Influences of the band cover a wide genre of music; however some of their main influences include Radiohead, Joy Division, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, Sonic Youth, The Pixies, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, Galaxie 500, Movietone, Muse, The Cure and much more.
Formed in the summer of 2004, they found their current line-up early in 2005. Within recent months they have been writing and performing increasingly better and more forward thinking music, and the band has been going from strength to strength.
Throughout 2006 the band spent time gigging relentlessly at venues all over the Midlands area, and during that time provided the band with the chance to support Howling Bells twice, the 1990s and the Tiny Dancers and play at ‘Oxjam Festival’ in London.
The band have also been featured three times on BBC Hereford and Worcester’s ‘The Friday Session’, several times on online radio stations in the ‘Monochrome Museum Global Network’, and on MTV ‘Ones to Watch’ (which was shown repeatedly throughout April and May on MTV2).
In recent months the band have been recording their debut album ‘Complications’) with their humble and very portable home studio equipment; the band finally released the album on Friday 13th April.
Dead Letter Office are currently working on writing and recording their second album. This is due to be finished Autumn 2009.
Dead Letter Office Are:
Benjamin Hiorns (Benj) - Lead vocals/ guitarist
Jevon Davies - Bass/ Backing vocals
James Atkins - Guitar
Harry Bourne - Drums/Backing vocals
Ben Allen (Beef) - Keyboards
Unfortunately, after many years loyal service, Ben Foxall left the band. James Atkins stepped in to guitar duties.
In the late part of 2009 Dead Letter Office decided to disband.
Prisoner
Dead Letter Office Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the basement.
Scanning the ceiling for a blueprint.
I can't face the evening straight.
I'm not a martyr.
Red wine a sleeping pills keep me together.
Together with love,
I put on my dancing shoes.
A coat of primer.
Kneel before the bowl.
It's like a altar.
Counting the empty shells.
A baker's dozen.
Laid out before me like abandoned children.
Together with love
Forever, we're bound to each other
The lyrics to Dead Letter Office's song, "Prisoner," tell the story of a person who is struggling with alcoholism and addiction. The individual is drinking alone in their basement and looking upward for guidance, as if they are seeking a way out of their current situation. The use of red wine and sleeping pills is a coping mechanism to keep them together and help numb their pain. The individual's addiction manifests itself in different ways, including putting on their dancing shoes and kneeling before the bowl like it's an altar, a symbol that their addiction has become their religion. Counting the empty shells, a baker's dozen, and laying them out before them like abandoned children represent the emptiness and despair felt by the person. However, the individual remains bound to their addiction and seeks comfort in the thought of forever being with love.
The lyrics of "Prisoner" provide a glimpse into the darkness that can be associated with addiction. The song is a commentary on the destructive hold that addiction can have on individuals, and the painful cycle of struggle, temptation, and guilt that it can create. The lyricist paints a vivid picture of the individual's inner turmoil and the coping mechanisms they use to deal with it. The repetition of the lines "together with love" and "forever with love" suggest that the individual is aware of the consequences of their addiction, but remains trapped in its grip. The lyrics are thought-provoking and show a deep understanding of the complexities of addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Drinking alone again.
Sitting by myself, taking alcohol in isolation.
In the basement.
Being in the lower portion of the house, away from the outside world.
Scanning the ceiling for a blueprint.
Looking up intently with hope to understand how to proceed.
I can't face the evening straight.
I'm incapable of meeting the night time head-on without assistance.
I'm not a martyr.
I'm not someone who would willingly suffer for their beliefs.
Red wine a sleeping pills keep me together.
I remain sane and healthy through consuming pills and alcohol.
Together with love, Forever with love.
Always united with the power of affection.
I put on my dancing shoes.
I wear my shoes for dancing.
A coat of primer.
I wear a covering layer to prepare for future acts.
Kneel before the bowl.
I move down onto my knees before the container.
It's like a altar.
It resembles a sacred table.
Counting the empty shells.
I'm enumerating the lifeless objects that have lost their purpose.
A baker's dozen.
Thirteen things, typically of a similar kind.
Laid out before me like abandoned children.
They are aligned in front of me in a manner that resembles the forsaken offspring.
Together with love, Forever, we're bound to each other
Forever forged together with the bond that affection creates.
Contributed by Jonathan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.