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.
Wishbone
Architecture in Helsinki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the firing line of lovers
Who will never slow down
And I won't let you steer
Commandeer the atmosphere
Since you suggested running away
It's romantic
Hit the redial
Maybe we should sigh a while
Save our second wind for sentimental warm weather
Four forever, two together
We'll play dead, we'll play dead!
We'll play deadly
Should we make believe you remember me
From a holiday delayed by a storm?
Should we chance our arms alarms set to high noon
Until the shiver in the river is gone?
Hope, hoping you might whistle
Get all dizzy cause I found
The reason why you're around
If I locate the fear
Talk you through the tangles
Can you chase me till you my feet touch the ground?
And go dancing
Tambourine style
Walking in a single file
You whisper half thoughts to me
Should we make believe you remember me
From a holiday delayed by a storm?
Should we chance our arms alarms set to high noon
Until the shiver in the river is gone?
The lyrics of Architecture in Helsinki's 'Wishbone' describe the feeling of being trapped in a relationship, unable to break free from the cyclical patterns of love and desire, and the overwhelming fear of being alone. The singer is choking on a wishbone, a symbol of their unfulfilled desires, and finds themselves in the firing line of lovers who "will never slow down." They are conflicted about whether to stay or go, as their lover has suggested running away together, and the idea of being together isolates them romantically.
The song continues with the idea of playing dead, both figuratively and literally, suggesting that they are willing to let go of their desires and give up on love completely in order to escape from the emotional turmoil. However, the singer still holds onto the hope that their lover will reciprocate their feelings and be near them. The lyrics become more whimsical, describing a sort of dance between the two lovers as they hold onto each other and push each other away. The song ends on an uncertain note, with the singer wondering if they should risk everything to be with their lover, even if it means facing potential danger.
Overall, 'Wishbone' is a beautifully written song that captures the complexity of modern love and relationships. The lyrics are poetic and nostalgic, filled with imagery and metaphors that paint a vivid picture of the singer's emotions. The tempo of the song is upbeat and catchy, which contrasts with the melancholic lyrics and creates a sense of yearning and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Choke, choking on a wishbone
I am struggling with a decision that might determine my fate
In the firing line of lovers
I am caught in the middle of a love triangle
Who will never slow down
They are both very passionate and will not give up on pursuing me
And I won't let you steer
I will not allow someone else to control my life
Commandeer the atmosphere
Try to dominate the situation
Since you suggested running away
You are proposing a radical solution to our problem
It's romantic
Despite the danger, there is something alluring about this adventure
Hit the redial
Call again
Maybe we should sigh a while
Pause and take a deep breath
Save our second wind for sentimental warm weather
Conserve our energy for when we need it the most
Four forever, two together
We are a close-knit group of friends, and there are two people in particular who are in love
We'll play dead, we'll play dead!
We will pretend to be oblivious to their advances
We'll play deadly
We will scheme behind the scenes to outmaneuver our rivals
Should we make believe you remember me
Can we pretend that you still care about me?
From a holiday delayed by a storm?
From a memory that has been postponed or forgotten
Should we chance our arms alarms set to high noon
Do we dare to take a risk with consequences that could be disastrous?
Until the shiver in the river is gone?
Until the chaos and uncertainty dissipate?
Hope, hoping you might whistle
I am waiting for a sign from you
Get all dizzy cause I found
I am excited because I have discovered
The reason why you're around
The purpose behind your presence
If I locate the fear
If I can identify my anxiety
Talk you through the tangles
Help you navigate the complex situation
Can you chase me till you my feet touch the ground?
Can you pursue me relentlessly until I feel secure?
And go dancing
And celebrate our victory
Tambourine style
In a lively, rhythmic way
Walking in a single file
Staying close together to avoid detection
You whisper half thoughts to me
You confide fragments of your innermost feelings
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMERON BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pink sunrise
Love this song. I love her voice and the way she brings the words to life in a different way from the other singers of the group
andytallman101
i had no idea there was a clip for this track .. ended up being one of my favourites on the album so im quite happy about it
Dane Wood
The few seconds right at "hoping you might whistle..."... perfect.
Toño Rodríguez
Definitely my favorite AIH song, it just puts you in a very good mood!!! :) The video is soooo weird, but I like it!
enossified
this is probably my favorite music video ever!
Yolanda Nunez
Love it! Is a great song for a day as today! :)
Sam Rogers
I LOVE THIS SONG!! it must be like my favourite
jollyjetsetter
Swingy, jaunty, upbeat, unconventional, they were onto something here...!
Maureen Callahan
This is amazing.
ti22y
loving it