A Place to Bury Strangers was formed in 2002 by David Goffan and Tim Gregorio. Current frontman and guitarist Oliver Ackermann had moved to Brooklyn, New York, United States, following the disbanding of his previous group, Skywave to join the group and become the primary songwriter after the departure of Goffan. They played their first show at Luxx in Brooklyn in 2003. Jay Space and Jono Mofo, both from the New York City-based band MOFO, joined the band when Tim Gregorio left. In 2006, APTBS handmade three different untitled EPs with different color schemes; these later become known as the Red, Blue and Green EPs.
In 2006, the band gained some acclaim following its Webster Hall performance with The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band returned to Webster Hall in 2007 to play with one of their major influences, The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Throughout these formative years, the band's live shows became increasingly chaotic which earned them the title of New York City's "loudest band" from various indie reviewers and bloggers, as well as "the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear" by The Washington Post. The New York Times applauded their revival of "the ominous, feedback-drenched drones of the 1980s".
In early 2009, APTBS signed to Mute Records. The band also announced another European tour and appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Seaport Music Festival, Rock al Parque and Siren Music Festival. Their second album, Exploding Head, was released in October 2009. In early spring 2010, it was discovered that Jono MOFO had decided to leave the band for personal reasons (after recently getting married) rather than tour with the band during their US tour supporting The Big Pink. He was replaced for that spring tour by Dion Lunadon, formerly of the bands The D4 and The True Lovers.
On February 14, 2011, Ackermann stated that the band had begun working on their third full-length album. On January 10, 2012 A Place to Bury Strangers release the iPhone shot all Hipstamatic video for the first single So Far Away of the forthcoming Onwards to the Wall EP. On February 12, 2012, the band announced that Robi Gonzalez was taking over drumming duties for A Place to Bury Strangers. They also thanked former drummer, Jay Space, for his contribution to the band. On May 2, 2012, it was confirmed that the third album of the band, , was scheduled to be released on June 11 in the UK and Europe, and on June 26, 2012 in the US via Dead Oceans label. The band announced plans to support the release with a full North American tour in October 2012.
It was announced in early March 2013, that the band had recorded covers of songs from the Portland band, Dead Moon. They plan to release these covers on Record Store Day 2013 as an EP titled Strange Moon. In March 2013, the band began recording their 4th studio album. They recorded for several days at ABC Studios in Etne, Norway with Emil Nikolaisen of Serena Maneesh. Then, in May, APTBS released a 7" via Sweet Mistakes Productions, free with the Fractal Press Magazine, issue #135. The band also sold them without the magazine during their live shows. In late November, Ackermann and Lunadon had an interview with Drowned in Sound and said that there will likely be a tour following the 4th LP's release.
The band's fifth album, "Pinned", was released in 2018. The band also replaced Robi Gonzalez with drummer and singer Lia Simone Braswell.
In 2021, John Fedowitz (also a former member of Skywave)& his wife Sandra Fedowitz, both from Ceremony East Coast, replaced the rhythm section once again. Hologram EP was released July 16, 2021.
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Exploding Head
A Place to Bury Strangers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living in the dark
State protecting life then tear it apart
Cause commotion cause a scene
Cracking skull, expanding seam
Every time there is a choice it's tear it apart
High
Don't ever touch the ground
Know
No wars are ever won
When they can't kill me then know that it's safe
To come back come back come back exploding head
Touch
By the hand of god
It's a secret that is held now fire the gun
Sit down love and tighten up the pace
Commands close eyes command shoot off the face
Lovers
Bound by their tongues
Bound by their hands
Bound by love
Intentions shadow truth and the motivation's done
The secret was a lie and the truth was never won
The song Exploding Head by A Place to Bury Strangers explores themes of corruption, violence and control. The opening lines, "People living in the dark / State protecting life then tear it apart," paint a grim picture of the state oppressing and exploiting its people. The following lines "Cause commotion cause a scene / Cracking skull, expanding seam / Every time there is a choice it's tear it apart" further illustrate the state's cruel nature, as it violently suppresses any form of protest or dissent.
The chorus, "Fall high, don't ever touch the ground / No wars are ever won / When they can't kill me then know that it's safe / To come back come back come back exploding head," is a defiant call to rise up against oppressive forces. The imagery of not touching the ground suggests a freedom from earthly constraints and the idea that wars cannot be won through violence alone. The repeated phrase "exploding head" could be interpreted as a metaphorical explosion of ideas or revolution.
The second verse touches on themes of religion and control, with the line "Touch by the hand of god / It's a secret that is held now fire the gun." The reference to firing a gun implies that the supposed touch of god is not a peaceful act, but rather a violent one. The lines "Sit down love and tighten up the pace / Commands close eyes command shoot off the face" further suggest a lack of control and a violent power dynamic.
The final lines of the song, "Lovers bound by their tongues / Bound by their hands / Bound by love / Intentions shadow truth and the motivation's done / The secret was a lie and the truth was never won," evoke a sense of entrapment and deception. The idea of lovers being bound by their tongues and hands suggests a loss of autonomy, while the mention of shadows and secrets further allude to a lack of transparency and truth.
Line by Line Meaning
People
The general population
Living in the dark
Existing without knowledge or awareness of important information
State protecting life then tear it apart
A government that presents itself as a protector of the people but ultimately causes harm and destruction
Cause commotion cause a scene
To provoke chaos and attention
Cracking skull, expanding seam
Causing physical harm and destruction
Every time there is a choice it's tear it apart
Consistently destroying options and paths forward
Fall
Lose stability
High
In a state of excitement or intensity
Don't ever touch the ground
Maintain this heightened state of being
Know
Understand for certain
No wars are ever won
The destructive nature of wars make them a loss for everyone involved
When they can't kill me then know that it's safe
An indication that the situation has become less violent and they can return safely
To come back come back come back exploding head
To approach the situation with a renewed sense of energy and intensity
Touch
The influence or impact of something
By the hand of god
An intervention by something beyond the power of humans
It's a secret that is held now fire the gun
A hidden piece of knowledge that is now being exposed with force
Sit down love and tighten up the pace
A request to calm down and focus more intently on the task at hand
Commands close eyes command shoot off the face
An aggressive command to carry out an act of violence
Lovers
People in a romantic relationship
Bound by their tongues
Words and language have a powerful impact on their relationship
Bound by their hands
Their bond is strengthened by physical touch and presence
Bound by love
Ultimately their love is what binds them together
Intentions shadow truth and the motivation's done
Hidden intentions obscure the reality of the situation and the reason behind certain actions
The secret was a lie and the truth was never won
Deception and a lack of transparency make it impossible to uncover the truth
Contributed by Aaliyah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.