Though each member of the band — Miles Seaton, Seth Olinsky, Dana Janssen and formerly Ryan Vanderhoof — can be relegated to loosely defined roles (drummer, guitarist, bassist, vocalist), all of them play several instruments and sing, as evidenced by their shows and recorded material. When playing live, the band makes prominent use of improvisation and vocal harmonies. On their self-titled debut record, field recordings of a creaking chair, thunderclaps and the white noise of a television find their way alongside psychedelic and electronic elements, guitars and a glockenspiel.
In addition to their solo debut in 2005, the band played behind Michael Gira on his Angels of Light project as well as splitting a full length CD with Angels of Light.
In 2006, the band released an EP, “Meek Warrior,” a collaboration with master drummer/hero Hamid Drake which contained both more traditional folk music such as the lovely "Gone Beyond" and a pair of throbbing electric guitar monsters in “The Rider (Dolphin Song)” and the epic “Blessing Force,” which ends with an exploration into free jazz.
Sometime between the completion of [2007 release] Love Is Simple and Akron/Family’s 2007 U.S. tour, Vanderhoof left Akron/Family to live in a Buddhist Dharma center in the Midwest.
The band has also released several tour EPs featuring demos and other recordings. In May of 2009, the trio released Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free. This album serves as a blend of the previous albums with more acoustic-folk songs like "Set 'em Free," to fusion freak-outs like "Gravelly Mountains of the Moon."
In January of 2011 they released their album, "S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT ."
Akron/Family's sixth studio album, Sub Verses, was released on April 30, 2013 on Dead Oceans. The band toured for the album from January 29 to December 8, 2013. After the tour the band decided to focus on personal projects, leaving the door open for a possible reunion in the future.
Franny / You're Human
Akron/Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To be nobody
'Cause I am not my thought
'Cause I am not my thought
The lyrics to Akron/Family's song Franny/You're Human are deeply philosophical and existential. The opening line of "Please, Lord, give me strength" suggests a plea for guidance or assistance, but the following line, "To be nobody" is a surprising request. It seems to suggest a desire to separate oneself from the ego, to transcend the self and become something more transcendent. The next line "Cause I am not my thought" further emphasizes this quest to move beyond the limitations of the self. It suggests that one's identity is not determined by the thoughts that arise in their mind but rather is something more intangible and boundless.
The song seems to be a meditation on the nature of human existence and our place in the universe. Rather than focusing on individual experience, the lyrics suggest a larger, more universal perspective. The title itself, "Franny/You're Human" is almost paradoxical, suggesting that even though we are limited by our human experience, we are also capable of transcending it. The overall tone of the song is both hopeful and melancholic, suggesting that while the quest to become something more than ourselves is difficult, it is ultimately worthwhile.
Line by Line Meaning
Please, Lord, give me strength
I ask for divine assistance to remain steadfast in being true to myself.
To be nobody
To detach from external expectations and definitions of who I am.
'Cause I am not my thought
I am not solely defined by my inner monologue or fleeting ideas.
'Cause I am not my thought
My identity is not limited to my thoughts, as I am greater than the sum of my mental processes.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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