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.
The Owls Go
Architecture in Helsinki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How 'bout the tree back your house where the owls go,
Or in between the attic and the basement somewhere where it's not dark,
Dark, dark, dark. Attic in a basement with a knife serrated I'll protect you.
Don't hide the pleasures you've found in your rolling around
Where all the leaves have been swept and the flowers grow.
And don't go finding a replacement I promise I'll show heart heart heart heart.
And you won't make a sound or be nervous around piles of pictures
So old that it feels like it is ending.
It's not too late now to change your mind.
The grass gets greener when you get to the finish line,
An attic in a basement, An attic in a basement, An attic in a basement,
An attic in a basement, An attic in a basement, An attic in a basement.
And you won't make a sound or be nervous around
Piles of pictures so old that it feels like it is ending, it shouldn't feel like it is ending.
The song "The Owls Go" by Architecture in Helsinki speaks about not hiding the treasures and pleasures that one has discovered. The first line of the song urges the listener to not keep the treasures they have found in a hole in the ground. The song goes on to suggest that one must keep their treasures and pleasures in a place where they are not hidden and are easily accessible, like the tree in one's backyard where the owls go or in the space that lies between the attic and the basement. The lyrics suggest that though these places may not be the brightest or the most open, they are still welcoming and warm. The song further talks about protection and the loyalty that comes with safeguarding one's treasures and pleasures. The lines "Attic in a basement with a knife serrated, I'll protect you" indicate that the person who knows where the treasures are kept is willing to protect them fiercely.
The song also talks about not finding a replacement for one's happiness and pleasures. It urges the listener to not give up on what they have found in search of something better. This line is emphasized in the lyrics "Finding a replacement with heart sedated, I'll forget you." The song further talks about old pictures and the nostalgia they bring with them. It suggests that even though the memories feel like they are ending and the pictures are old, it's never too late to change one's mind and embrace the present. The song's repetitive line of "An attic in a basement" alludes to the idea of housing treasures and pleasures in unassuming places that have no grandeur yet hold immense value.
Overall, the song encourages the listener to embrace and cherish their discoveries and not let the fear of losing them or the search for something better make them forget the value of what they already have.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't hide the treasures you've found in a hole in the ground,
Don't keep the good things you've found hidden away.
How 'bout the tree back your house where the owls go,
Consider finding a special place that's hidden away where no one else goes, like the tree where the owls live behind your house.
Or in between the attic and the basement somewhere where it's not dark,
Another good hidden spot could be in a place that's not too dark, like between the attic and the basement.
Dark, dark, dark. Attic in a basement with a knife serrated I'll protect you.
Even if you choose a dark spot like the attic in the basement, I'll still protect you with a sharp knife.
Don't hide the pleasures you've found in your rolling around
Don't keep the fun things you've discovered to yourself.
Where all the leaves have been swept and the flowers grow.
Share your happiness with others and enjoy a beautiful environment where flowers grow.
And don't go finding a replacement I promise I'll show heart heart heart heart.
Don't try to replace me, I promise to always care about you.
Finding a replacement with a heart sedated I'll forget you.
If I try to replace you with someone who doesn't care as much, I'll forget about you altogether.
And you won't make a sound or be nervous around piles of pictures
You won't feel uncomfortable or anxious around stacks of old photos.
So old that it feels like it is ending.
Even if the photos are really old and make you feel like things are coming to an end.
It's not too late now to change your mind.
You can still change your mind and choose to share your treasures and pleasures with others.
The grass gets greener when you get to the finish line,
Things will get better and more rewarding when you finally reach your goal.
An attic in a basement, An attic in a basement, An attic in a basement,
Repetition of the first lines hint that the theme is about hiding things in unlikely places.
And you won't make a sound or be nervous around
You don't need to be worried or hesitant about sharing your cherished possessions with others.
Piles of pictures so old that it feels like it is ending, it shouldn't feel like it is ending.
You should still feel hopeful and positive even when looking at old things that remind you of an end. Don't give up hope.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMERON BIRD, ISOBEL KNOWLES, JAMES CECIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind