Heap grew up playing music from an early age, and by her eleventh birthday she was writing her own songs. From the age of 15, she studied at the BRIT School Of Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, South London, recording three tracks for the school's annual CD between 1994 and 1995, "Aliens" being the title track of the latter.
After being introduced to Nik Kershaw by his manager Mickey Modern, Heap and Kershaw recorded four demos that Mickey Modern took to Rondor Music. Consequently, a few months later Heap signed her first record contract at 18 to independent record label Almo Sounds. During 1996, Heap began working with an experimental pop band called Acacia, which featured her future collaborator Guy Sigsworth and was fronted by the singer Alexander Nilere. While never a full member of the band, Heap was a guest vocalist (as a counterpart to Nilere) and contributed to various Acacia single and album tracks in 1997. One Acacia song, "Maddening Shroud", would later be covered by Frou Frou.
Heap enjoyed a prestigious live début, performing four songs (backed by friends Acacia) between sets by The Who and Eric Clapton at the 1996 Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park, London. Her début album, I Megaphone (an anagram of "Imogen Heap") was internationally released in 1998 on independent record label Almo Sounds and garnered critical acclaim. However, as production of the album neared completion, it was announced that the record label had been sold and would be shut down. I-Megaphone featured collaborations with Guy Sigsworth and Dave Stewart. In Japan, the regional distributor, Zora, re-released the album in 2002, featuring "Blanket," her collaboration with Urban Species which was released as a single in the United Kingdom, and a Frou Frou remix of one of her B-sides, a video to which was released exclusively to Japanese media. Following the disbanding of her UK and USA record label, I Megaphone was scarce in circulation, having not been re-printed until November 2006. An independent Brazillian record label has rights to the record, and has issued limited copies, some of which are available on eBay. It has also been released through the iTunes Music Store under the Almo label.
At the same time as the Japanese re-release, Heap was working on new tracks with producer Guy Sigsworth, who had collaborated on "Getting Scared" from I-Megaphone. Together, they formed an electro-pop group Frou Frou, releasing an album called "Details" and singles, "Breathe In", "It's Good To Be In Love" and "Must Be Dreaming." The album was a full collaboration between the two artists. Frou Frou were approached to cover "Holding Out for a Hero", originally performed by Bonnie Tyler, for the soundtrack to the highly successful movie Shrek 2. An album track, "Let Go", was featured in the movie Garden State in 2004.
In December 2003, Heap announced on her web site that she was going to write and produce her second solo album, using her site as an online blog to update fans on progress, even seeking them to be her A&R team for the lyrics to "Daylight Robbery". Heap set herself a deadline of one year to make the album (she booked the album mastering for December 2004), and re-mortgaged her flat to fund production costs, including the use of studio time and instruments (which she purchased as a birthday present to herself). Having been burned by previous challenges with record labels (Heap had been spurned twice by record companies, when Almo Sounds was sold and when Frou Frou's label staff focused on promoting other acts), Heap decided to form her own record label on which to release the new record. At the end of 2004, Heap premiered two album tracks online, enabling fans to pay for a digital download, entitled "Just For Now" (which was up for a limited time as a Christmas gift), and "Goodnight And Go", which had been featured on the second season of hit US TV drama The O.C.
In April 2005, The O.C. season two finale featured another track, the sparse vocodered-vocal track, "Hide And Seek". The track was released immediately to digital download services such as iTunes where it became an instant fixture in the chart. The track was released as a digital download on the 5th July 2005 in the UK and peaked at #8 on the iTunes download chart.
The album, entitled "Speak For Yourself" was then released in the UK on July 18th 2005 on her own record label, Megaphonic Records. The album was also released on iTunes UK, where it entered the top 10, selling strongly. "Hide And Seek" also received radio attention from the popular UK radio station BBC Radio One, with DJ Scott Mills featuring it as his "Record of the Week", and provoking strong reactions ("love it or hate it") from other DJs at the station. Due to popular demand, the track was commercially released on a special limited edition (1500 copies were printed) 7" vinyl in the UK in September. Speak For Yourself was licensed to Sony BMG imprint RCA Victor in August 2005, enabling the record to be released in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was released in those territories in November, and Heap appeared on the Hotel Cafe Tour promoting the record. Imogen also performed "Goodnight And Go" on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 11, 2006. Heap is slated to continue touring in 2006 in the US and UK to support the record.
As well as TV soundtracks (Frou Frou and Heap's solo records have been featured in shows as varied as The O.C. to CSI, among others), Heap has also contributed solo tracks to movie soundtracks. Her cover of the song "Spooky" (made famous by the band Classics IV, and previously covered by Dusty Springfield) for the soundtrack to the Reese Witherspoon movie Just Like Heaven. Heap also wrote a special track entitled "Can't Take It In" for the soundtrack to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She has also appeared on the second soundtrack for the HBO television series "Six Feet Under", entitled "Six Feet Under Vol. 2: Everything Ends" with a 50-second track that closed the Season 4 episode "I'm A Lonely Little Petunia (In An Onion Patch)". Three versions were recorded and are available from Heap's official web site.
In addition to producing her own records, she has also produced a track for Nik Kershaw and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Joshua Radin, Jeff Beck, Temposhark, LHB, Way Out West, Jon Bon Jovi, Mich Gerber, Sean Lennon, Urban Species, Blue October, Jon Hopkins and Acacia.
Heap's 2009 album 'Ellipse' features Canvas, Aha! and Half Life.
Sites: Twitter
www.imogenheap.com
Propeller Seeds
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Corridor scene
Talk on, walk out
It took me a minute, my mind was on other things
Oh, you got me at Paris
I must be coming down with something to be thinking this
What's happening here?
I'm growing roots through my toes
And leaves from my fingertips
Unfold
Where does this story go?
Queue, food
Drink up, continue
We float in tandem, past name tags and shaking hands
Immune to the hubbub of others
We're deep in discussion, the party's on mute.
(Oh woah, oh woah)
Our bubble's got it covered
(Ooh)
You want me, well you've got me
It doesn't have to be today
I can't believe I said that out loud
What's happening here?
I'm growing roots through my toes
And leaves from my fingertips
I'm falling
What does this story know?
Wedding rings, children
Are all the good ones taken?
Rickshaw, disco
Goodnight kiss
Oh, cold shower
Call me for sweet dreams of him
Where does this story go?
(Whoa whoa)
What does this story know?
(Whoa whoa)
What does this story hold for us?
In Imogen Heap's song "Propeller Seeds," the lyrics tell the story of an individual who is experiencing a moment of introspection at a party. The first verse describes the individual entering a "corridor scene" and feeling distracted by their own thoughts as they engage in conversation with someone else. They reflect on being caught off guard by someone who got them in Paris and the feeling of coming down with something. The second verse describes the individual's growing sense of isolation as they begin to realize that they are growing roots through their toes and leaves from their fingertips. They question the direction of their story, wondering where it will go and what it knows.
As the song progresses, the individual continues to reflect on their life and relationships. They contemplate whether all the "good ones" are already taken and think about their desires for wedding rings and children. The song paints a picture of someone who feels trapped in their own head and is searching for something more. At the end of the song, they ask what this story holds for them to come.
Overall, the lyrics of "Propeller Seeds" convey a sense of longing and uncertainty. The individual is struggling to find their place in the world and is searching for answers. The imagery of growing roots and leaves suggests that they are beginning to find their grounding but are still uncertain about where their story will lead.
Line by Line Meaning
Propeller seeds
Refers to the flying mechanism of certain plants which carry seeds away from the parent plant, symbolizing the dispersal of thoughts or ideas
Corridor scene
Describes a scene within a corridor or hallway and its environment
Talk on, walk out
Suggesting to keep talking while walking away from a place or situation
It took me a minute, my mind was on other things
The artist was momentarily preoccupied with other thoughts, and it took some time to fully understand the situation or conversation
Oh, you got me at Paris
The artist was caught off guard or taken by surprise, possibly in a romantic or emotional way
I must be coming down with something to be thinking this
The singer feels a sudden and unexplained emotional or physical reaction to their current situation
What's happening here?
The singer is questioning what is occurring in their current situation
I'm growing roots through my toes
Represents a sense of becoming grounded and connected to one's environment
And leaves from my fingertips
Represents a sense of growth and creativity, with the potential to give and receive
Unfold
Suggesting a sense of growth or development, as something that has yet to be fully revealed
Where does this story go?
The singer is questioning the potential outcomes or directions of their current situation
Queue, food
Refers to the act of waiting in line for food
Drink up, continue
Encouragement to finish one's drink and keep going with the current situation or event
We float in tandem, past name tags and shaking hands
Suggests a sense of unity or togetherness between the singer and another individual, as they move through a social setting
Immune to the hubbub of others
Referring to a sense of detachment or disinterest towards the surrounding noise or commotion
We're deep in discussion, the party's on mute. (Oh woah, oh woah)
The artist and another individual are engaging in a deep or meaningful conversation, with little regard for the surrounding environment
Our bubble's got it covered (Ooh)
Describes the artist and another individual as being in their own isolated bubble, separate from their surroundings
You want me, well you've got me
The singer is expressing a sense of surrender, and is willing to give in to the desires of another person
It doesn't have to be today
Suggesting a sense of flexibility or openness towards the timing of a certain event or decision
I can't believe I said that out loud
The artist is expressing a sense of regret or embarrassment, having said something that wasn't intended to be openly expressed
I'm falling
Suggests a sense of emotional or physical descent, possibly in relation to a romantic or emotional connection
Wedding rings, children
Referring to traditional markers of love and commitment
Are all the good ones taken?
The singer is questioning the availability of desirable partners or mates
Rickshaw, disco
Describing two vastly different cultural experiences or settings
Goodnight kiss
Referring to a symbol of affection and closeness, typically shared at the end of a date or intimate moment
Oh, cold shower
Suggesting a sense of abruptness, frustration or disappointment
Call me for sweet dreams of him
Suggesting a sense of longing or desire towards a romantic partner, who might not be physically present
What does this story hold for us?
The artist is questioning the ultimate outcome or direction of their current situation, and what lies ahead
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IMOGEN JENNIFER JANE HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind