“Living in L.A., with so many bands, you’ve gotta work extra hard,” observe… Read Full Bio ↴“Living in L.A., with so many bands, you’ve gotta work extra hard,” observes American Eyes vocalist David Henry. “Bands are a dime a dozen out here, and to get noticed is impossible. That’s the thing — people are impressed that we get reactions at our concerts because in Los Angeles, kids just stand there with their arms crossed.”

Credit such significant notoriety to the fact that American Eyes never settled on playing standard fare, stand ‘n’ stare rock music from its inception. Instead, the quintet had always been a dark-edged neo-gothic punk act that’s incorporated prominent dance rhythms within its material, whether it’s on the band’s first two self-released recordings, or their SideOneDummy debut EP, Never Trust Anything That Bleeds.

Hailing from the westernmost region of Los Angeles County — Agoura Hills, to be exact — American Eyes’ members Henry, Richardson and Gold actually shared sandboxes together, having known each other since pre-school. The three didn’t really materialize into a musical act until their years at Agoura High, where they met locals Anthony and Johnson — it’s also the same institution of which members of Linkin Park, Hoobastank and Incubus had attended (but, of course, ended up in an entirely different musical genre). Originally formed under a different name, the pre-American Eyes act gave the members ample opportunity at which to cut their teeth.

Since high school wasn’t the act’s forte, Henry, Richardson and Gold opted to swap their chance at higher education for a shot at bigger venues and more recordings. With a renewed spirit, a more focused concept and a few years of steady experience already underneath their collective belts, the set launched American Eyes in 2002. But the launch wasn’t exactly the propulsive lift-off that the act had been anticipating.

“When we first started, no one would book us because we had a really bad reputation around L.A.,” says Henry. “We played an all-ages show and kids were going nuts — it was a typical hardcore show. Next thing I know, I see a chair getting thrown through a window. The cops came and it made the front page of the local magazine. A week later, we played at USC and I put my foot through the grand piano on accident. No venue would book us. Troubadour? No. Knitting Factory, Roxy, Whisky? No way.”

The only place that gave the band a shot was a gay club in West Hollywood — and American Eyes was the first band to ever play there. Packing in their audience amidst the cage dancers, American Eyes soon grabbed the attention of local radio stations and other promoters. Next thing they knew, they were welcomed back into L.A.’s club scene — selling out nearly every local show they’ve played since.

That doesn’t mean that American Eyes have toned down their act. Actually, Henry mentions that the group was recently asked to leave another local venue — the reason given was that Henry had endangered the crowd by climbing up the side pillars and hanging upside down while singing — in short, just going nuts. “We’re just always looking for trouble,” Henry admits. “I believe it’s fun, it’s music.”

An American Eyes show isn’t just a band slamming through a handful of songs and making a quick exit — it’s a total production that goes well beyond the scope of five guys playing music on stage. For example, the band’s Valentine’s Day gig in 2005 featured a kissing booth and a snow machine. “We throw events, we don’t throw concerts,” Henry adds.

The chatter of their famed shows and a well-connected Henry caught the attention of the SideOneDummy record label execs, who inked a deal with the band after catching a seemingly rousing practice session in 2004.

Enter Never Trust Anything That Bleeds, American Eyes’ six-song label debut. Produced by Michael Patterson (Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G., Beck) and Gavin MacKillop (Sugarcult, MXPX), the concept EP was devised around a relationship in Henry’s life, and all the ensuing emotional twists and turns. “It was a turning point in my life. I’d got out of high school, I was out in the world, I had a girlfriend for five years and we had broken up. You didn’t know anything, you didn’t trust anybody, not even yourself. You just had to keep your eyes open.”

Never Trust Anything That Bleeds leads off with the electro-charged “Knife Fight With A Girl (True Story),” a song about confusion, incomprehension and the emotions of having to sever ties with a former love. Next comes the propulsive “Telephone Wires,” followed by the anthemic “Carry On For Keepsake,” which grapples painfully with a sense of loss in the wake of a tumultuous relationship. “The Girl With The Broken Heart (By The Way)” is a straightforward rocker, which then leads into the sweeping, orchestral ballad, “The Day We Died,” of which Henry addresses internalizing his frustration. The song is a collaboration featuring vocals by Curt Smith of Tears For Fears fame. “Recording with Curt was surreal,” Henry exclaims. “I had to kick myself!” The disc’s massive send off is the upbeat, sing-along track “Radio.” “With that song it’s like, it doesn’t matter, I can do whatever I want to do,” Henry notes. “I’m doing what I love to do. And hopefully one day, she’ll hear this song on the radio and be like, ‘Wait, I fucking blew it.’”

And it’s that intriguing dichotomy of tormented, frustrated lyrics and danceable, stimulating rock (“We make happy music to cry to,” says Henry) that’s made American Eyes such a favorite — especially online, through their MySpace profile. “We put ‘The Day We Died’ on MySpace and tons of people were hitting us up, saying ‘Oh my God, that song is reading what I’m thinking.’ The lyrics can totally bum you out but the music is happy. It’s all right to be sad. It’s all right to grieve.”

American Eyes receive and continue to respond to personal e-mails seeking advice on many of their fans’ issues. “It’s like therapy,” he says. “That’s how we’ve gotten to where we are, because we’ve made personal connections with everyone. We’re going through the same thing they are.”

It’s no surprise American Eyes have caused kids to uncross their arms and take notice. And Los Angeles is just the starting point.

Carry On For Keepsake
American Eyes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm leaving, so carry on for keepsake
Go find the love you won't save
Kiss kiss goodbye
Left cheek to no reply

I practice my fall to make it easier
I say the things that I can never say
Then blink because it's over

I don't care, I don't ever wait
Still remember that look upon your face
When we would start to kiss
Well blink because it's over

I'm leaving, so carry on for keepsake
Go find the love you won't save
Kiss kiss goodbye
Left cheek to no reply

Leave me at the bottom of your letter
I try hard to forget you
It's a common way of nothing at all
If the sky falls, where is yesterday
I won't feel cause feeling is another day
Well blink cause now it's over
We move too fast to ever wait
I still remember the look upon your face
When we would start to kiss
Well blink because it's over

So leave and say
It's a common way of nothing at all
You all look the same
You all talk the same

You all feel the same
Touch me the same way

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to American Eyes's song "Carry On For Keepsake" speak to a sense of inevitable ending and resignation in a relationship. The singer is leaving, urging their partner to "carry on for keepsake," to find the love they won't save. The left cheek kiss in parting is met with no reply, underscoring the finality of the scene. The singer seems to be preparing for the end, practicing their fall and saying the things they can never say. Their detachment is clear: "I don't care, I don't ever wait."

The second verse offers more memories of intimacy and the way time seems to slip away: "We move too fast to ever wait." Leave me at the bottom of your letter," the singer offers, suggesting they don't expect much to change with this final goodbye. They try to forget the other person and the common pattern of emotionlessness in their encounters. There's an implication here that their previous intimacy was nothing deeper than physical: "You all look the same...touch me the same way." All in all, this song offers an honest but melancholy look at the end of a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm leaving, so carry on for keepsake
I am departing, but please keep going for the sake of memory

Go find the love you won't save
Search for the affection that you may not preserve

Kiss kiss goodbye
Give a goodbye peck

Left cheek to no reply
Kiss my left cheek without a response from me

I practice my fall to make it easier
I rehearse my downfall to make it simpler

I say the things that I can never say
I articulate the things that I can never express

Then blink because it's over
Then close my eyelids because it already ended

I don't care, I don't ever wait
I don't mind, I don't wait for anyone

Still remember that look upon your face
Still recall that expression on your countenance

When we would start to kiss
When we began to smooch

Well blink because it's over
Close your eyes because it has ended