The band, originally called Periwinkle, came together in the suburbs in 1997 when 15-year-olds Dave Rennick and Hugh Boyce were joined by Alex Moore and English-born Tim Derricourt. The line-up has occasionally expanded on stage to include keyboardists Mark Bradshaw and later Ned Cooke who is now a permanent member of the band.
The band played at various all ages shows and charity benefits until they reached legal age to play in the licensed venues which are the focus of Sydney's live rock scene. The band members moved to the inner suburbs of Sydney and after various name changes settled on Dappled Cities Fly, chosen because its inappropriateness as a band name made them laugh at the time although the band 'have regretted it ever since'. Their frequent live shows drew a regular following of fans and the band became popular supporting international acts touring eastern Australia.
The band also regularly headline their own shows, very often at the Hopetoun Hotel, with bills showcasing new local groups.
Dappled Cities Fly have enjoyed and helped foster the revival since 2000 of Sydney's live music scene and the opening of several new venues. The band have made several extensive tours of Australia and toured New Zealand in 2004. In 2006 the band performed in London and at various shows in the United States, including SXSW.
Dappled Cities Fly's several early single and EP releases were critically well received and played Australia-wide on various radio stations. Their first album, A Smile, after several years in the making, was released in late 2004 and featured as album of the week on radio stations FBi and Triple J, in most of the Sydney street press and in various other media. Sydney Morning Herald reviewer Bernard Zuel wrote of A Smile that it "weaves between lo-fi indie rock, oddly bent pop and a kind of big-emotion, big-gesture music that seems refracted through a vaguely hallucinogenic mirror".
Their second album Granddance was recorded at various studios in Los Angeles, California. The album's cover artwork is noteworthy in having the band's name as just "Dappled Cities", minus the word "Fly"; however as Tim Derricourt explained to The Drum Media magazine, this was done mainly for artistic reasons, and does not amount to a formal name change for the band.
The band recorded a cover version of "November Rain" with local Sydney band Red Riders, a song which the two bands played together when they toured in 2007. They have also dropped the "Fly" from their moniker, simply calling themselves "Dappled Cities", though the band remains elusive as to why they have truncated the name.
On February 27th, 2008, a bulletin was posted on the band's myspace announcing that Hugh Boyce had left the band to pursue a career in bio-mechanical engineering. In the following months, the band announced the arrival of their new drummer, Allan Kumpulainen.
Hold Your Back
Dappled Cities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This defeat, this is nature and its toll
Our delusion made the scene, previously a Saturn green
Where my sound held your back above the ground
Say you will enter growth
And will grow beyond the earth
With a smirk and upon a back held high
Hear the snap echo through the universe
We had some of the best times and so we are blessed
With spines so brittle they explode
Say you will enter growth
And will grow beyond the earth
As does the sink with the soapy water fill
Hold your back, hold your back
The lyrics of Dappled Cities's song Hold Your Back are an exploration of nature's toll and the inevitable defeat that it brings. The opening line "Hold your back with a grasp naked only to your eye" speaks of a physical and metaphorical grasp that is felt only by the individual. This grasp represents the fight against nature's pull, a struggle to hold oneself up against the weight of existence. The defeat that is mentioned in the subsequent lines relates to the acceptance of one's fate and the surrender to nature's will.
The verse "Our delusion made the scene, previously a Saturn green, where my sound held your back above the ground" portrays the human tendency to impose their own interpretation onto nature. The Saturn green refers to the planet Saturn, which is characterized by its distinctive green and yellow hues. The color green has been associated with growth and rejuvenation, but here it is presented as a mere delusion. The use of the word 'sound' here can be interpreted as a representation of human intervention in nature. Human sounds and music may be able to temporarily hold us up and help us move beyond the confines of our physicality, but eventually, all will return to the ground.
The chorus further reinforces the theme of growth and change, where the singer urges us to "enter growth" and "grow beyond the earth." The image of "sink with the soapy water fill" depicts the inevitability of change and how everything will eventually dissolve and disintegrate. The final line "Hold your back, hold your back" can be interpreted as a reminder to hold oneself up against the forces of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold your back with a grasp naked only to your eye
Hold yourself together with a grip that only you can see and feel
This defeat, this is nature and its toll
This feeling of loss and failure is a natural part of life's ups and downs
Our delusion made the scene, previously a Saturn green
Our own perception created a false reality, previously thought to be beautiful and perfect
Where my sound held your back above the ground
My music lifted you and provided support when you needed it the most
Say you will enter growth
Decide to move forward and develop yourself further
And will grow beyond the earth
Toward an achievement that transcends this current reality
With a smirk and upon a back held high
With confidence and a positive attitude, carry yourself proudly toward your goals
Hold your back with a glove tailor made to your curve
Protect yourself with a customized defense system that fits you perfectly
Hear the snap echo through the universe
Feel the intensity of your actions resonating throughout the world
We had some of the best times and so we are blessed
We have experienced great moments in life and should be thankful for them
With spines so brittle they explode
Our vulnerabilities are so fragile that they may break and cause us emotional pain
As does the sink with the soapy water fill
Just like a sink fills up with water and overflows, our emotions can overwhelm us if we try to suppress them
Hold your back, hold your back
Remind yourself to stay strong and resilient against life's challenges
Contributed by Benjamin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.