Former Treepeople frontman Doug Martsch formed Built to Spill in 1992 with Brett Netson and Ralf Youtz as the band's original members. In an interview with Spin magazine, Martsch stated that he intended to change the band's lineup for every album, with Martsch being the only permanent member. After the band's first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993), the lineup changing idea held true, as both Netson and Youtz were replaced by Brett Nelson (not Netson) and Andy Capps for 1994's There's Nothing Wrong With Love. A compilation album called The Normal Years, consisting of recordings by both the first and second trios, was released in 1996. Between recording albums in 1995, the band gained notoriety by playing on the Lollapalooza tour.
Martsch signed Built To Spill to the Warner Brothers label in 1995. Unlike many artists signed to major labels, however, the deal the band brokered with Warner allowed it to retain a large degree of creative control over future albums. Built to Spill produced its first major label release in 1997 with Perfect From Now On. By this time, the band consisted of Martsch, Nelson, Netson, and Scott Plouf. Perfect From Now On met with critical success and caused Built To Spill to become one of the United States' most recognizable indie rock bands. Before releasing another album, Martsch made Nelson and Plouf permanent members of the band. In 1999, the band released Keep It Like a Secret to continued critical success, and for the first time, significant commercial success. In response to fan requests, the Live album was released in 2000. The band's fifth studio album, Ancient Melodies of the Future, was released in 2001. Martsch also released Now You Know, a solo album with both blues and folk elements, in 2002. After 2002, Warner Bros. records signed the band to another album.
Built To Spill did not tour as a band in 2002 although Doug Martsch performed numerous solo concerts in support of his solo album. From 2003 to 2005, Built To Spill toured extensively with over 150 live performances, playing new songs live as early as 2004. In 2004, the band confirmed rumors that they had recorded another studio album in Portland, OR, titled You In Reverse. The album was not released in 2005 due to difficulties associated with the use of a new recording facility, inefficiencies associated with self-producing the album and time constraints. You In Reverse, the first studio album in five years, was released on April 11, 2006. The band's official lineup for the album featured Martsch, Nelson, Plouf, and Jim Roth, who was formerly a touring guitarist only. Former band member Brett Netson provided guitar work on several songs, Quasi's Sam Coomes provided keyboard work and Steve Lobdell, the owner of the Portland studio, plays on almost every song for the album including guitar, piano, vibes and percussion. Netson rejoined Built To Spill as an official member in 2006 after touring with the band in 2005.
The band announced an April/May 2006 tour in February 2006 in support of the new album. In late March 2006, however, frontman Doug Martsch suffered a detached retina that required surgery, causing the band to cancel its appearance at the South by Southwest music festival and postpone several of their tour dates. The band rescheduled the April and May tour dates in the fall, but most June dates on the West were not postponed. At their June 3, 2006 show, their first of the 2006 tour, Built to Spill played four unreleased songs that were not included on You In Reverse. This show also included the dedication of the song "Car" to former band member Andy Capps who had passed away a few weeks earlier that would continue throughout the tour.
In July 2007, Built To Spill released a new 12" vinyl single with two reggae-esque tracks, "They Got Away" and "Re-Arrange". According to Doug Martsch, BTS is not becoming a reggae band, they just "love to play it".
In 2009 Nelson replayed and recorded one song off of each full length Built To Spill album in ""New Wave circa 1982" style with analogue synthesizers and a drum machine having Martsch resing all of the songs and released it July 2010 through CDBABY,Itunes and Junketboy as The Electronic Anthology Project.Nelson's son (Nicholas) did the art/layout with the titles reworked as anagrams by his wife (Stephanie) he plans on future projects under the same moniker redoing other bands music.
Doug Martsch and original BTS drummer Ralf Youtz are also founding members of the much-loved, but short-lived, band the Halo Benders, with Calvin Johnson.
Youtz and Martsch are also brothers-in-law. (Martsch is married to Youtz's sister).
Ralf Youtz was leader of the Portland, Oregon band Ape Shape. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Mathematics.
Bret Netson is leader of the influential art/metal Boise band Caustic Resin, which put out a split 10" with BTS in 1995. That album has two different cover photos because a found photo was used without permission for the original version, but the photographer later found out and objected.
Time Trap
Built to Spill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What you think you own
The place that you call home
The ideas in your bones
In your bones
This would still feel dumb
Back where you're from
Do you want to change your mind?
Do you want to change your mind?
'Cause you could never know that
In a time trap
In a time trap
Guess that's all fair
Now because
Guess that's all there
Ever was
Grey and sprawling
Save your crawling
'Cause you could never know that
In a time trap
In a time trap
Do you want to save your life?
Do you want to save your life?
'Cause you could never know that
In a time trap
In a time trap
The lyrics in Built to Spill's song Time Trap present a contemplative take on the idea of ownership and control over one's life and surroundings. The lines "It's barely yours on loan, what you think you own, the place that you call home, the ideas in your bones" point to the transience and fragility of the things we take for granted. Despite our illusions of power and permanence, everything we have is ultimately borrowed and subject to change. The repetition of the phrase "in your bones" emphasizes the deeply ingrained nature of our beliefs and assumptions about the world.
The chorus - "Do you want to change your mind? / 'Cause you could never know that / In a time trap" - adds a sense of urgency to this philosophical reflection. The idea of a "time trap" refers to the way in which our perceptions of time and reality can become distorted or limited by our experiences and routines. If we don't actively challenge our assumptions and seek new perspectives, we risk being trapped in a narrow view of the world. The lyrics suggest that the desire to change one's mind and break free from this trap is a crucial step towards truly understanding and appreciating the complexity of existence.
Overall, the lyrics of Time Trap encourage listeners to question their assumptions and embrace uncertainty, recognizing that the only constant in life is change.
Line by Line Meaning
It's barely yours on loan
The things that you think you own, like your home and ideas, are only temporary possessions that don't truly belong to you.
What you think you own
Your perception of ownership is flawed because the things you believe to be yours are only temporary.
The place that you call home
Your home is a fleeting possession that is only yours for a limited time.
The ideas in your bones
Your beliefs and internalized thoughts are subject to change and not necessarily accurate or permanent.
In your bones
Your beliefs and internalized thoughts are deeply ingrained and difficult to change, even if they are temporary.
This would still feel dumb
Returning to your past would feel foolish and unfulfilling.
Back where you're from
Going back to your hometown or previous life would be unsatisfying and unenlightening.
Do you
Are you
Do you want to change your mind?
Are you willing to reconsider your beliefs and assumptions?
Cause you could never know that
Because the true nature of reality is unpredictable and uncertain,
In a time trap
In a world where the past, present, and future are interconnected and overlapping.
Guess that's all fair
Accepting the inevitability of change and uncertainty is reasonable and sensible.
Now because
In the present moment, because
Guess that's all there
Acknowledging the reality of constant change and fluctuation.
Ever was
Has always been the case.
Grey and sprawling
The world is vast, uncertain, and difficult to navigate.
Save your crawling
Don't waste your time on trivial things, focus on what's truly valuable.
Do you want to save your life?
Are you willing to take action to create a meaningful life for yourself?
Cause you could never know that
Because the true nature of reality is unpredictable and uncertain,
In a time trap
In a world where the past, present, and future are interconnected and overlapping.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DOUG MARTSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind