The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass. Other former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero (drums, 2008) and Denny Bowen (drums, 2009–2013 in studio; 2013–2014 touring)
Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Upset! the Rhythm released Wave Like Home on 25 August 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & The Self-Portraits. In 2009 the band signed to independent Chicago record company Thrill Jockey.
Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and released on 4 May 2010.Their third full-length album, On the Water, was recorded in Elizabeth City, NC's historic, waterfront Andrew S. Sanders House. It was released on 11 October 2011.
These early albums from Future Islands are often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.
In 2014, they released Singles with hit-track Seasons (Waiting on You). The band and song gained critical acclamation from Pitchfork and NME and performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, a performance that went viral. In 2017, they released The Far Field and most recently in 2020 they released As Long As You Are.
Seasons
Future Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've tried hard just to soften you
The seasons change
But I've grown tired trying to change for you
'Cause I've been waiting on you
I've been waiting on you
'Cause I've been waiting on you
I've been weighing on you
As it breaks, the summer will wake
But the winter will wash what is left, of the taste
As it breaks, the summer will warm
But the winter will crave what has gone
Will crave what has all
Gone away
People change
But you know some people never do
You know, when people change
They gain a peace, but they lose one too
'Cause I've been hanging on you
I've been waiting on you
'Cause I've been waiting on you
I've been hanging on you
As it breaks, the summer will wake
But the winter will wash what is left, of the taste
As it breaks, the summer will warm
But the winter will crave what has gone
Will crave what has gone
Will crave what has all
Gone away
'Cause I've been waiting on you
The lyrics to Future Islands’ song Seasons speak about the inevitable nature of change- the seasons change, people change, and life changes. The singer has been trying to soften the person he’s addressing, but eventually grows tired of trying to change himself for that person. The lyrics suggest a sense of frustration and waiting, as he’s been hanging on, waiting for this person to change, and waiting for something to happen. However, the underlying message seems to be bittersweet- change isn’t always easy, and while it can bring peace, it can also take away what we once had.
The chorus of the song talks about the cyclical nature of the seasons- the summer will warm, but eventually the winter will wash away what’s left of that warmth. The summer will crave what has gone away, hinting at our tendency to crave what we can no longer have. As people change and gain peace, they also lose something- the person they used to be, the things they used to love, and our connection to those past experiences. The final line repeats the sentiment of the opening- that the singer has been waiting on this person, waiting for the seasons to change, for things to get better.
Line by Line Meaning
Seasons change
The time passes and things are not the same as before.
And I've tried hard just to soften you
I made many attempts to please you, but you still did not change.
The seasons change
Everything changes with the passage of time.
But I've grown tired trying to change for you
I have exhausted myself trying to make myself suitable for you.
'Cause I've been waiting on you
I am waiting for you to change for me or to come back to me.
I've been waiting on you
I am still waiting for you even though it has been a long time.
'Cause I've been waiting on you
I am still waiting for you even though it has been a long time.
I've been weighing on you
I am putting pressure or burden on you to change for me.
As it breaks, the summer will wake
As the seasons change, warmer weather will come back.
But the winter will wash what is left, of the taste
But with the return of colder weather, the memories of the past will be washed away.
As it breaks, the summer will warm
With the changing of the seasons, the temperature will rise again.
But the winter will crave what has gone
But as time passes, the longing for something that has already passed will grow.
Will crave what has all
Will crave what has already ended.
Gone away
Something that was once there is now gone.
People change
People change and grow over time.
But you know some people never do
But some people refuse to change no matter what.
You know, when people change
You know that when people change, they gain some things but lose others.
They gain a peace, but they lose one too
People who change gain inner peace, but they can also lose something they once had.
'Cause I've been hanging on you
I am clinging to the hope that you will come back to me.
I've been waiting on you
I am waiting for you to change for me or to come back to me.
'Cause I've been waiting on you
I am still waiting for you even though it has been a long time.
I've been hanging on you
I am still hoping that you will come back to me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gerrit Welmers, Samuel T. Herring, William Cashion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind