Confessions
The lyrical content is based on a turbulent love triangle between a Piano, a caretaker and the master of the house.
Both of the verses before the middle riff section portray two different story lines for each of the human characters. The Piano is narrating and has contrasting experiences with both the master and caretaker. The words "Passionately" and "unskillfully" depict the underlying affair and the confession that will unfold throughout the song.
The timbre in which we intended the caretakers verse is apparent on the EP and appropriately softer and sensual compared to the master's Verse.
The master discovers the affair and demands the caretaker destroy the piano and burn it. This section is accentuated with the violent middle.
We wanted this part before the final chorus to have the earmarks of a few of our favourite bands; Billy Talent, Rush, Paramore to name a few. This essentially enforces the death of the Piano. The fire sample at the end of the track is the final visual cherry on the cake helping embellish the narration.
Dark Cloud
This song is based on a real character we know. Dubbed 'dark cloud', unbeknownst to him, this drug dealer has been a prominent face on the UK gig circuit for many years. He's a creepy, solemn character as the song suggests.
"Would you make a deal with a big dark cloud for bit of sunshine", the sunshine an analogy for cocaine.
The track is heavily influenced by the Foo Fighters and has the guitar/bass riffs to match. It was written with the intent of being a punchy rock song throughout. Some of the album Wasted Light can be heard in the guitar tracking. This was intentional to help create impact and give a heavier edge contrasting with the previous reggae/pop songs on the first two Elixir EP's.
Invincible
Drug use in the music industry is a given. Sometimes it's argued that it can allow for experimental creativity and sometimes it gets the better of us. Invincible portrays a turbulent character that we knew. The inevitable addict comes out in those who rely on pacification. The lyrics "Success comes with a test, think you're no good without a fix" allows the listener to understand the reasoning behind their thought process.
The groove in the verses deliver a reggae backdrop for the vocals to cruise on with a soft, informative lyric. This is similar to Panic at the Disco! and Fall Out Boy's earlier records. The pre-chorus/chorus is hard-hitting in comparison. The vocals have intentionally increased in dynamic to bring home the harsh reality behind substance abuse. Eventually it 'catches up'.
The riffs that start and end the song have been written and performed with a stabbing, turbulent minor key to portray the "Bipolar roller coaster" (lyric from verse 1).
Another inspiration for this song was also the unfortunate death of Whitney Houston. This gave us and the world a truthful glimpse of what can happen when fame, glamour and drug abuse are at play during an artist's career.
Parasite
This track's routes are very close to home. A long time friend and professional roadie/driver had an unexpected illness that changed his life and ours forever.
Lyrically this song has a concerned, conversational rhetoric, that commentates the struggle during a life threatening illness from the eyes of family and close friends. The vocal melody line in the verse reflects this; "How's the head old friend, playing up again?" and has a definitive 'question and answer' with the bass guitar in the first verse.
Musically this is one of the more simplistic tracks that can be found on the Elixir. Most of the chordal/melodic work on guitar was actually created in the studio at the demo stage. This is also the case with many of the vocals. The sentiment helped fuel the vocal performance and allowed Nick to emotionally attach to the lyrics.
During the lead break we focused on a dark, unconventional melody and finish the section with a slight dissonant, discomfort melody to the harmony. This, we think, reflected the songs meaning and concept. It was unplanned and just came naturally when working in the studio.
Confessions is available on 21st September 2014.
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