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Sound Of It

The lyrics for this song are about decisions and defiance, and keeping ‘the dream’ alive – which to stay sane, and have a fulfilling and exciting life is critical. The song is based around a young couple in love who begin to run away when people try to interfere in their life, but who can’t seem to escape far enough – and what they’re running from always seems to catch up.

A lot of the imagery in this song relates to driving through huge landscapes, canyons, plains bordered by mountains, and deserts. The sky is a large part of these images also; It’s vastness, its ability to change quickly, and its diversity, are reasons for this. Mainly, I wanted to express the idea that the night sky and the stars are the last undiscovered platform on earth. In the stars the characters have found a sense of freedom that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

DEVELOPMENT

The song came together quickly, both with its sense of rhythm and vibe. One of the defining aspects of the song was the rhythm in the pre-chorus which became a half-time jam mixing back and forth. The lyrics for that part also ‘you know that he said she said…” were a line from a ‘switchfoot’ song that really stood out to me. It kind of implicated rumours and half-truths which seemed to fit well with the relationship edge of the song.

The drums are kind of set to a good groove, which meant the rhythm guitar and bass could simplify out for the verses, but what actually happened was the our bass player at the time (Adam Murray) jumped in with a bouncy chord pattern, which then became emphasised by the lead guitar.

At this time we had started using synthesizers in our songs ‘Slasher’ and also ‘I Am Looking Forward’, so it was a natural progression to bring it in for an epic intro and bridge, linking the sound of the synth with the mystery and imagery of the stars/space theme.

Even with the use of the synth we have often been keen to stick with the classic rock set; drums, bass, double guitars for the driving sound which you can hear in the chorus of this song, hitting the punk edge a little before coming back to the groove.

INFLUENCE

‘The Killers’ have been an inspiration throughout Black Boy Peaches’ existence and I have really enjoy a lot of the imagery in Brandon Flowers lyrics. Although they are generally a little more ‘homecoming queen and American dream’ kind of fairytale line, their video clip for ‘When You Were Young’ inspired a lot of imagery for me.
Also the UFO song by ‘Sneaky Sound System’ was good for the alternative/spacey side of the song.
Feel free to check both of those out and it might give you a deeper gauge of The Sound Of It.

Check out the lyrics to this song if you like.

I Am Looking Forward – lyrics

Time is slipping away, life is on a broadway, a gift that can’t be saved a love that won’t be braved
Deception running deeper, my pain ticks like a meter, my mind is far away oh time and time again
 
I know my problem, you know it’s not that this love cannot be saved, oh time and time again
 
I am looking forward and running deep into the night I’m running
The party’s in the street but the will is in my feet, oh
I am looking forward and running, love is pumping through my bloodstream
Wide eyed in the moonlight, the rhythm of a heartache
 
I cannot find the light switch though I’m searching my apartment
Would you please turn of the car you know I won’t come out that far
Motion to the beat, the party’s spilled into the street and no I won’t come dance with you, Oh
 
I know my problem, you know it’s not that this love cannot be saved, oh time and time again
 
I am looking forward and running deep into the night I’m running
The party’s in the street but the will is in my feet, oh
I am looking forward and running, love is pumping through my bloodstream
Wide eyed in the moonlight, the rhythm of a heartache
 
Sometimes I will be strong sometimes I will shut down, sometimes I think of time and how it got away,
She’s out to dance while I rest upon exhaustion, only this running, man, is keeping her at bay

Check out the story behind the song if you wish.

I Am Looking Forward

LYRICS

I actually wrote this song when I was about 16, and I revisited it when blackboypeaches started at the beginning of 2009. It was still bitsy then, and the chorus was something I added later on. It’s funny when I look back at the lyrics of the verses because I can definitely see the younger influence on the words that were written.

From the recent additions to the song (i.e. the chorus’s, bridge, V.2) the theme I followed was of a younger guy who was naturally introverted and not very outgoing being pursued by a girl that was quite the opposite. A clash of interest and personalities that creates, in a way, the tension of a young relationship.

I have always really enjoyed the idea and the symbolism of ‘running’. It is something that is both about strength and weakness, a tool for escape and for well being. In this case I used it mainly for the escaping/fleeing from something that both emotionally and socially frightens the character in the song.

The other imagery of this song that I was always stoked about was the line ‘deep into the night, I’m running’. The depths of the night for me really stands out as holding both mystery and terror, darkness being a fear for a lot of people, but also another escape. These words always remind me of Shakespeare’s ‘a midsummer night’s dream’ and the Gaelic and Celtic mythology of the fairie world and the existence of creatures outside of the human realm.

DEVELOPMENT

It was a tricky song to put together musically as the chorus and verses are quite different not only in tempo but in energy. We ended up gluing the song together with a almost horn-like synth sound which in the end really gave it a cool synth pop feel and led to the easy jam feel of the verses.

During practice sessions the song always revolved around the chorus and the up tempo punk feel and we played it faster than when we recorded it.

When we came to recording it we slowly realized the energy didn’t need to be in the speed but in the general fullness of the sound.

I remember clearly my brother Tom, who was the genius who played the synth and lead guitar (and now is playing the drums), telling me that on his way back home, walking down North East Valley in Dunedin, he started writing a lead guitar part for the chorus of the song.

In the end it gave the chorus more energy than the tempo had and with that and some energetic vocals the whole song seemed to come together.

INFLUENCE

I am unsure whether there was any influence from outside music during the creation of ‘I Am Looking Forward’ as it was a heady mix of old mixing with new, planned stops and synth competing with electric guitars. In some ways I guess it is similar to bands like ‘the killers’ and anyone could argue that it sounded like so and so but I think it has always been a remarkably original song.

Check out the lyrics to this song if you like.