1. Ampere is a DIY punk band based in Amherst, USA in 2002 known for their short (10-15 minutes) but extremely loud and intense live shows. The band has put the importance of DIY punk ethics at the forefront of their lyrics and are known for the particular attention they bring to their vegan principles.
The members of the bands have been involved in the DIY punk scene for a number of years with the most notable being guitarist Will Killingsworth, who played guitar in Orchid, Laceration and Bucket Full of Teeth and who continues to run his Clean Plate record label and Dead Air recording studio where the band records all of their music. He was also in the hardcore "super group" Failures, as well as powerviolence band Vaccine. Drummer Andy Skelly played drums in both The Last 40 Seconds and Wolves, Stephen's previous bands were Montcalm, The Last 40 Seconds and 175 Grams. He played guitar in self-destructive supergroup Aerosols, and also briefly ran Distort, an independent record store in Northampton, MA (May '06 - December '06). Meghan played bass in Unicoroner and sang in Stop the Clock and Relics on their first 7-inch and split 7-inch with Furnace.
Much like Orchid, Ampere (especially earlier albums such as All Our Tomorrows End Today ) often borrow some of their lyrics from philosophers and revolutionaries such as Guy Debord. They have preserved some of the "intellectual" punk seen in bands like Orchid, Sinaloa, Native Nod, Current, and others. In all of their endeavors, Ampere has persisted in their commitment to intellect, art, and sincerity.
The band actively tour in the US and recently completed a tour of Europe with Sinaloa in March 2006. A split record on Ebullition Records between the two bands was released in time for the tour, along with a 7" of their early recordings and a four-way split 11" with Death to Tyrants, Wasteland and Daniel Striped Tiger which was recorded live at Dead Air. Since then, a split 12" comprised completely of cover songs was released with Das Oath.
2007 was a productive year for the band, encompassing a brief Japanese tour as well as three new split records; a 6-inch with Ringers on No Idea Records, which, after the first press was re-released as a 7-inch (both versions of the record came with limited runs of t-shirts featuring the album art), a 9-inch with Funeral Diner put out jointly by Clean Plate and The Electric Human Project (this release included intricate etchings between the grooves), and a 7-inch picture disk with France's Daïtro on Clean Plate / purepainsugar.
In 2008, an Australian-tour-only split 7-inch with Off Minor was released. Both bands contributed a previously released but compilation-exclusive song from an Animal Rights benefit CD on Exotic Fever. It is Ampere's most limited release to date (aside from the cassette format of the demo tape) at a scant 300 copies. Each band took 150 for their respective jaunts down under and made different packaging.
In June 2011 the band's first LP titled Like Shadows was released on No Idea Records.
In August 2015, the long-awaited split 8" with Raein was released, also on No Idea Records.
Members: Will Killingsworth, Andy Skelly, Meghan Minior, Stephen Pierce.
Pierce and Skelly continue to play music together in indie/shoegaze band Kindling, who have a 12" coming out on No Idea Records in October 2015.
Killingsworth and Minior also otherwise play together in Longings, with an LP coming in September 2015 on Framework/Echo Canyon.
Killingsworth is also a current member of Demonbrother, No Faith, and The Toll.
Minior is a current member of Siamese Twins and Chemiplastica
• Demo Tape 7" (2002)
• Split w/ Wolves 7" (2003)
• All Our Tomorrows End Today 10"/3" (2004)
• Split w/ Welcome the Plague Year 5" (2005)
• Split w/ Death to Tyrants, Wasteland, Daniel Striped Tiger 11" (2006)
• Split w/ Sinaloa (2006)
• Split w/ Das Oath (2006)
• Split w/ Daïtro 7’" (2007)
• Split w/ Ringers 6"/7" (2007)
• Split w/ Funeral Diner 9" (2007)
• Keep Singing! A Benefit Compilation for Compassion Over Killing (2008)
• The First Five Years (2008)
• Split w/ Off Minor 7" (2008)
• Like Shadows (2011)
• Split w/ Raein 8" (2015)
2. Ampere (originally named AMP) is a single piece atmospheric music project run by T.W. O'Bryant from the town of Shindler Oklahoma. This project has released two demos. In May 2014, the demos were combined with a few extra tracks into one compilation album clocking in at over an hour long.
DISCOGRAPHY:
1. Nihil demo- released 2013
2. Shadows in the Sky/Illusions in the Mist demo- released 2013
3. The Ampere Demos compilation- released 2014
Sleepwalkers
Ampere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll see through boarded windows and cracked concrete.
You and me- all of us- we will be dischord, volatile, and explosive.
We will write our own histories.
We'll not let on to faking and plant a thousand lies.
They won't know; no one will know our truth.
We see the logic in revision and practice what we hate- so revel in your contradiction, a wrench in some machine.
The lyrics of "Sleepwalkers" by Ampere capture the chaotic and unpredictable nature of human behavior. The lines "Asleep or awake, eyes opened or closed" suggest a state of uncertainty, as if the singer is unsure of the reality around them. The reference to "boarded windows and cracked concrete" underscores the feeling of isolation and detachment from the outside world.
The following lines ("You and me- all of us- we will be dischord, volatile, and explosive") speak to a sense of rebellion and defiance. The "dischord" and "volatility" could refer to the emotional upheaval that society imposes on individuals, while the "explosive" nature represents the desire to break free from those constraints. The idea of "writing our own histories" is a powerful one, as it suggests that we have agency over our lives and the potential to create our own narrative.
The lines "We'll not let on to faking and plant a thousand lies. They won't know; no one will know our truth" speak to the idea of authenticity and the need to be true to oneself. The reference to "planting lies" suggests that we may be tempted to deceive others, but ultimately our own truth is what matters most. The final lines of the song ("We see the logic in revision and practice what we hate- so revel in your contradiction, a wrench in some machine") are a call to embrace contradiction and complexity. We may have conflicting desires and beliefs, but that is a reflection of our multifaceted nature as human beings.
Line by Line Meaning
Asleep or awake, eyes opened or closed.
Regardless of our physical state, we are aware of our surroundings and are observing everything.
We'll see through boarded windows and cracked concrete.
We'll overcome any obstacles that attempt to limit our vision and aspirations.
You and me- all of us- we will be dischord, volatile, and explosive.
We will be unpredictable and rebellious, but together we will create something powerful.
We will write our own histories.
We will not allow predetermined societal norms or expectations to dictate our paths, instead we will carve out our own legacies.
We'll not let on to faking and plant a thousand lies.
We won't fake our true selves or conform to expectations, even if it means planting a thousand lies to protect our authentic selves.
They won't know; no one will know our truth.
We will keep our true selves hidden from society, only revealing our authentic selves to those who truly understand us.
We see the logic in revision and practice what we hate- so revel in your contradiction, a wrench in some machine.
We understand the importance of revising our beliefs and values even if it means contradicting our former selves. Our contradictions serve as a disruption to societal norms and expectations, which we embrace.
Contributed by Eliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.