The would-be next album, "Dear Tommy" (2016), was scrapped, and was meant to be re-worked for a subsequent release, however the fate of album is unclear, as on August 10, 2021, Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker announced the breaking up of Chromatics. Later that day the label, Italians Do It Better, and Johnny Jewel's representative, also confirmed the breakup. Their last album is "Closer to Grey" (2019), which has a companion album, "Faded Now" (2020).
The band originally hailed from Seattle and formed in 2002 as a quartet featuring vocalist Adam Miller, drummer Hannah Blilie, guitarist Devin Welch, and bassist Michelle Nolan. That lineup debuted in 2002 with a Calvin Johnson-produced 7" on Gold Standard Laboratories -- a split with Die Monitr Batss -- and followed with the similarly GSL-issued Chrome Rats vs Basement Ruts LP.
While Chrome Rats was critically hailed, Chromatics couldn't keep it together, and Miller was soon the only member in good standing (Blilie, Welch, and Nolan went on to form the similar-sounding Shoplifting). Unworried, Miller added guitar and drum programming to his vocal duties and tapped bassist Nat Sahlstrom for the 2003 GSL 7" Ice Hatchets. That was followed by the February 2004 full-length Plaster Hounds (which featured the percussion work of Get Hustle's Ron Avila), and a repositioning of the Chromatics axis to greater reflect its dub and no wave influences.
This lineup too dissolved and Adam Miller relocated Chromatics to Portland, teaming up with Glass Candy's Johnny Jewel, Ruth Radelet on lead vocals, and Nat Walker on percussion and saxophone. The new lineup of Chromatics had a more lo-fi electronic sound as opposed to the earlier dub and no-wave sounds.
Kill for Love
Chromatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyone is slipping backwards
I drank the water and I felt alright
I took a pill almost every night
In my mind I was waiting for change
While the world just stayed the same
Everybody's got a secret to hide
Everyone is slipping backwards
I can't remember if I like what I said
I can't remember it went straight to my head
I kept a bottle by the foot of the bed
I put a pillow right on top of my head
But I killed for love
I killed for love
Killed for love
Everybody's got a secret to hide
Everyone is slipping backwards
You say you see it almost every time
A little number counting back to nine
I can't remember if I like what I said
I can't remember it went straight to my head
But I killed for love
I killed for love
Killed for love
The song "Kill for Love" by Chromatics is a haunting and introspective track that dives deep into the complexities of the human mind. The lyrics explore themes of addiction, inner turmoil, and the lengths people will go to for love. The opening verse presents a world full of secrets and people struggling to move forward, while a narrator reflects on their own personal struggles with drugs and waiting for change. The repetition of the lyric "Everybody's got a secret to hide/Everyone is slipping backwards" reinforces the sense of isolation and stagnation that permeates the song.
The chorus is where the title of the song comes into play. The singer reveals that they have killed for love, adding an unnerving layer to the already unsettling narrative. The lines "I can't remember if I like what I said/I can't remember it went straight to my head" hint at the singer's emotional instability and the effects of their drug use. The lyrics are both confessional and detached, as if the singer is reflecting on their past actions with a sense of detachment.
Overall, "Kill for Love" is a dark and moody track that delves into the darker aspects of the human psyche. The lyrics are open to interpretation and offer a glimpse into the mind of someone struggling with addiction and inner turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's got a secret to hide
People have aspects of their lives they don't want others to know
Everyone is slipping backwards
Everyone is losing progress
I drank the water and I felt alright
I found a cure for my problems and felt okay
I took a pill almost every night
I relied on drugs to feel better
In my mind I was waiting for change
I was hopeful for something better in my life
While the world just stayed the same
The world remained stagnant despite my desire for change
I can't remember if I like what I said
I regret what I said and can't determine if I really meant it
I can't remember it went straight to my head
I don't recall the effects of my actions
I kept a bottle by the foot of the bed
I had a constant supply of alcohol nearby
I put a pillow right on top of my head
I attempted to block out the world and my problems
But I killed for love
I committed violent acts out of love or passion
Killed for love
Repeating the idea of committing violence because of love or passion
You say you see it almost every time
Other people notice the dangerous behavior I engage in
A little number counting back to nine
A countdown to an unknown event or situation
Lyrics ยฉ Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Adam Miller, John Padgett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jahnny89
I can't explain the feeling while listening to this song... It's like a mixture of sadness and nostalgia but also happiness and contentment.
@user-uw2pe7ib2m
agreed
@jacobcarrillo3676
Yes. This song is happiness,sadness and nostalgia all in one. Its not one or the other. It can kind of be a motivating too in a sense. She doesnt forget that she killed for love. Shes not totally sad cause she knows what she did for lov even if it didnt work out there was no regret cause she did her part and thats a comfort.
@thelittleittybittypityshow6380
Janny Mikaelson right on the money Janny Mikaelson put better than perfect on that!
I concur and second that and if I couldnโt agree more, I agree way more than just that and beyond
The most Amazing comment, EVER!
@kys757
Exactly
@SentinelEx
Thatโs when you know this is a really good song.
@sylvestersnet
Chromatics fan. Italians do it better brought me here. New retro wave. Drive. Electric youth
@RixMorales
Rare and few are the songs like this that can do both euphoria and melancholy in one song
@ElusiveMasquerade
This is absolutely fantastic. It's the perfect soundtrack to driving down the PCH and looking out to the ocean during the evening golden hour with the top down.
@WeldGeorge80
they had a track for DRIVE movie