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.
Tiny Paintings
Architecture in Helsinki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Occasionally we stop and stare past tiny paintings painted where,
aLl the clouds were wrong.
With killer stares and sideways frowns,
in keeping with, the universe all upside down, twice.
And broken legs and arms in slings, you cry
Secretly, but won't wear my diamond ring why?
choose the chapter where they start fights.
And millionaires have bought this town and changed everything.
I found you in the lost and found, white. white white!
The opening lyrics of Architecture in Helsinki’s “Tiny Paintings” could lend themselves to a host of different interpretations, but one possible explanation is that they refer to the disorienting experience of city living. The neon lights that flicker and flash through the streets can feel overwhelming, and sometimes in the midst of all the chaos, the tiniest details can capture our attention. The “tiny paintings” that are referred to here could represent those fleeting moments of beauty that can be found in the midst of an otherwise overwhelming urban landscape.
The second verse changes direction, introducing a series of more concrete images of physical struggle and pain. The “killer stares and sideways frowns” suggest a sense of sourness or hostility, which is reinforced by the mention of “broken legs and arms in slings”. This line, in particular, suggests a sense of vulnerability, as does the fact that the person crying “secretly” in the following line. The song moves into even more abstract territory with the mention of “a billion cares” and “a thousand stings”, but the overall sense is one of emotional overload. The line “choose the chapter where they start fights” seems to suggest a desire to escape from reality, to lose oneself in fiction and drama rather than in the stresses and anxieties of everyday life.
In the final lines of the song, the lyrics shift back toward specificity with the reference to millionaires who have “bought this town and changed everything”. The singer appears to have found someone, represented by the line “I found you in the lost and found”, which could suggest a sense of serendipity or chance. The final word, “white”, is repeated three times, adding a sense of finality or completeness to the song. Overall, the song suggests the difficulties of navigating contemporary urban life, with its overwhelming sensations and constant pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight the neon answers flare.
Tonight, the bright neon signs catch our attention and distract us from our surroundings.
Occasionally we stop and stare past tiny paintings painted where,
Once in a while, we pause to admire small works of art that have been hung in unexpected places.
aLl the clouds were wrong.
The sky is obscured by cloudy weather and doesn't look like it should.
With killer stares and sideways frowns,
People around us look angry and frustrated, with their body language reflecting such negative emotions.
in keeping with, the universe all upside down, twice.
Everyone's disturbed state of mind seems in line with a world that's completely disorienting.
And broken legs and arms in slings, you cry
Despite some people clearly suffering from injuries, one person in particular is emotional and upset.
Secretly, but won't wear my diamond ring why?
Someone is keeping a secret, while also refusing to publicly commit to a relationship through an engagement ring.
A billion cares, a thousand stings you cry secretly.
The person who's visibly upset seems to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and trying to hide their emotional turmoil.
choose the chapter where they start fights.
There's a sense of aggression or conflict in the air, with someone suggesting others decide when a conflict began.
And millionaires have bought this town and changed everything.
We're witnessing the impact of the wealthy taking over a community and transforming it into something unrecognizable.
I found you in the lost and found, white. white white!
The singer encountered someone who was seemingly lost and alone, and was struck by how pale they looked.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMERON BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind