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.
Today
Built to Spill Lyrics
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That everything bad that can happen to me would
Woke up screaming god I hope I'm not bleeding
Out my eyes or mouth when I die
I have seen a sheepish wonder
I see me three years ago today
No one's gonna push my buttons
But then it didn't seem quite as awful as it seemed
Can't believe I won't admit that I have seen a sheepish wonder
I see me three years ago today
No one's gonna push my buttons
No one's gonna have their way feel about the same but I'm 10 years older
Watched my cat die for a month now I have seen a sheepish wonder
I saw you earlier today
The lyrics to Built to Spill's song "Today" describe a sudden realization about the potential for bad things to happen in life, leading to a feeling of fear and helplessness. The singer dreams about the possibility of bleeding from the eyes or mouth at the time of death, which suggests the fear of a painful and unexpected end. However, the singer soon realizes that the situation is not as terrible as it first seemed, and there is a sense of relief in this. The lyrics also describe a sense of control over one's life, with the singer asserting that no one can push their buttons or have their way. The mention of a cat dying for a month adds a sense of sadness and melancholy to the overall theme.
Overall, the song explores the themes of fear, control, and the acceptance of the inevitable. The lyrics suggest that while it is important to acknowledge and face the fear of bad things happening, it is also important to recognize that situations are often not as bad as they may seem. The idea of not letting anyone push one's buttons and taking control of one's life is also emphasized, suggesting a desire for autonomy and independence.
Line by Line Meaning
The other night I dreamt about a sudden realization
I had a dream where I had an epiphany
That everything bad that can happen to me would
I realized that I could face any possible misfortunes
Woke up screaming god I hope I'm not bleeding
I woke up in fear of experiencing a fatal outcome
Out my eyes or mouth when I die
I feared a terrible death involving excessive bleeding
I have seen a sheepish wonder
I witnessed something remarkable that left me in awe
I see me three years ago today
I can envision myself from three years ago in the present moment
No one's gonna push my buttons
I will not allow anyone to provoke me
No one's gonna have their say a little while later I was trying to remember
Shortly after, I found myself struggling to recall something
But then it didn't seem quite as awful as it seemed
After some time, what appeared devastating did not feel as bad
Can't believe I won't admit that I have seen a sheepish wonder
I cannot deny what I witnessed and the mesmerizing effect it had on me
I see me three years ago today
Again, I can visualize my past self from three years ago in my current environment
No one's gonna push my buttons
I still stand by my decision to not allow others to provoke me
No one's gonna have their way feel about the same but I'm 10 years older
Despite everything, I remain the same but have aged a decade
Watched my cat die for a month now I have seen a sheepish wonder
I recently experienced the passing of my cat which made me realize the incredible beauty of life
I saw you earlier today
I saw you earlier today
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: DOUG MARTSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind