The melodic hard rock quartet is comprised of two sets of brothers — lead singer Taylor Perkins 21; guitarist Cole Perkins, 19; guitarist Dan Steinke, 19; and drummer Dustin Steinke, 20 — who met in 2003 at a local jam night in Lagoon City (pop. 3000). They went from playing Joe Walsh and Jimi Hendrix covers to writing originals, which they released on two independent CDs.
But the songs on their label debut, Small Town Dead, recorded at Henson Studios in Hollywood and Bob's home studio in Woodland Hills, California, shows a band whose musicianship and songwriting skills belie their years. Radio and arena ready, they include the riffy soulful title-track; confrontational opener "Easier Today;" heavier groove, "Sixteen Hours;" searing power ballad, "In Our Hands;" and sentimental stunner, "You Would've Liked It." "We've always been more into songwriting than anything else, even when we were 13," says Taylor. "When we're writing songs, we're always looking to say, 'That's cool,' and making the songs huge. We're all about trying to come up with rock 'n' roll songs that can still be melodic and heavy and touch people with the lyrics."
All 12 songs on Small Town Dead were penned by Bleeker Ridge, including four co-writes that started with the band, "In Our Hands;" "Pick Me Up;" and gentler "Still Standing" with Dave Bassett (Shinedown, Sevendust); and southern-styled kicker, "Sick of You," with Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman.
"Three years ago, we decided to write a song that we think we can hear on the radio," recalls Dan. "That song, 'In Our Hands,' took a shape that we'd never thought about doing before. We sent it to Dave and he was like, 'Holy shit.' We had like 16 different versions, but that was the song that changed the whole perspective of writing for us."
"Small Town Dead," is the album's first single and is a particularly personal lyric for Bleeker Ridge that resonates for anyone who grew up outside a big city. "From talking with friends and kids I meet, I find that being in a small town like mine, everyone has the same outlook — there's never anything to do," Taylor explains. "You can go watch a movie, then go break things [laughs]." ,,
There's also a song for all those kids who have finally left school behind and aren't looking forward to growing up and getting out in the real world. "Trust the words I am speaking / Don't let it bring you down / 'cause now we're falling forward / Everyone tells me that the party's over," Taylor sings in the inspirational anthem "From Now On." He also wrote some beautiful words in "You Would Have Liked It," lamenting the loss of a girlfriend, wife or loved one who is unable to share in life's defining moments, a theme quite advanced for a 21-year-old that can definitely tug at people twice his age.
With these new songwriting skills — something many people in the music industry were waiting for them to develop before they were willing to commit to the band — Bob Marlette was excited to work with them. He had first seen Bleeker Ridge six years ago at a showcase in Toronto, but felt they needed to mature. Later, by sheer coincidence, he was producing a band whose management mentioned the new act on its roster — Bleeker Ridge. He couldn't believe it.
"Bob's a legend," says Dan. "Everything I've ever grown up listening to this guy's had a part in doing. Just being around him makes you want to be a better musician." Now Bleeker Ridge is itching to get out on the road, the obvious next step for four guys who made the most of small town dead and curbed the boredom by playing in a rock band. "It's been five or six years of writing songs and it's all been leading up to this moment of getting on the bus and just going for it," says Dan. "That's what we live for – playing shows."
Brother
Bleeker Ridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You pretend that this is fair
But I've lost a friend
I watched you crash
You hated yourself
While the change I saved disappeared off my shelf
Just like that, you were gone
You were the only friend I needed, but you went away
Where did you go
Brother, you know where I'll be
Why did you go
You're not alone
There's always a way to come back home
I think mom's scared
I know she's not alright
She cries to sleep
I can hear every night
I can't help
Make her smile
You know how hard it is to hear mom cry
Well I do when she cries over you
Every day, I'll be waiting
Every day, I'll be praying
Praying for your call
Praying for us all
Praying for you all along
The song "Brother" by Bleeker Ridge is an emotional piece that explores the pain and confusion that comes with losing a friend to addiction. The opening line "Brother, I'm scared" encapsulates the fear and uncertainty that the singer is feeling as they grapple with the knowledge that their friend (or sibling) is struggling with addiction. The lyrics go on to describe how the friend in question seemed to be in denial about the seriousness of their situation, giving the impression that they believed their addiction to be fair or justified.
As the song progresses, we learn that the loss of this friend has had an impact on many of the people around them, including the singer's mother who is described as being frightened and unhappy. The lyrics suggest that the friend's addiction has had a ripple effect, causing pain and sadness for those who love them. Despite this, the singer remains optimistic, holding onto the hope that their friend will find a way to come back home and start the healing process.
Overall, "Brother" is a moving tribute to the pain of addiction and the power of friendship and family to overcome even the toughest challenges. The song's emotive lyrics and powerful vocals make it a standout track in Bleeker Ridge's discography, and a reminder of the importance of supporting those we love through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Brother, I'm scared
I'm terrified because of what's happening between us
You pretend that this is fair
You act like everything is alright, but I know it's not
But I've lost a friend
Our relationship is broken, and it feels like I lost a friend
I watched you crash
I saw you hit rock bottom
You hated yourself
You didn't love yourself, and it's hard to see
While the change I saved disappeared off my shelf
The progress you made vanished, and it makes me sad
Just like that, you were gone
You left so suddenly, and I didn't see it coming
You were the only friend I needed, but you went away
You were the only one who understood me, but you left
Where did you go
I don't know where you went, and it scares me
Brother, you know where I'll be
I'm always here, and you know that
Why did you go
I want to know why you left
You're not alone
You have people who care about you, even though it doesn't feel like it
There's always a way to come back home
You can always come back, and we'll be here for you
I think mom's scared
I'm worried about Mom because of everything that's happened
I know she's not alright
I can tell that she's struggling
She cries to sleep
Mom cries herself to sleep at night
I can hear every night
I listen to her cry, and it breaks my heart
I can't help
I feel powerless to do anything to make things better
Make her smile
I just want her to be happy again
You know how hard it is to hear mom cry
You understand the pain of hearing Mom cry like I do
Well I do when she cries over you
I feel her pain when she cries about you
Every day, I'll be waiting
I'll be here every day, hoping that you'll come back
Every day, I'll be praying
I'll be praying for you every day
Praying for your call
I hope you reach out to us soon
Praying for us all
I'm praying for all of us to heal from this
Praying for you all along
I've been praying for you this entire time
Writer(s): Daniel William Scott Steinke, Taylor Patrick Perkins, Dustin Dietmar Steinke, Cole Mitchell Perkins Copyright: Robot Of The Century Music
Contributed by Ellie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kirk Curthoys
WOW! what a powerful song.thank you LexxieA for all these lyrics you've provided for this album.
3beyondthesun3
The two parts where he sings "Everyday I'll be waiting, Everyday I'll be praying for your call, Praying for you all along" always gets me to the core, especially the last one...
Melissa Blank
I love this band they will go far.
Jen Wilson
k. lost my 18 yr old brother ten years ago. this one brings me to tears..
Devon Adams
no one sells this album around me :( so i cant find there cd im pissed !!!!
Mydev
Polska kocha Naruto :D
Jasmine Beaulieu
love them got to meet mike and dan :)
A
This song is about Uchiha brothers ; )