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.
Love And Space
Akron/Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord, bring me near
Lord, open my heart
Lord, make it into a mirror
To reflect the myriad coloured lights
Of love and space
The opening verse of Akron/Family’s “Love and Space” speaks about opening oneself up to love and to the universe. The use of the term “Lord” here can be seen in a religious context but can also be interpreted as a metaphorical opening of oneself to a higher power. The repeated line “Lord, open my heart” emphasizes the desire to be vulnerable and open to what the universe has to offer. The use of the word “mirror” in the following line emphasizes the desire to reflect and emulate the colors and beauty of love and space. The use of the term “myriad colored lights” suggests that this love and space is an endless, multi-faceted and dynamic state of being.
The chorus of the song moves into a more upbeat and celebratory tone. It speaks of dancing with the “friends of light and the children of sound” and celebrating the union of love with the universe. The lines “love and space, love and space, love and space” are repeated, emphasizing the cyclical and interconnected nature of the two.
Overall, the song seems to be a call to open oneself up to the universe, to love and to appreciate the wonder of both. It speaks to the interconnected nature of all things and the beauty of emulating the universe’s endless celebration of love and space.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord, open my heart
Oh divine power, help me open up my heart to embrace love and positivity
Lord, bring me near
Oh almighty, guide me towards my destined path of enlightenment and spirituality
Lord, open my heart
Oh lord, help me to let go of the negativity and fill my heart with love and kindness
Lord, make it into a mirror
Oh god, transform my heart into a mirror that reflects the true essence of love and compassion
To reflect the myriad coloured lights
So that it can reflect the various shades of love and positivity present in the universe
Of love and space
And create a deep connection with the infinite, cosmic energy that powers everything in this universe
Contributed by Zoe J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.