"The raw spirit of indie rock. An amplified, rocking version of ’60s protest folk. The soulful passion of the Violent Femmes and The Waterboys." All of these comparisons have been made in attempts to describe Delta Spirit, the southern California five-piece who might just be one of the most important new bands of the decade. Each description contains elements of the truth, but the real answer to the question “who is Delta Spirit?” lies within Ode to Sunshine, the band’s captivating debut. The group’s DIY ethic shines throughout the album, with songs honed razor-sharp over a year of non-stop touring across America. Opening sold-out tours for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cold War Kids, and Dr. Dog, the band developed a riveting live show and gained a loyal following amongst tastemaker music fans, earning them invites to national festivals like Austin City Limits, Noise Pop and Sasquatch. So it would not be an understatement to call Ode to Sunshine one of the year’s most highly-anticipated debuts. But don’t take our word for it; in the words of Delta Spirit: “If you’re feeling what I’m feeling come on, all you soul searching people come on.”
Jonathan Jameson of Delta Spirit took a few minutes out of the band’s busy touring schedule to answer a few questions about the band, their music, and Ode to Sunshine.
Where in California did the band come together? How did you meet?
We are all from Southern California. Brandon met Matt while he was singing and playing guitar by the train tracks in San Diego. The rest is boring.
Who plays what and sings? Do you trade off instruments on different songs?
Brandon plays drums and percussion. Sean plays guitar, does some percussion and hits a big drum. Jon exclusively plays bass with the occasional vocal. Kelly plays piano, hits a drum, sings, hits a trashcan, plays guitar and a high strung guitar. Matt plays guitar, sings and plays piano.
Your songs are credited to the band as a whole. Could you describe how they come together? Are the lyrics collaborative as well?
It’s always a new experience. Matt and Kelly write the lyrics with minor editing done by the band. Songs come as jams, ideas, almost complete chords, hummed notes, drum beats, etc.
Some of the songs have very infectious sing along melodies (like the ba ba ba’s in “People C’mon”). Do you envision your music as communal, for audiences to participate in as well as listen to?
Our music feels most at home when we play it with people as opposed to at people. There is a mystery to music played live. It brings us out of ourselves into something bigger, something beyond our individuality. Sometimes it happens, other times the songs are just songs.
You recorded Ode to Sunshine at a cabin in Julian, California, out in the desert east of San Diego. Did the isolation of the setting influence the vibe of the album (like say, Dylan and The Band’s Basement Tapes)?
It feels like sun, saunas, dogs, friends, Old Crow and Coke, Eli Thompson, beards, hot days, long star filled nights, good books, hikes, shorts, bbq and just the way we wanted to make our first record.
Your music has been compared to current indie rockers, ’80s punk roots bands, and sixties folk rockers. Was there any music you listened to growing up, or that you listen to now, that you hear seeping into your current sound?
We were born in the ’80s, grew up in the ’90s and have parents from the ’60s. We are proud of the bands that are making great music now. Maybe it’s like the Waterboys covering Harry Nilsson or maybe a song by the Weavers at a rally, but on tour next month with Richard Swift. We want to be found in the lineage of honest and true music that has found its way through every current of music history.
There seems to be a conscience in the music, a sense of taking responsibility for ourselves, each other, and the world. What do you feel is special about this moment in history, and this generation, and the place of music and art in society? Are you encouraged by the energy you feel coming back to you from your audiences?
There is a feeling of possibility in our age. We feel that same possibility with our band. There is a deep connection there. We don’t want to forget about the most important thing for us, which is simply making good music, but that does include being aware of what’s going on in the world as well as what’s going on in our own heads and souls. We aren’t self-aggrandizing cock rockers or activist idealist hippies. We just want to be honest about ourselves and how we see the world, not minimizing the darkness or the hope, because both are very real.
Your original DIY version of Ode to Sunshine featured austere black & white artwork, while the new cover is much warmer, with the smiling face of Dr. Thomas Payne (an uncle of one of the band members) raising a toast while at a scientific convention on bark beetles. The Rounder release also features an additional song, “Streetwalker,” which despite its somber subject features a Phil Spector / Brian Wilson groove. Do the new artwork and song show a new side to the band?
I think that before when we were looking at the album it felt kinda heavy to us and serious. About the big things in life. Like a dusty record of Kennedy speeches. But I think we realized that the true feeling of the album also included what we were feeling while making it and recording it and that those bits of summer and excitement and wonder break through every once in a while. It’s as if after listening to those sobering speeches we found the pics of the Kennedys on vacation and now it all really made sense. The light and the dark. Sometimes you have to laugh at the serious stuff to be able to do something about it.
From the opening Rubber Soul-esque acoustic guitars of “Tomorrow Goes Away” to the saloon piano-over-grunge chords of “Trashcan,” from the harmonica-driven protest waltz “People, Turn Around” to the insistent surf rock drums of “Children,” Ode to Sunshine perfectly captures the energy and hope of a new generation that’s rising like a phoenix to change the world. And with Delta Spirit providing the soundtrack, this is one revolution you can dance to.
California
Delta Spirit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want you to find whatever your heart needs
I want you to move to California for yourself
But not for me
I want you to go out there and find somebody else
I want him to treat you like I know he should
I want you to find somebody new for yourself
All of the feelings that I know you've never felt
And all of the simple words you never said
I want you to keep them like a secret to yourself
They're not for me
I want you to wander silent past my outstretched arms
I want you to hide yourself from all I see
And though my heart will fight until its dying breath
You're not for me
I want you to move to California for yourself
I want you to find whatever your heart needs
I want you to move to California for yourself
But not for me
In Delta Spirit's song "California," the singer tells their lover that they want them to move to California for themselves, not for the sake of the relationship. The singer states that they want their lover to find whatever their heart needs, even if that means finding someone else who can "treat you like I know he should." The singer acknowledges that there are feelings their lover has never felt and words they have never said, and these should be kept as a secret to themselves. The singer then expresses their desire for their lover to move on without them, to "wander silent" past their outstretched arms and hide themselves from their view. The singer knows that their heart will always fight for their lover, but understands that they are not meant to be together.
This song is a poignant expression of the complexities of a relationship coming to an end. It is a painful realization that sometimes, the most loving thing we can do is let someone go and find a new path without us. By telling their lover to move to California for themselves, the singer is letting go of their own desires and instead focusing on the needs and wants of their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you to move to California for yourself
I hope you decide to move to California to pursue your own happiness.
I want you to find whatever your heart needs
I want you to discover and follow what truly makes you happy.
I want you to move to California for yourself
I hope you take a chance and explore what California can offer you.
But not for me
Your decision to move to California shouldn't be influenced by me.
I want you to go out there and find somebody else
I hope you discover someone else who will love you as you deserve to be loved.
I want him to treat you like I know he should
I wish for you to find someone who cherishes and loves you unconditionally.
I want you to find somebody new for yourself
I hope you meet someone who makes you feel valued and important.
If not for me
Your decision to find someone new should be solely based on your own feelings, not for me.
All of the feelings that I know you've never felt
There are emotions that you've never experienced before that I am aware of.
And all of the simple words you never said
There are words that were never spoken that hold a lot of meaning to us.
I want you to keep them like a secret to yourself
I hope you hold onto those words and emotions and keep them private for yourself.
They're not for me
Those emotions and words are not meant for me to hear or know.
I want you to wander silent past my outstretched arms
I want you to walk away and leave me behind, despite my desire to hold onto you.
I want you to hide yourself from all I see
I want you to move on and leave me in the past, away from my sight and reach.
And though my heart will fight until its dying breath
Even though I still have feelings for you, I know I have to let you go.
You're not for me
We are not meant to be together, and I have to accept that.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JONATHAN JAMESON, MATTHEW VASQUEZ, KELLY WINRICH, WILL MCLAREN, BRANDON YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AndreloXR
Lyrics ->
I want you to move to California for yourself,
I want you to find whatever your heart needs.
I want you to move to California for yourself,
But not for me.
I want you to go out there and find somebody else,
I want him to treat you like I know he should.
I want you to find somebody new for yourself,
If not for me.
All of the feelings that I know you never felt,
And all of the simple words you never said.
I want you to keep them like a secret to yourself,
They’re not for me.
I want you to wander silent past my outstretched arms,
I want you to hide yourself from all I see.
And though my heart will fight until its dying breath,
You’re not for me.
I want you to move to California for yourself,
I want you to find whatever your heart needs.
I want you to move to California for yourself,
But not for me.
P.S. Thank you American Dad
@Noisey
The band was from Longbeach, CA but as of 6 months ago all members ―excluding their drummer― relocated to Brooklyn.
@flowerpower2726
This is an incredible song. It touches on a subject most artists don't talk about: love that can never be. It's almost impossible to describe the heartache and 'what if' feeling it causes. But we have to acknowledge the hard fact that there are some times when even love isn't enough to keep two people together. Deep down you know that sometimes it's better for someone to find himself/herself rather than find you.
@brankoknezevic9136
Life is a marathon. We hit some walls on our journey. We must run through them.
@davidgamez8544
Having grown up in Southern CA right in the neighborhoods where this video was filmed I can tell you that this is a montage of so many SoCal kids youth! I remember wearing the studded belts and going to punk shows and coming home at 4am only to wake up and go to breakfast with the fam at 9am. King Cobra and OE 8 balls were the drink of choice.
@gregorymartinez9482
Where was this filmed
@IkonKnight
Gregory Martinez I know some scenes were filmed in Pasadena and South Pasadena.
@elissamartinez2969
down memory lane right there!
@ivanngo4584
Gregory Martinez I believe part of this was filmed in Baldwin Park, I was actually in the band that in that scene with the girl at the show. Here is a video of them shooting that scene https://youtu.be/qcpfSC4NLs4?t=2m37s
@gregorymartinez9482
Nice if I were Togo can you show me
@amantedelcane420
Loved this song immediately and still do, all these years later. It just hits so deep that I can actually "feel" it✌️