“When we get done playing a show, we’ve given all we have to the point that we’re barely able to catch our breath,” explains Mitch, describing a potential catalyst for the group’s groundswell. “After two years of touring, we’re mobbed by people telling us they loved the show or that we’re their favorite band, which is very encouraging. But no matter how big or small the audience, we’ve always given everything we have and it feels great to see it grow to the point where fans sing the words louder than we do these days.”
Anyone who has caught After Edmund in concert can attest to the band’s visual and sonic precision - one that’s matched with unparalleled infectiousness and brilliant songcraft that comes from members’ musical education. In fact, band members are known to switch instruments throughout each set, proving to be equally proficient at anything attempted.
And for the first time in After Edmund’s celebrated career thus far, faithful can score an up close and remarkably intimate view of the foursome in action thanks to the DVD/EP set Spaceships and Submarines: The Lively Sessions. No matter the visual or audio format, the live studio performance is loaded with five brand new and engagingly explosive new cuts, along with electrifying re-arrangements of past favorites.
“Being on the road is a totally different creative atmosphere than being on studio and most bands don’t have the same kind of energy in the studio,” Ben observes. “After putting the tunes to the test live, you can watch people’s reaction, which is why our material is always evolving. That’s basically what inspired the DVD. We wanted to give fans something different than just a straight up concert recording. It still shows us performing live, but we thought it would give fans a more personal look to see us in the studio, especially because many of them have already seen our show.”
Besides the nine songs performed, Spaceships and Submarines: The Lively Sessions also includes mounds of behind the scenes footage, interviews with band members and even an audio commentary from the band. As for the new tunes packed therein, longtime listeners will notice the band incorporating a dance-inspired alternative pop sound into the project, perhaps akin to Mute Math, Shiny Toy Guns or Carpark North. In that regard, Spaceships and Submarines: The Lively Sessions could be considered an accurate bridge builder between Hello and the group’s forthcoming sophomore CD (hitting streets sometime in 2010).
“Subtitles are revealing, and the word ‘Lively’ has to do with the band’s stage presence, but it’s also meant to imply a live studio recording,” Yates says of the title’s impetus, before commenting on the band’s current direction. “'In the last year we’ve downsized to a four piece, moving Matt from bass to drums and Mitch from guitar to bass, which really changed the way we write since we now have only Ben on guitar player. It has pushed us musically and creatively while moving us in a new direction. And as for the feel good nature of the new tunes, well, life’s just too short to be Emo”
As is After Edmund’s tradition, the ongoing road trip will continue mixing up tunes from Hello, Spaceships and Submarines: The Lively Sessions and the upcoming album, all primed with plenty of towering guitar riffs, synthesized dance grooves, relentless percussion and monstrous melodies. And if the group’s history thus far is any indication, the gang’s stage antics, production and overall excitement is sure to mount with each future mile logged in its tour bus.
“We’re going for world domination,” Matt asserts with a laugh (though it’s quite possible given the band’s brilliant build-up thus far). “We’re looking to really pick up the momentum on all accounts. We’re actually starting to like pop music more than ever before, and while Hello is a record we’re all really proud of, it took listeners a little while to get to know. Our next chapter is going to be filled with more instantaneous familiarity, and while there will still be many of the musical elements we’re known for, our goal is to hook you in from the very first second you press ‘play.’”
Thank God
After Edmund Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fall into your arms
Welcome to a place of safety
Where you keep me safe from harm
I'm hearing all the sounds around me
But I listen to my heart
Somewhere in the noise you found me
Tripping my alarm
In everything that isn't you
And I've come much too far
I'll never turn my back on you
Thank God I lost all my hope
In everything that isn't you
Thank God I found you
Fighting complication
I'm losing my control
I don't want to keep you waiting
I'm ready to let go
I'm tuning out the noise
and distractions
Focusing on what is true
With you there's no need for a reaction
My heart is safe with you
The lyrics of After Edmund's song Thank God is a powerful tribute to the transformative love of God that redefines our choices and priorities. The song speaks of being shaken by a love that overwhelms and brings us into a place of safety where we are protected from harm. The artist admits to being lost and confused, but that all changed when they found the love of God, which has brought strength, peace, and assurance. The song is an intimate reference to this love being the source of their hope, the one thing they can completely rely on no matter what may come their way. The artist claims to have lost all hope in everything that is not God and that they are willing to go to any length to hold onto this love.
Line by Line Meaning
Shaken by a love that makes me
I am overwhelmed by love that is so strong it causes me to tremble
Fall into your arms
I surrender myself to you and trust you to catch me
Welcome to a place of safety
You have brought me to a place where I am protected and secure
Where you keep me safe from harm
You shield me from danger and prevent anything from hurting me
I'm hearing all the sounds around me
I am aware of everything that is happening around me
But I listen to my heart
I pay attention to my inner voice and intuition
Somewhere in the noise you found me
Despite all the chaos and distractions, you were able to discover me
Tripping my alarm
You set off something in me that made me realize you were the one for me
Thank God I lost all my hope
I am grateful that all my dreams for things other than you didn't come true
In everything that isn't you
I realize that nothing else can bring me the happiness and fulfillment that you do
And I've come much too far
I have come a long way in my journey of finding you and I won't give up now
I'll never turn my back on you
I will always remain faithful and committed to you
Thank God I found you
I am so grateful that I have finally found the one I have been searching for
Fighting complication
I am facing difficulties and challenges in my life
I'm losing my control
I feel like I am no longer in charge and things are spiraling out of my hands
I don't want to keep you waiting
I am eager to move forward with you and not hold you back any longer
I'm ready to let go
I am prepared to release my fears and doubts and trust in you completely
I'm tuning out the noise
I am ignoring all the distractions and focusing solely on you
Contributed by Alexis D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.