A year ago, Pharrell's auspicious blessing was only a dream for D.A. Wallach and Maxwell Drummey, both 21-year old Harvard seniors at the time. But when their demo found its way to Kanye West last December, Chester French quickly became one of the most hotly pursued new artists of the decade, attracting offers from Kanye, Jermaine Dupri, Pharrell and Jimmy Iovine. That same demo has become the basis for what will surely be the most talked about debut record of 2008.
Tentatively titled Love the Future, the album was written, arranged, produced and engineered entirely by D.A. and Max in their dorm's basement. Full of intricately imagined pop songs that fuse lush string arrangements with modern beats, it is the product of lifetimes of music making and listening.
D.A. was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has been a performer for as long as he can remember. His interests have shifted over time from magic to politics, comedy and drumming -- and finally to singing, songwriting and producing. Max is the product of Boston, Massachusetts and a strong musical upbringing, beginning classical piano lessons at three, studying jazz guitar, jazz and classical composition through high school, picking up further instrumental skills, and finally settling on pop music in college. While D.A. sings lead vocals and Max scores and plays the majority of instruments for Chester French, they work collaboratively on every detail from the first note to the final mix.
The two first met in their freshman year dining hall at Harvard. Along with three friends they formed the first incarnation of Chester French and the quintet quickly cut its teeth playing shows around campus and at Boston bars. At the end of the year, they won a local battle of the bands and, with only two days and $300 to spend, cut a five song EP aptly titled Chester French's First Love.
When school let out, D.A. and Max stayed in Cambridge for the summer, selling copies of the EP on the street by day and writing new songs by night. In their free time, they became engineers at the on-campus recording studio and became fascinated by record production. As they began to master the intricacies of recording, their energies solidified around a common goal: to try to create a classic album in the studio.
As a duo, Chester French worked for three years on Love the Future, making money on the side by engineering recording sessions for Boston area instrumentalists, rappers, and other bands. Finally, in May of 2007, D.A. and Max completed their recording and their degrees, in African American Studies and Social Anthropology, respectively.
Now based out of L.A., Chester French is putting the finishing touches on its epic first offering. Get ready to Love the Future.
Beneath The Veil
Chester French Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've fooled around
No sense to lie
About where I'm bound
But once it's light
And you're home
There won't be no time to burn
Throw me away
Ten troubles deep
On Mother's Day
But once it's light
And you're home
There won't be no time to burn
The names and the fridge
Are gonna have to wait their turn
See I'm dressed
And I'm done
Yeah I'm coming for the sun
I've got to get some rest
And no,
Won't you cover my face
I'm looking pale
And it is time to go home
Beneath the veil
Mother feels so alone
Beneath the veil
She's so alone
You know I'm scared
Scared straight to hell
Just hear my voice
Know I'm not well
But once it's light
And you're home
There won't be no time to burn
The names and the fridge
Are gonna have to wait their turn
See I'm dressed
And I'm done
Yeah I'm coming for the sun
I've got to get some...
And no,
Won't you cover my face
I'm looking pale
And it is time to go home
Beneath the veil
Mother feels so alone
Beneath the veil
She's so alone
And no,
Won't you make me up nice
While I'm around
Before I get out of town
Beneath the ground
There is barely a sound
Beneath the ground
There's not a sound
Oh woah, oh woah
The lyrics of Chester French's song Beneath The Veil describe a feeling of fear, uncertainty, and introspection in the face of death. The singer acknowledges their mistakes and their impending fate, but still desires to live life to the fullest before their time runs out. The refrain of "once it's light and you're home, there won't be no time to burn" suggests a sense of urgency to make the most of one's life while one still can. The reference to Mother's Day also adds a layer of poignancy, implying that the singer has a mother who will be left behind to grieve.
The imagery of "beneath the veil" further emphasizes the theme of death and the idea that there is a hidden or obscured reality beyond our everyday lives. The repetition of "beneath the ground, there is barely a sound" in the final chorus underscores the finality of death and the idea that once we are gone, we are truly gone.
Overall, the song combines a sense of melancholy and sadness with a desire to seize the moment and make the most of one's time on earth.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've been fooled
I have been deceived in the past
And I've fooled around
I have engaged in frivolous activity
No sense to lie
It is pointless to be dishonest
About where I'm bound
I am unsure of my future plans
But once it's light
After the night is over
And you're home
When you are back in your residence
There won't be no time to burn
There will not be any more time to waste
Burn through the night
Engage in excessive partying late into the evening
Throw me away
Dismiss me as insignificant
Ten troubles deep
Delving deep into difficulty
On Mother's Day
During the annual celebration of mothers
The names and the fridge
Various things that are not a priority
Are gonna have to wait their turn
They will have to wait for attention
See I'm dressed
I am ready for the day
And I'm done
I have completed necessary tasks
Yeah I'm coming for the sun
I am motivated to succeed
I've got to get some rest
I need to sleep and recharge
Won't you cover my face
Please conceal my appearance
I'm looking pale
My complexion is unhealthy
And it is time to go home
It is time for me to leave
Beneath the veil
Behind a mysterious exterior
Mother feels so alone
My mother is experiencing loneliness
You know I'm scared
I am frightened
Scared straight to hell
Terrified beyond measure
Just hear my voice
Listen to what I have to say
Know I'm not well
I am not feeling healthy
Before I get out of town
Before I leave the area
Beneath the ground
Below the surface
There is barely a sound
It is quiet
There's not a sound
There is complete silence
Contributed by Aiden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
c s
wow. 10 years later. still a low key great song.
FanciDreama
Man I have this CD! These guys did make good music, so underrated.
Casual Cadaver
My favorite Chester French song. Brings back memories of playing silent hill homecoming.
quannifer
This an amazing song by them. One of my favs.
Isabell Duran
Oh God I Love Chester French.. i just wish more people knew about them :/
Melanie Trodella
adore it! this cd has been in my car for well over a year.
xwinette
This is it. Let your third album be more like the first one.
Rei_0ni
i kinda thought the same thing at first, but nonetheless this song is freaking awesome
Ongun Ersir
thank you sheila.
Rick
19!