Architecture in Helsinki rose from the ashes of the High School band of Cameron Bird, Jamie Mildren and Sam Perry. Bird started writing songs at the turn of the century and convinced Perry and Mildren to help him flesh out his first set for live performance. Bird urgently needed a name for the band, so, he circled some words in a copy of The Age newspaper and did some magnetic poetry. In mid 2000, Bird met Kellie Sutherland at a party, she volunteered her musical services to the band at first playing clarinet. By the time Bird met James Cecil, Gus Franklin, Isobel Knowles and Tara Shackell whilst studying at RMIT University later that year, the band was well and truly taking shape.
"Fingers Crossed" (2002-2004):
After many discarded recording sessions and countless shows at North Fitzroy's Empress Hotel, the band locked down in their home studios for the best part of 2002 to make their debut album. The vast majority of the songs were written by Bird the week he returned from an extended holiday in the Pacific Northwest. Arrangements and production were labored over by the band in myriad of locations in and around their home town of Melbourne. Trifekta Records signed the band and released the record in February 2003. It wasn't released in the U.S. until March 2004 on Bar-None Records.
"In Case We Die" (2004-2006):
The band and associates leased a giant garage space in Melbourne's East Brunswick to record their Sophomore record. Work began on the record in June 2004 and Bird and Cecil worked day and night for 5 months on the production, enlisting dozens of guests to play on the record. Songs were primarily composed in the studio with Bird acting as some sort of mad professor with inter-band chemistry. In November, Tony Espie was hired In a bid to tame the record at the mixing desk. The band fell in love with his mixing style and studio demeanor when he worked on 'Do The Whirlwind', the record's lead single. The record was released in February 2005 in Australia on the band's own Tailem Bend imprint. Bar None Records released it in April 2005. It was the bands first release in Europe coming out in July 2005 on Moshi Moshi Records. In mid 2006, the band released a remix album entitled 'We Died, They Remixed' which featured a collection of their friends and contemporaries re-interpreting the songs of 'In Case We Die', This included Hot Chip, YACHT, New Buffalo, Mocky, Dat Politics, DJ Mehdi, Safety Scissors and Qua.
"Places Like This" (2006-2007):
At the end of touring In Case We Die in April 2006, Isobel Knowles and Tara Shackell left the band citing 'creative differences'. Bird decided to move to New York City to write for the third Architecture in Helsinki record. He demoed the songs in an apartment in South Williamsburg and worked on arrangements with the rest of the band via email and instant messaging conversations. In September 2006, the band convened in Los Angeles to play the songs for the first time. After a week of jamming they headed out on tour in support of Brooklyn band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, to road test the new songs. To coincide with the end of the tour the band booked studio time at Stay Gold in Brooklyn with Engineer Chris Coady. The basic tracks were laid in the Stay Gold sessions in order to capture the energy of the band hot on the heels of the 25 show tour. The session was deemed a success, so Coady flew to Sydney's BJB Studios in December 2006 to finish the record. Bird and Coady put the finishing touches on the record back in New York in January 2007. The first single, Heart It Races, was released in May 2007. The album was released worldwide in July 2007.
"Moment Bends" (2008-2011):
After a few years of relentless touring. The band, now a 5 piece after the departure of Cecil, reconvened in Melbourne and set about the process of making a new record at a pace that was conducive to quality not insanity. They rented a space in East Brunswick which they set about renovating to better resemble a functional recording space. A giant photo mural of Lindsey Buckingham was erected on the studio wall to oversee proceedings and act as an inspiration for the record. The studio was named Buckingham Palace and the project was given the working title 'Vision Revision'. Longtime collaborator Francois Tetaz was brought in as producer, a move that instantly allowed the group to focus more on songwriting and ideas. The first fruits of this new endeavor came in November 2008 in the form of 'That Beep', the band's most accessible and commercially successful release to date. Meanwhile, back at Buckingham Palace, Moment Bends was beginning to take shape. The band had Engineer and Auxiliary member, Haima Marriott, working around the clock for the best part of 18 months between touring and various trips into Inspiration Hiatus. The songs were much more detailed and focused, the band was said to have searched for it's essence. On January 31 2011, It was announced that 'Moment Bends' would finally see the light of day in April 2011, almost 4 years after the release of 'Places Like This'.
2014
AIH released the album "Now + 4EVA" on April 1, 2014. the most popular tracks from the album are "Dream a Little Crazy" (written by the band) and "When You Walk in the Room" (the Jackie DeShannon classic).
Tours:
The band have toured heavily throughout Australia, U.S.A., U.K. and Europe playing festivals such as Coachella, Sasquatch, Sound Relief, Big Day Out, SxSW, Primavera, GTM, Pukkelpop and Haldern.
Architecture in Helsinki have toured/played with - David Byrne, Dr Dog, Death Cab For Cutie, YACHT, The Go-Betweens, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Santigold, Glass Candy, The Presets, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Au Revoir Simone, Field Music, Lo Fi Fnk, Yo La Tengo, Polyphonic Spree and múm.
The band have be known to DJ regularly, supporting acts such as YACHT and Hot Chip, also throwing their own party called 'Eye Do' on New Year's Eve 2009 in Melbourne. They also curated a DJ stage at Laneway Festival in Australia in 2011.
Escapee
Architecture in Helsinki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On an unfamiliar building on the rooftop where we lay
Where all the constellations shine to pave the way
Temptation's not a word until we've let it go a stray
And I won't delete it
He won't delete it
Light bolts hover over you all day
I need to flick the switch and show you how to hide
And love is not the answer if you're taking me for a ride
This escapee was never gonna stay
On an island way too difficult to be stuck in a daze
And all the competition's overcome what may
Temptation's not a word until we've let it go a stray
And I won't delete it
He won't delete it
I'm escaping
You're escaping
The lyrics of "Escapee" by Architecture in Helsinki are full of imagery and metaphor, making it a song that's open to interpretation. On the surface, it seems to be about a relationship that isn't working out, with lines like "love is not the answer if you're taking me for a ride." However, there's also a sense of restlessness and the desire to escape from something, whether it's a place or a mindset. The idea of being an "escapee" implies that the person singing is breaking free from something, whether it's a bad relationship, a boring routine, or even just their own thoughts.
The repeated references to light and darkness suggest a struggle between good and bad, with the singer suggesting that sometimes darkness can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. The line "I need to flick the switch and show you how to hide" seems to suggest that the singer wants to protect someone from the darkness, but also wants to empower them to deal with it on their own.
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to break free from something that's holding you back, whether it's a person, a place, or your own fears and anxieties. The repeated refrain of "I'm escaping / You're escaping" suggests that everyone is fighting their own battles, and that ultimately, we're all trying to break free and find our own way in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
This escapee was never gonna stay
The singer was always meant to leave, never to stay in one place.
On an unfamiliar building on the rooftop where we lay
The singer is on a strange rooftop, not belonging there.
Where all the constellations shine to pave the way
The patterns of stars in the sky guide the escapee's journey.
Temptation's not a word until we've let it go a stray
Temptation only exists once we give in to it and lose control.
And I won't delete it
The artist refuses to erase something, indicating its importance.
He won't delete it
Another character in the song also refuses to delete something of significance.
Light bolts hover over you all day
Electricity flows all around, constantly lighting up the escapee's world.
Oh darkness can be difficult like needles in the hay
The darkness can be challenging and overwhelming, like finding needles in a haystack.
I need to flick the switch and show you how to hide
The artist must find a way to help someone hide or protect themselves in the difficult situation.
And love is not the answer if you're taking me for a ride
Love is not enough to sustain a relationship if the other person is not being honest.
On an island way too difficult to be stuck in a daze
Being on an island is overwhelming, making it hard to stay idle and lost in thought.
And all the competition's overcome what may
Others have conquered any obstacles, making the escapee feel left behind or inferior.
I'm escaping
The singer is in the process of breaking free and getting away.
You're escaping
Someone else is also trying to escape.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMERON BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yourshadow102
This got me in tears bro. I used to listen to this song so many times when my dad brought my first PSP
@prashantb4266
Still listening to this. FIFA nostalgia is gonna stay forever ❤
@reubensingh1430
FIFA 12 memories
@fifapants4life425
It's 2023 and I'm still bangin this to start my day
@JhosepAlejandro
...y sigue siendo lo máximo@@fifapants4life425
@carriecrackrock1221
That's so gay
@roel5505
i love you guys so much. your music accompanied me through overnight trains in ukraine, long bus rides in san francisco, sunset bike rides in manhattan, etc. thank you for this gift.
@user-jo5es3qx9f
😂🎉
@10thdoctor.
Brings back the memories
@cswhitefang4810
this song takes me to another world