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.
Land's End
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I did not know my own name
So I drove down that old country road
And the spirits conjured something
Grey clouds over storms did roll
And I searched for you in the cyclone
For my love, I will bleed
And I drive till I set myself free
To land's end
Oh, oh
To land's end
Oh, oh
To land's end
Ask a soothsayer and old men wives
Where the witches burnt for all our lies
Past the motorways and city lights
That my soul be free and spirit fly
To land's end
Oh, oh
To land's end
Oh, oh
To land's end
To land's end
The lyrics of Bat for Lashes's "Land's End" depict a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The winter has come and the singer is lost in themselves, clueless about their name. They drive down a country road as spirits conjure something unknown. The atmosphere is eerie with grey clouds and storms hammering away. In the midst of the chaos, they search for a loved one in the cyclone, willing to bleed for it, eventually driving towards the land's end.
The singer seeks the guidance of soothsayers and old men wives, trying to find a direction, asking where the witches were burnt for all their lies. They venture forth past the motorways and city lights, wanting their soul to be free and their spirit to fly. The lyrics symbolize a quest for answers, something the singer hopes to find by going to the land's end.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the winter it came, my love
The singer experienced an emotionally cold and isolating time, and didn't recognize herself during this time.
And I did not know my own name
The singer couldn't find her identity during this time.
So I drove down that old country road
As a way to escape and find clarity, the singer went on a road trip.
And the spirits conjured something
The artist sensed some spiritual or supernatural presence around her.
Grey clouds over storms did roll
The artist may be describing a stormy weather, physically or metaphorically, in her life.
And I searched for you in the cyclone
The singer may be searching for someone or something in the chaos around her.
For my love, I will bleed
The singer is willing to go through whatever it takes to find or keep her love.
And I drive till I set myself free
The artist continues to travel and explore until she feels liberated or free.
To land's end
The artist is going to the extreme, longest or farthest point of land.
Oh, oh
A repetition used to create emphasis or rhythm.
To land's end
The singer repeats this phrase as a reminder of her journey.
Ask a soothsayer and old men wives
The artist wants to seek guidance from wise people or figures.
Where the witches burnt for all our lies
The singer may be referring to a historical event or seeking answers as to why some people were condemned.
Past the motorways and city lights
The singer may be looking to leave behind city life and urbanization behind to find more genuine experiences.
That my soul be free and spirit fly
The singer is seeking a spiritual awakening to feel unshackled from the weight of society.
To land's end
The artist repeats the journey's destination as a reminder of her intention.
Oh, oh
A repetition used to create emphasis or rhythm.
To land's end
The singer repeats the destination one last time.
To land's end
The singer closes by repeating the journey's ultimate destination.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATASHA KHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind