Brett Admire (Guitar)
Bryson Phillips (Vox)
Michael… Read Full Bio ↴Capital Lights
Brett Admire (Guitar)
Bryson Phillips (Vox)
Michael Paul Phillips(Drums)
Jonathan Williams(Guitars)
There comes a time in every band’s life when abandoning commercial expectations in favor of heartfelt musical expressions and relatable lyrics takes center stage. For the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based pop/rock foursome Capital Lights, that realization came remarkably early in its already impressive career, following a name change and stylistic shift from members’ days in locally acclaimed screamo act afterEIGHT.
“We had a couple people leave the other band’s line-up, I stepped up from bass to singing, rewrote our material and we changed styles completely,” says front man Bryson Phillips of Capital Lights’ debut disc This Is An Outrage. “The main thing we’ve learned personally is to really focus the writing on what you like rather than trying to be like all the other bands around. When we were doing the screamo thing, we were seeing other bands and trying to be just like them. But in Capital Lights, I started writing on an acoustic guitar without trying to plug into any particular formula, just being ourselves and playing 100 percent exactly what we wanted.”
By breaking down the walls of familiar formulas and shooting straight from each player’s personal artistic compasses, the results not only resonated with a steadily expanding audience, but yielded an intense bidding war from Nashville to Seattle (with just about every city in between). Linking up with manager Jason Fowler (Red, Pillar) and joining the roster of Third Coast Artist Agency brought about additional prominence, eventually resulting in a deal with Tooth & Nail (a long time dream for the band after youthful obsessions with MXPX).
“Before we got signed, we would constantly send out new songs to A&R reps at various labels and managers, so often that we got to know the FedEX lady by name,” he offers, laughing at the sentiment of always rushing to make the day’s last drop off deadline. “We were sending songs to Aaron Sprinkle and he always responded saying he liked what he heard, but to keep him updated on any new songs. About a year ago, we wrote ‘Worth As Much As A Counterfeit Dollar’ and he responded back saying how much he loved it. Six or seven labels stared sending interest our way as well, but Tooth & Nail wound up flying us to their offices for an acoustic set in front of the staff. Two weeks later, they sent us a contract and that was without even seeing us play an official live show!”
Outside of being drawn in by the band’s vibrant blend of Relient K and Jimmy Eat World, there was an underlying originality to Capital Light’s peppy surge of power chords and relevant writing subjects. Those ideas were soon fleshed out in a Seattle studio stationed within the illustrious Capitol Hill neighborhood (hence its slightly tweaked moniker) alongside producer extraordinaire Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, Anberlin, The Almost).
“Going into the studio was different than we expected, mostly because we’d never worked with a producer before,” admits Bryson. “We were expecting it to be a really stressful thing with him on top of us all the time, but we went in really prepared and he was seriously the most laid back and coolest guy. He made a lot of notes on our bridges and choruses and helped cut them down in length, but he was much more a friend who made it very comfortable to talk and hang out with.”
The resulting dozen tracks throughout This Is An Outrage range from pure bred alternative pop to assertive modern rock, wrapped around a topical plane that spans the palette of meaningful, whimsical and satirical. The scalding “Kick It Off” is sure to be a fierce concert classic and the aforementioned “Worth As Much As a Counterfeit Dollar” possesses one of the most contagious choruses in recent memory. “Night of Your Life Is When You Die” is an anthem for anyone who embraces the straight-edge scene, suggesting the party hearty mentality isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. The energy escalating “Return” is amongst the disc’s most inspirational, while the historically slanted “Frank Morris” provides a fictional account of the famed Alcatraz prison escape.
“We’re really big proponents of writing about the experiences we deal with on a day to day basis,” Bryson verifies of that varied songwriting swath. “My vocals are very fast paced in the way they present what we have to say and we’re hoping people take away something positive from this project because there’s already enough negativity out there.”
Thus far fans old and new alike have been flocking to the material, thanks to extensive touring, including headlining dates and time supporting Hawk Nelson and Run Kid Run. No matter with the format, Capital Lights’ fan base continues to expand like lightening, as evidenced by feverish MySpace activity, downloads and CD sales at shows.
“Even though we’re a brand new band on our debut album, we’ve had the chance to meet so many amazing new listeners all across America and we’re hoping the word keeps on spreading,” sums up Bryson. “We’ve always dreamt of going out on the road and we absolutely love it so far. From here on out, the goal is just to stay steady on the road, get these songs in front of people and hopefully continue to write songs that mean something to us and those who check them out. This is something we want to turn into a long term career for as long as we possibly can, and of course, we’re here to have fun and bring as many people as we can along for the ride.”
Capital Lights broke up in the summer of 2009. This is the message they posted on Myspace:
Hello everyone,
I just signed on the myspace for the first time in forever and I realized that it's been a long time since we have given our friends and fans an update on whats going on with Capital Lights. I know there are rumors, and a lot of people have come to us asking whether or not it's true that the band has broken up. The truth is that yes, with a whole lot of prayer, we have decided to call it quits. All of us in Capital Lights discussed and prayed about this for a few months before we mutually agreed on the decision. Although it's sad to see something that meant so much to us come to an end, it's with complete confidence when I say it's for the better. We all felt God had different plans for our lives, and it would have been impossible to pursue those plans while continuing with the band. I know that's the same thing you have heard time and time again with so many bands. I've always hated when bands break up because members feel themselves being pulled different directions... but the truth is, you never really understand it until your at that point yourself. Words can not stress how thankful we are for everyone who supported us over the past couple years. We loved playing music for all of you and thank God for providing us with that oppourtunity. Without our fans, we wouldn't have ever done anything more than just jammed in a garage somehwere. We had a blast touring the country for the past year and a half and feel lucky that we were able to meet so many new people. To everyone who ever bought a cd, shirt, sticker, or even dropped change into the tip box at our merch table, thank you so much... without realizing it, you were a blessing that helped get us from one town to the next. Maybe somehow we will see you all again one day. We also want to thank the Hill family, and everyone who ever gave us a home to sleep in. You all made us feel very welcome and ANYTHING beat the van!
It's crazy to reflect on the last year and a half and realize how much has happened. We signed with Tooth & Nail, recorded an album in Seattle, then toured the country. It was something we all wanted to do and once again, we appreciate you all for helping us live our dream. All of us in Capital Lights are back in school and as of last night, Brett is now engaged. So message him and tell him his life is over.
just kidding.
God Bless you all and thanks again!
-Bryson, Brett, Michael, Jonny, Jon, and Justin.
ps- As of right now our cd's are still being sold in Best Buy, Fye, Indies, Hastings, etc... so go and buy a copy if you havent already!!!
Return
Capital Lights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The bold red lettering has set the course
We live preceding birth pains
The earthquakes shake the hands that fight the wars
Like a stranger in the night
Showers falling from the sky
The rider left the gates wide open
Then Heaven hums a new song
The lights glow dim, oh, oh
A nation set on tombstone
The angels took us in, oh, oh
Be ready for deceivers
They claim, "I am the Christ" but have no heart
Let rest the unbelievers who deny having a role
But they play their part
Like a stranger in the night
Showers falling from the sky
The rider shows his face so glowing
Then Heaven hums a new song
The lights glow dim, oh, oh
A nation set on tombstone
The angels took us in, oh, oh
So this is it, it's how it comes to an end
Clean us out like the floods that rained in
You're the thief in the night but we stand
So this is it, it's how we comes to an end
We'll go, we'll go
On the hour that you left us unknown
We're standing firm
The trumpet sounds
Then Heaven hums a new song
The lights glow dim, oh, oh
A nation set on tombstone
The angels took us in, oh, oh
Then Heaven hums a new song
The lights glow dim, oh, oh
A nation set on tombstone
The angels took us in, oh, oh, oh
The lyrics to Capital Lights’ song “Return” seem to be alluding to the idea of the end of the world as prophesied in the Bible. The first verse mentions “the last days” and “preceding birth pains,” which are both phrases often used to describe the signs that will precede the end of the world. The “bold red lettering” could be referencing the idea of the Book of Revelation, which is described as a “vision in red” and contains many apocalyptic descriptions. The earthquakes mentioned could be seen as another sign of the end of the world, as earthquakes are mentioned multiple times in the Bible in connection with divine judgment.
The chorus seems to be describing the return of Jesus and the events that will occur when he comes back. The “rider” mentioned in the song is likely a reference to Jesus, who is sometimes depicted as a rider on a white horse in the Book of Revelation. The “new song” that Heaven hums could be seen as a representation of the joy that will be present when Jesus comes back to save his followers. The “lights glowing dim” and the “nation set on tombstone” could be referencing the darkness and destruction that will occur when Jesus returns to judge the world.
The final verse seems to be a call to action for believers, urging them to stand firm and be ready for the end of the world. The “thief in the night” mentioned in the song is another reference to the idea that the end of the world will come suddenly and unexpectedly, like a thief breaking in. Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the end of the world and the hope that believers have for a new life with Christ in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Awaiting on the last days
We're waiting for the end of the world.
The bold red lettering has set the course
The Bible tells us what's going to happen.
We live preceding birth pains
The world is going through a lot of turmoil right now.
The earthquakes shake the hands that fight the wars
Even those who make war will be affected by the disasters that come with the end of the world.
Like a stranger in the night
The end of the world will seem sudden and unexpected, like a stranger showing up in the middle of the night.
Showers falling from the sky
Natural disasters, like floods, will happen.
The rider left the gates wide open
Jesus is ready to come back to Earth, anytime.
Then Heaven hums a new song
When Jesus comes back, things will be very different.
The lights glow dim, oh, oh
The world as we know it will end, and things will be dark and uncertain.
A nation set on tombstone
People will die as a result of the disasters and the end of the world.
The angels took us in, oh, oh
Those who believe in Jesus will go to heaven when they die.
Be ready for deceivers
Some people will pretend to be Jesus, but they're not.
They claim, "I am the Christ" but have no heart
People who pretend to be Jesus won't really care about us.
Let rest the unbelievers who deny having a role
People who don't believe in Jesus won't have a part in what's to come.
But they play their part
Unbelievers will still be affected by the end of the world.
The rider shows his face so glowing
Jesus will come back in a spectacular way.
So this is it, it's how it comes to an end
This is how the world will end.
Clean us out like the floods that rained in
God will wash away the old world, like a flood.
You're the thief in the night but we stand
Even though the end of the world will seem sudden, believers will be ready for it.
We'll go, we'll go
When it's time to go, we'll go.
On the hour that you left us unknown
We don't know when the end of the world will happen.
We're standing firm
Believers will stand strong, even in the face of the end of the world.
The trumpet sounds
Jesus will come back with a trumpet blast.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: KEN HENSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind