Khan graduated Brighton University, in music and visual arts, where her experimental multi-media / installation / animation / performance art's influences spanned tape loop / effects pioneer Steve Reich and installation / performance artist Susan Hiller. Afterwards, when working as a nursery school teacher, she began writing for her début. "Whenever I'm writing music it's a very visual place in my mind," she said, "It has a location full of characters and colours and landscapes, so those two things really complement each other, and they help the other one to blossom and support the other. They are like brother and sister." Bat for Lashes music has been likened to that of Björk (who herself attended Khan's early gigs), Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Annie Lennox, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.
"The Wizard" was primarily released on 7-inch from Khan's own She Bear label and subsequently Fur and Gold on Echo. In 2007, she was honoured with a ASCAP Vanguard Award and selected to open the prestigious ASCAP Presents… 2007, 14 Mar in Austin, TX, USA (an industry showcase, within SXSW 2007). Later, via a small Manimal Vinyl Fur and Gold pressing (May 2007), Bat for Lashes transferred to Parlophone. She appeared at Glastonbury 2007 (23 June).
In July 2007, Fur and Gold, Joe's Pub, NYC, on 1 May 2007 recordings and a Plaid remix, yielded EP What's A Girl To Do? (7 Jul 2007, EMI). Then on the 17th, the album's 2007 Mercury Prize nomination was announced - despite being a UK media favourite to win, it lost to Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future. 25 Jul 2007, at Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY was the fist gig of a three month North American tour, interrupted only by European festival appearances.
In 2008, Bat for Lashes was nominated for Brit Awards ('Best British Breakthrough Act' and 'Best British Female'), her distinctive What's a Girl to Do? video brought her to prominence and, starting with Malahide Castle, Dublin, IE, on 6 Jun 2008, she toured with Radiohead for a month, opening more than a dozen European shows. Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to the Cure (Oct 2008, Manimal Vinyl), included her cover of A Forest.
The lead single for her second album was "Daniel" and released in March. On 23 February, Khan revealed in an interview on radio station XFM that the cover for the single had been shot on Brighton beach, near her home. She also designed a limited edition cover for Fact Magazine which coincided with an interview she did for them. Bat for Lashes released her second album Two Suns in April 2009, which received comparisons to the work of Stevie Nicks, Dolores O'Riordan and Fleetwood Mac.
Bat for Lashes live backing during the Two Suns tours, as March 2009, included among others: Ben Christophers, Charlotte Hatherley and Sarah Jones (drums - of New Young Pony Club). She appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed an acoustic version of the single, "Daniel," and also covered "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. Her first appearance on US broadcast television was 1 May 2009 on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the song "Daniel". On May 15, 2009 she appeared on NPR (World Cafe) where she performed "Daniel", "Moon and Moon (piano only) and Prescilla".
On June 13, 2012 Bat for Lashes announced the title of her upcoming third studio album "The Haunted Man" to be released in October. The album was produced, as with Fur And Gold and Two Suns, by Faultline. While not performing as well in Europe as Two Suns, The Haunted Man was her highest charting album in the US to date, at #64. Singles "Laura", "All Your Gold", "A Wall", and "Lilies" followed.
Close Encounters
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
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He hovers high where the moon shines bright
I feel him come to me in the dead of night
And I go to the other side
And when he lovingly takes my hand
Pulls me close to a windswept land
I can't make anybody else understand
You know that I'll love you till the stars don't shine
You know that you'll always fill this heart of mine
And I could never forget with time
All our close encounters
All our close encounters
And on the other side, he's all around
He is a starry beam that lays me down
And we become a dream of time and sound
When I go to the other side
You know that I'll love you till the stars don't shine
You know that you'll always fill this heart of mine
And I could never forget with time
All our close encounters
All our close encounters
All our close encounters
The lyrics of Bat for Lashes's song Close Encounters tells a story about a lover who is not of this world. The singer sings about how her lover is a pale green light that hovers high where the moon shines bright. She only feels his presence in the dead of night and when he lovingly takes her hand, he pulls her close to a windswept land. The singer goes to the other side, an unknown realm, and she cannot explain it to anyone else. She later sings about how she will always love her lover till the stars don't shine and how all their close encounters are unforgettable.
The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in many different ways. The pale green light could represent an extraterrestrial being or an otherworldly presence. The other side could represent a different dimension or afterlife. The singer's love for her lover could represent the human desire to connect with the unknown.
The song's dreamy instrumentation adds to the otherworldly feel of the lyrics. The delicate piano chords and the ethereal synth sounds create an atmospheric sound that matches the mysteriousness of the lyrics. Natasha Khan, who performs under the name Bat for Lashes, has often been praised for her ability to create a haunting and atmospheric sound in her music.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say my lover is a pale green light
There are rumors that my lover is an otherworldly presence that appears as a pale green light
He hovers high where the moon shines bright
My lover can be found in the sky, near the bright light of the moon
I feel him come to me in the dead of night
I sense my lover's presence when it is dark and quiet
And I go to the other side
I travel to another dimension, beyond our physical world
And when he lovingly takes my hand
When my lover reaches out to me with affection, taking my hand in his
Pulls me close to a windswept land
He guides me to a place that is open and exposed to the elements
I can't make anybody else understand
I struggle to convey the depth of my experiences to others
How I go to the other side
It is difficult for others to comprehend how I am able to cross over to another world
You know that I'll love you till the stars don't shine
I will love my partner for eternity, even beyond the lifespan of the stars themselves
You know that you'll always fill this heart of mine
I am certain that my partner will always occupy a special place in my heart
And I could never forget with time
My memories of our experiences together will never fade, no matter how much time passes
All our close encounters
All of the times when I have crossed over to be with my lover in the other dimension
And on the other side, he's all around
In the other dimension, my lover's presence is all-encompassing
He is a starry beam that lays me down
My lover appears as a brilliant light that brings me comfort and peace
And we become a dream of time and sound
Together, we create a moment of beauty that seems to transcend the limits of time and space
All our close encounters
All of the times when I have crossed over to be with my lover in the other dimension
All our close encounters
All of the moments spent with my lover that are beyond the understanding of others
All our close encounters
All of the times when we have shared a connection that is difficult to describe in words
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATASHA KHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind