount of chips/crisps. Sometimes accompanied with a Monster Energy drink that makes the while tour van stinky.

What other creative outputs do you guys engage in that we may not suspect?

Some of us like to write stories and articles and we all read a lot. I’ve done some stick and poke tattoos of mediocre quality.

To wrap it up, what do you hope to do with your art in the future? I mean, do you have any crazy goals?

We’d like to visit and play at places we haven’t been. That doesn’t sound too crazy, but do you realize how many countries there are in the world?!

On April 17, Tramhaus will perform live at Control Club, in an event organized with the support of OneDay, with Getchoo opening the night.