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.
The Price
Dappled Cities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And toes were gold
We'd have somebody new
But ears stick out
And eyes remain
'cos everyone's the same
They're beautiful
The heroes of the world we've left
Have never been the same
They long to us
And to our quest
And see themselves remain
They're beautiful
In one and all
And something should be holding us back
Something should be weighing us down
Somehow we're the casters of kin and bone
By now, we could be standing our ground
They'll take your eyes away
They'll take take take your eyes away
(All as one)
The price we pay to look the other way
When I'm right here beside you
The eyes are bone
The toes of gold
The shape of something new
But here, we're near
The eyes of age
And everyone's the same
They're beautiful
In one and all
And something should be holding us back
Something should be weighing us down
Somehow we're the casters of kin and bone
By now, we could be standing our ground
They'll take your eyes away
They'll take take take your eyes away
(All as one)
The price we pay to look the other way
When I'm right here beside you
Something should be holding us back
Something should be holding us back
Something should be holding us back
Something should be holding us back
The lyrics to Dappled Cities's song "The Price" seems to be a reflection of the society we live in today. The song speaks about how we are all different in our own way, but at the same time, we are all the same. This is demonstrated by the lyrics "If eyes were bone and toes were gold, we'd have somebody new, but ears stick out and eyes remain 'cos everyone's the same." The song highlights the idea that we are all beautiful in our unique ways and celebrates our individuality.
The song also talks about the heroes of the world we've left and how they are not how they used to be. The lyrics "The heroes of the world we've left have never been the same, they long to us and to our quest and see themselves remain" suggest that the world has changed and so have the people in it. The song reminds us that something should be holding us back and weighing us down, and that somehow, we are the casters of kin and bone, and we could be standing our ground by now. The lyrics "The price we pay to look the other way" convey the message that we are not doing enough to make a change and that we are paying a price for our inaction.
Overall, "The Price" is a song that reflects on society and the changes that have occurred over time. It urges us to take action and stand up for what we believe in while also celebrating our individuality and unique qualities.
Line by Line Meaning
If eyes were bone
If what we see defines us
And toes were gold
If wealth and material possessions define us
We'd have somebody new
We would strive for a new identity
But ears stick out
Our physical differences are what make us unique
And eyes remain
Our ability to see and perceive things remains constant
'cos everyone's the same
Because we're all human beings with similar needs and desires
They're beautiful
Our individual differences are what make us beautiful
In one and all
We are all beautiful in our own way
The heroes of the world we've left
The people who have made a positive impact on the world before us
Have never been the same
They were unique and made a lasting impression
They long to us
They inspire us to do better
And to our quest
They motivate us to strive for a better future
And see themselves remain
Their legacy lives on through us
And something should be holding us back
There should be some resistance to our desire for change
Something should be weighing us down
We should be facing obstacles in our quest for improvement
Somehow we're the casters of kin and bone
We are the determiners of our own fate
By now, we could be standing our ground
We should have made more progress in our pursuit of betterment
They'll take your eyes away
Society will try to blind us from what's important
The price we pay to look the other way
Ignoring the need for change has consequences
When I'm right here beside you
We have the power to work together to affect change
The eyes are bone
Our ability to see and perceive things is what truly defines us
The toes of gold
Material wealth and possessions are not what matter
The shape of something new
We have the ability to change and shape our future
But here, we're near
Despite our differences, we are all in this together
The eyes of age
As time passes, our perspective and understanding deepen
Something should be holding us back
There should be resistance to change and improvement
Something should be holding us back
We should be facing obstacles and challenges in our pursuit of betterment
Something should be holding us back
We can't expect progress without effort and struggle
Something should be holding us back
Change and betterment are never easy
Contributed by Jackson E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@samtaylor6385
I saw you guys at live at The Zoo in 2008 in Brisbane Australia. I asked my wife out to this song that night. Listening to this in 2018 married to the woman of my dreams - thank you!
@christophertolentino8821
Anyone here 2019? I miss the late 2000s ahh time goes by to fast
@jayluvonde9551
Great music from that era. The Killers, The Strokes, The White Stripes, capital Cities LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire....
@18DZ
I just discovered these guys last year, and although I may be 13 years late, I’m so glad I came
@yvetteclaire
My friend saw them at the Metro she loves them. Then I saw this live video of this song and couldn't hear it but it sounded like this with bad audio. But even though I shouldn't really be listening to what isn't mine, I just needed to hear it. This song is just like sunshine though! "The price we pay to look the other way, but I'm right here beside you!" That line is just pure golden sunshine, I actually feel happy now =)
@UmberFilms
2:37 Oh my... Beautiful...
@kyledouglas1018
These boys, at Prince, so long ago... so amazing such a memorable night
@eddiemcgregory
Hells yeah! Another great song by another great band signed to my favorite indie label!
@shanenaughton6117
Best album of all time !
@eddiemcgregory
damn good song