Deaf Havana was formed when the original members met at the King's Lynn campus of The College of West Anglia. The band's roots can, however, be traced back much further with Ryan Mellor, James Veck-Gilodi and Lee Wilson all attending Smithdon High School and playing together in various local scene bands. At college, these members were joined by Tom Ogden and Sebastian Spitz. This early lineup saw Veck-Gilodi singing and Mellor taking guitar and vocal duties. The name "Deaf Havana" came from former guitarist Sebastian Spitz, however the name itself has no literal meaning. The band wrote songs and a demo, White Lines But No Camera, was recorded in August 2006 at The Lodge, Northampton. The band toured this lineup until Chris Pennells replaced Spitz. Pennells was formerly a member of the band Something About Dave. Around the same time, Mellor handed over guitar parts to Veck-Gilodi, and took on the lead role.
In late 2006, the band began writing songs for their debut EP, entitled Evangeline. Two songs were roughly recorded, titled "The Smiles Were Forced" and "Where It Begins", which were uploaded onto the band's Myspace page. The EP was soon recorded, with "The Smiles Were Forced" being dropped from the EP's track listing. "Tell Me More Georgie Boy" is the only song from any previous release to make it onto Meet Me Halfway, at Least, and is now called "Another Day in This House".
Beginning in October 2007, the band began work on new songs, which eventually were released on It's Called the Easy Life. On 21 June 2008, the band announced signing a deal consisting of one EP and two albums with Wolf at Your Door Records owner Kevin 'Wolfie' Horak, as well as the recording date for said debut EP, now titled It's Called the Easy Life. The EP was eventually recorded by Jonny Renshaw from Devil Sold His Soul and was mixed by Matt O'Grady (You Me at Six, Architects) and released in October 2008. The EP received strong reviews from various musical publications, following which the band begin to receive some recognition.
On 25 May 2009, the band entered the studio to record their debut studio album, Meet Me Halfway, at Least, with producer Matt O'Grady. The album was released for pre-order from Wolf at Your Door Records on 7 September 2009, and was released on iTunes and shops on 5 October 2009. Two singles have been taken from this album. "Friends Like These" was released, with B-side "Hey Baby, This Is Our Song", on 17 August 2009, for digital download. A video was also released for this single. Their second single, "Nicotine and Alcohol Saved My Life" was released on 15 March 2010, also via digital download. The single contains a remix of "Friends Like These" by Essex band Kenai. Its music video was first shown on music channels and online from 22 February 2010.
In 2010, just prior to the mini tour with All Forgotten, the band announced that Mellor would not be embarking on these tours, due to personal circumstances, with Max d'Albiac from Brides replacing him. Mellor left the band on 10 May 2010, due to the same personal problems that caused him to pull out of 2010 tours. Deaf Havana decided to continue as a four piece and a replacement for Mellor was not sought.
The band began the follow-up to 2009's Meet Me Halfway, at Least in early 2010. They released a new demo track on Myspace and Facebook, entitled "My Life Is Average". On 13 August 2010, the band released a new demo track through their Facebook page entitled "Home Sweet Home".
On 20 May 2011, the band released the first song, called "The World or Nothing", from their untitled second album. The song was not released as a single, but the song is accompanied by a video made from footage taken at Hit The Deck Festival, directed by Jon Stone. The first single from the album was confirmed to be "I'm A Bore, Mostly" on 30 August 2011. It was played on BBC Radio 1 by Zane Lowe and the following week by Sara Cox. The title of the album, Fools and Worthless Liars was made public on 23 September 2011. Deaf Havana also released a music video for the single on 11 October 2011, which accumulated over 20,000 plays on the day of release. They then supported fellow British rockers You Me at Six on tour that month. Fools and Worthless Liars was released on 7 November 2011, coinciding with London Barfly and Norwich Arts Centre release gigs. The album peaked at number 1 on the UK Rock Album Chart.
The band re-recorded an alternative version of Fools and Worthless Liars which was released on 22 October 2012. The Fools and Worthless Liars Deluxe Edition album reached number 51 in the UK Albums Chart (reaching number 28 mid-week). Lead singer, James-Veck Gilodi, expressed his views about his personal influences in the Fools and Worthless Liars Deluxe Documentary saying that he "wanted to do something that was more musical interesting" and record something that was "truer" to the bands actual influences. After playing the St Pancras Station Festival, from which the band thought "went well" and was "thoroughly enjoyable", the band set about re-recording each song on Fools and Worthless Liars hoping to show off their musicianship that may not have come across on the album by using different instruments, sounds and genres.
In October 2012, Deaf Havana began composing new material to be featured on their third album. On 25 January 2013, the band announced that the writing process was complete and that they would enter the studio a week later. It was rumoured, during the highly successful An Evening With Deaf Havana - Unplugged that the new, yet currently unnamed, album would be released "around September". However, no precise date was set or confirmed at this point. It was later revealed in 2012 that the new album would be entitled Old Souls and was to be produced by Lee Batiuk. It was announced to be released on 16 September 2013. Moreover, the band created a feature-length documentary, entitled English Hearts, which was released as a CD/DVD combination on the deluxe version of Old Souls. The feature documented the history of the band, in their own words, and was directed by Jon Stone, a director who had previously filmed the band performing " The World or Nothing" at Hit the Deck Festival.
The band received several high-profile radio plays in the lead up to the album release whilst the band also aired several previews through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The song "Boston Square" was premiered by Radio One DJ Zane Lowe as his Hottest Record in the World on 14 May 2013. This release which was accompanied with an interview with James Veck-Gilodi. The band coincidentally announced their first partnership with YouTube music video service Vevo, and released the corresponding video for "Boston Square". The band followed up the positive feedback by releasing the track "Speeding Cars" on 18 July 2013, and track which also received positive feedback. On 1 August 2013, the band released another track, entitled "Kings Road Ghosts", despite the band acknowledging "they might get into trouble" for releasing the track early. On 8 August 2013, the band were again invited Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show to premiere their new single "Mildred (Lost a Friend)" as the Hottest Record in the World. Matt Veck-Gilodi supplied the interview on the behalf of the band and was interviewed by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, who was deputising for Zane Lowe.
Ahead of their UK tour in November 2015, Deaf Havana released the track "Cassiopeia" from their fourth album, which was originally set to be released in 2016.
In July 2016, the band released the single "Sing" and announced that their album would be released in early 2017 on So Recordings. During their set at Reading and Leeds 2016, the band announced that the album is titled All These Countless Nights and announced its release date as 27 January 2017. Shortly after their Reading and Leeds appearance, the band announced their first UK tour in over 2 years.
On 9 October, the second single from the album, "Trigger", premiered on BBC Radio 1 as Daniel P Carter's Rockest Record. The song had originally premiered in 2014 on the band's European tour, at which time the band had planned to record new material but were dropped from their record label, BMG.
Following their Top 5 album artist=Deaf Havana]All These Countless Nights, Rituals was written as a challenge taken up by James Veck-Gilodi (Vocals) & Phil Gornell (Producer) to subvert the band's writing process, and present songs representative of the band in present.
Rituals is the result of throwing out the 'Deaf Havana rulebook': first; James picked the song titles, second; he wrote the tracks that fit the theme of those titles, third; everything was written on the computer, then the band came in to play all the parts. Working like this felt backwards to James, who previously only written songs on his acoustic guitar, with continuous input from the rest of the band. They set themselves a deadline of April to finish writing, and if any of it was any good, they would make it available by August. No more waiting half a decade for people to finally hear new music.
A recurring theme on the album is one of struggle and redemption. The music is in turn with introspective and joyous, with help form the London Contemporary Voice Choir, who feature on five tracks. The band performed with the choir at their intimate show at London's Union Chapel for the War Child charity as part of the Brit Awards gigs.
The theme of redemption ties into the art the band have wrapped into the album cover, a series by the visual artist Wolf James entitled 'My Love Is Lethal (A personal series dedicated to Letting Go)'.
On 25 November 2021, the band released a statement that while they intended to break up in early 2020, instead James and Matthew will continue on as a duo, with Lee Wilson and Tom Ogden leaving the band.
The Present is a Foreign Land was announced on 21 January 2022 for a 15 July 2022 release; with the album's first single, "Going Clear", releasing the same day.
Pensacola 2013
Deaf Havana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Love is a Dog from Hell" I guess you didn't see the relevance back then
I was a sweaty, tattooed mess
You were like a bull at best
But I knew that we wouldn't be doing this again, oh
And I knew if I let you go to waste
I'd never forgive myself
Drinking till the morning
Laughing with your Dad
I knew that his would be the hardest goodbye
And I want you to notice
And I wish you would care
I just wanted to feel like something's there
I just want a reaction
Yeah something to feel
Or a single emotion that seems real
I turn with it all in my head
As I stumbled 'round the city where your Grandfather died
And I got lost in all the alcohol
Open skies and antidotes
Those good ol' boys could charm me all night
And I want you to notice
And I wish you would care
I just wanted to feel like something's there
I just want a reaction
Yeah something to feel
Or a single emotion that seems real
And I was thinking back to that bar in Pensacola
I wonder if my name is still written on the wall
And I was thinking back, oh, to Hugh and Chelsea
Wonder if they're married or still together at all
Still together at all
Still together at all
And I was thinking back to that bar in Pensacola
I wonder if my name is still written on the wall
The lyrics of Deaf Havana's song "Pensacola 2013" tell a story of a past relationship that is filled with nostalgia, longing, and unanswered emotions. The singer reflects on a moment in time when they were carrying a book titled "Love is a Dog from Hell," and how the relevance of this book was perhaps lost on their partner at the time. The singer acknowledges that they were a mess, with tattoos and sweats, while their partner was described as a bull. Despite knowing that this relationship wouldn't last, they couldn't bear to let it go to waste.
The lyrics portray the singer's longing for attention and a genuine emotional connection. They express a desire for their partner to notice and care about them, to show some kind of reaction or real emotion. The singer reminisces about a drunken night spent with their partner's father, knowing that saying goodbye to him would be the hardest part.
As the song progresses, the singer finds themselves lost in the city where their partner's grandfather died, consumed by alcohol and surrounded by open skies and antidotes (possibly referring to other substances). They speak of being charmed by "good ol' boys" throughout the night, possibly indicating that they sought temporary distractions and escapism to fill the void left by their failed relationship.
Towards the end of the song, the singer recalls a bar in Pensacola and wonders if their name is still written on the wall, symbolizing a lasting memory of their time together. They also think back to Hugh and Chelsea, pondering whether they are still together or married. These thoughts showcase a sense of longing, curiosity, and a yearning to hold on to the past.
Overall, "Pensacola 2013" is a reflective and introspective song about a past relationship that left the singer searching for validation, emotional connection, and a sense of permanence.
Line by Line Meaning
It started out with a book that I was carrying with me
The relationship began with a significant symbol, represented by the book I had with me.
"Love is a Dog from Hell" I guess you didn't see the relevance back then
The book title, representing the challenges of love, was overlooked by you at the time.
I was a sweaty, tattooed mess
I appeared disheveled and rebellious, with my tattoos and perspiration.
You were like a bull at best
Your behavior resembled that of an aggressive and powerful bull.
But I knew that we wouldn't be doing this again, oh
Despite the initial connection, I had a sense that our relationship wouldn't have a future.
And I knew if I let you go to waste
I understood that if I didn't pursue our connection, I would regret it.
I'd never forgive myself
Not taking a chance with you would have haunted me forever.
So I sat back, enjoyed my time
Instead of worrying about the future, I decided to live in the present and cherish the moments we had.
Drinking till the morning
We would stay up all night, indulging in drinking and having a good time together.
Laughing with your Dad
Sharing laughter with your father, forming a connection beyond our romantic involvement.
I knew that his would be the hardest goodbye
Saying goodbye to your father would be the most difficult parting of all.
And I want you to notice
I desire your attention and recognition.
And I wish you would care
I long for you to genuinely care about me and our relationship.
I just wanted to feel like something's there
All I wanted was to experience a genuine connection and have a sense of something meaningful.
I just want a reaction
I yearn for a response from you, some indication of your feelings.
Yeah something to feel
I crave an emotional experience, something to truly feel.
Or a single emotion that seems real
Even if it's just one genuine emotion, it would be enough for me.
I turn with it all in my head
I am overwhelmed, constantly thinking about our relationship and its complexities.
As I stumbled 'round the city where your Grandfather died
Navigating the city where your grandfather passed away, feeling lost and disoriented.
And I got lost in all the alcohol
I sought solace and distraction in excessive alcohol consumption.
Open skies and antidotes
The wide, open skies and potential remedies couldn't alleviate my emotional turmoil.
Those good ol' boys could charm me all night
The charismatic individuals in the city captivated and entertained me, but it was only temporary.
And I was thinking back to that bar in Pensacola
I reminisced about the bar in Pensacola, where our relationship had memorable moments.
I wonder if my name is still written on the wall
I pondered whether the mark I left there, symbolizing our connection, still remained.
And I was thinking back, oh, to Hugh and Chelsea
I reflected on the past, recalling Hugh and Chelsea and wondering about their current status.
Wonder if they're married or still together at all
I contemplated whether Hugh and Chelsea had committed to each other, or if their relationship had endured.
Still together at all
Whether they are still in a relationship, or even together in any form, remains uncertain.
Still together at all
The uncertainty regarding Hugh and Chelsea's relationship status lingers.
And I was thinking back to that bar in Pensacola
Once again, I found myself reminiscing about the significant bar in Pensacola.
I wonder if my name is still written on the wall
The question of whether the mark I left behind, symbolizing our connection, continues to exist arises once more.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Maxwell Britton, Adam Noble, Thomas Ogden, James Veck-Gilodi, Matthew Veck-Gilodi, Lee Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind