“Ghost” can be purchased on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ghost-single/id592314650?ls=1.
Darling Parade are now a Featured “Artist To Watch” @ iHeartradio in Alternative: http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/discover/index.html?format=173
Formed in early 2007 against the humble backdrop of fields and farmhouses, Darling Parade came to fruition after lead vocalist Kristin Kearns asked Nate McCoy and his previous group to play a local show in southern Illinois. She was only 15 at the time, but even then, had a way of captivating an audience. After adding drummer Casey Conrad via Craigslist and bassist Dustin McCoy , the group was complete.
The band released a self-titled EP, and in, 2010's What You Want. 2011 brought the release of the band's 3rd EP, Until We Say It’s Over, and landed the band the #8 spot on Billboard’s Next Big Sound chart. The first single “Never Wrong” received airplay on both MTVu and VH1. It also included, “Remember,” featuring guest vocals by Anberlin frontman, Stephen Christian. Riding on the success of Until We Say It’s Over in the spring of 2012, Darling Parade landed their first national tour with NBC’s “The Voice” winner Cassadee Pope (Hey Monday) and set out to make their mark across the country. The band quickly followed up with a national headlining tour, and then headed home to regroup.
Shortly after returning home, they knew it was time to do something they had not yet attempted—record a full-length album. Lacking the funds to embark on such an endeavor, the fans stepped up in a huge way, fully backing a Kickstarter effort to raise $16,000 to fund the recording of the new album.
Darling Parade went through several life-changing situations throughout the course of a few years, as bands do from time to time. The group, along with their long-time producer and friend, Jon King (Augustana, Throwing Gravity, 3 Pill Morning), retreated to a remote cabin in Western Ky., to clear their minds and make sense of the chaos. Out of that adversity, Battle Scars & Broken Hearts was born. Written entirely over a period of only a few weeks, it represents a snapshot in time of the band coming to terms with some of their weakest moments and finding the will to rise above them.
“The whole album has a common theme of overcoming struggle,” says Kearns. “It’s really about realizing that no one has control over your life but you, and moving past negativity.”
The next four months were spent working day in and day out in the studio. “We really took a different approach with this album, we took the time to explore every tone, and took a lot of chances” says McCoy.
The band made huge strides forward musically as well, melding all of their influences to create a sound that’s infectious, refreshing and all their own. In-your-face guitars and relentless drumming dominate the album, while Kristin’s thunder in a bottle voice can only be described as a beautifully controlled chaos.
Partnering with King’s Nashville based label, Page 2 Music, Battle Scars & Broken Hearts will be released world-wide April 2, 2013.
What You Want
Darling Parade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That everything around me in falling down.
I'm picking up the pieces and spreading them out,
To fill the emptiness,
To find a way to bring you back home,
Back home.
You give up what you want
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between.
I'm thinking about how you take my breath,
But I'm out.
And I don't know where this is leading
I must admit that I'm a mess tonight,
Aware of how it ends,
How it ends.
You give up what you want
Because you know what I need.
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between.
I'm caught in between.
Oooh,
And after all that we've been through,
There's nothing left to hold onto.
And after all that we've been through,
There's nothing left to prove.
You give up what you want
Because you know what I need.
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between.
You give up what you want
Because you know what I need.
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between,
What's left of me.
The chorus of Darling Parade's What You Want seems to be initiated by a sense of feeling inadequate, confused, and conflicted by the situation. The singer of the song is grateful for the love and dedication their partner has given up for them because they know the other person's needs. Yet, there remains a sense of guilt and self-awareness of the repercussions of their choices that haunt the singer. The singer is trying their best to piece their life together, but it seems like everything is spiraling out of control. The line "You give up what you want 'cause I'm still chasing dreams" is particularly poignant in its execution of the inner struggle the singer is facing. On one hand, they are aware of how much they owe their lover for sticking by them, but on the other hand, they are still eager to chase their own dreams and fulfill their needs. This push-pull of desires eventually leaves the singer "caught in between" the two.
The bridge takes a different tone than the previous verses, almost like the singer is reflecting on their past and how far they have come since those times. Despite everything they've been through together, there is nothing left to hold onto or prove. It is a defeated and lonely note in the song, signaling perhaps a sense of regret or disillusionment the singer may feel.
Line by Line Meaning
I figured it out,
That everything around me in falling down.
I'm picking up the pieces and spreading them out,
To fill the emptiness,
To find a way to bring you back home,
Back home.
I went through a hard time and I realized that everything was falling apart. I decided to gather the pieces and try to fill the emptiness by finding a way to bring you back home.
You give up what you want
Because you know what I need.
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between.
You sacrifice your desires for me because you know what I need, and you hold onto the pieces of me that are left. But this puts me in the middle, torn between chasing my dreams and being with you.
I'm thinking about how you take my breath,
But I'm out.
And I don't know where this is leading
I must admit that I'm a mess tonight,
Aware of how it ends,
How it ends.
You take my breath away, but I'm feeling empty. I don't know where our relationship is headed, and I'm a mess tonight knowing how it will end.
Oooh,
And after all that we've been through,
There's nothing left to hold onto.
And after all that we've been through,
There's nothing left to prove.
After everything we've gone through, there's nothing left to hold onto or prove to each other. The relationship has run its course.
You give up what you want
Because you know what I need.
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between.
You give up what you want
Because you know what I need.
You keep holding on to what's left of me.
You give up what you want,
'Cause I'm still chasing dreams.
You give up what you want,
And I'm caught in between,
What's left of me.
You selflessly give up your wants for me, but this puts me in a difficult position. I'm still chasing my dreams and maintaining my individuality, but I feel stuck in the middle - not quite able to give up everything for you, but not wanting to lose you either.
Contributed by Declan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
A Cyr
I love this band!
A Cyr
PLEASE COME OUT WITH SOMETHING NEW!!! I STILL LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC IN MY HEADPHONES WHEN I WORK OUT!! YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND GREAT STYLE! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE NOT MORE POPULAR!