Mat Brooke and Jenn Champion formed Carissa's Wierd out of Seattle in 1995, and released three albums before their 2003 breakup. Their plaintive, melancholy, beautiful music won over many who were exposed to it. The band's lineup changed throughout the band's existence. Mainstays in the band included violinist Sarah Standard, drummer (and later bassist) Ben Bridwell, drummer Sera Cahoone, drummer Creighton Barrett, and keyboard/accordian player Jeff Hellis. Their final album, Songs About Leaving, was a modest success in the Northwest, topping many critics charts and leaving fans hungry for more. Sadly, the band decided to go their separate ways in September of 2003. Jenn is now performing under the name S and Brooke and Bridwell went on to create Band of Horses. Brooke has since moved on to become part of Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone has launched her solo career. As of April 2007, both Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone have been signed to Sub Pop Records. In March 2010, Hardly Art announced that it would release a compilation of Carissa's Wierd material, with songs picked by Brooke and Champion, followed by reissues of the group's first three full-length records. The band played a reunion show on July 9, 2010 to support the compilation.
On August 2, 2011, Hardly Art announced pre-orders for a new 7", called 'Tucson,' and would include two new songs, the band's first recordings in over seven years featuring the original lineup. The 7" would include the songs 'Tucson' and 'Meredith & Iris,' and on August 4, 2011, Meredith & Iris was put up for stream on soundcloud. It was also announced that the band would be playing another reunion show in Seattle on September 24, 2011.
The Piano Song
Carissa's Wierd Lyrics
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between the tree and it's shade.
When you go away, Heavens a distance not a place.
The Piano Song is a melancholic ballad from Carissa's Wierd that speaks of finding comfort in nature and detachment from earthly existence. The opening line, "You'll find relief somewhere between the tree and its shade," signifies a desire to seek solace from everyday troubles and escape the mundane. The imagery of a tree and its shade offers a serene and refreshing picture which the poet finds comfort in.
The second line, "When you go away, Heavens a distance not a place," is a beautifully crafted metaphor that portrays the idea of dying and the afterlife being a vast distance away. This line reflects the band's signature theme of death and its inevitability in everyday existence. The line is also an expression of the poet's mystical beliefs about the journey between life and the afterlife; it suggests the heaven is not a physical place but a distance between two realities.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll find relief somewhere
There is a source of comfort that exists, though its exact location is unknown and random.
between the tree and it's shade.
This source may be found in unexpected places, much like finding relief under a tree's shade.
When you go away, Heavens a distance not a place.
Upon leaving this world, one does not necessarily go to a certain physical location called 'Heaven,' but rather transcends into a form of existence that cannot be located spatially.
Contributed by Jordan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.