Delta Spirit is a band from San Diego, California, United States, beginning… Read Full Bio ↴Delta Spirit is a band from San Diego, California, United States, beginning in 2005. This band is most known for their intense live performances, their congregational song-writing, and their driving rhythm. The group consists of Jon Jameson (bass), Brandon Young (percussion), Matthew Vasquez (vocals/guitars), Kelly Winrich (multi-instrumentals) and Will McLaren (guitar).

"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.

Ode To Sunshine
Delta Spirit Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When your working is done
And you have nothing left to lose
Why don't you just roll away
That stone that's locked you up?

When your pattern is full
And it feels like there's no place to land
When will you all run out of gas?

Yeah, it happened so fast
Leaving town for sell to pal

I recall only nights that we built
With our hands and feet, making peace
With the voice in our head
That ghost just stop
Won't lie dead, it just bleeds

Let the prophet rebound
Let his riddle rub on to my pride
I'm just too hollow inside
Let it echo in time just to get it
Through my head and mouth

Through the gorgeous light of the sun
And which I could never outrun
Even if my perdition were just in front

The sun's got my shine
The sun's got my pride
I could run but I'd never
Live without your light

The sun's got my shine
The sun's got my pride
I could run but I'd never
Live without your light

Live without your light
Live without your light
Live without your light

When your working is done
And you've got nothing left to lose

Why don't you just roll away
That stone that's locked you up in your blues?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Delta Spirit's "Ode To Sunshine" describe the feeling of being trapped and hopeless, but also the possibility of freeing oneself from that situation. The repeated use of the symbolism of the sun throughout the song suggests that the solution lies in finding one's inner light and strength.

In the first verse, the lyrics urge the listener to "roll away that stone" that is holding them back. This could refer to the biblical story of Jesus resurrecting himself from the dead by rolling the stone away from his tomb, suggesting that the listener has the power to resurrect themselves from their own personal struggles. The second verse suggests that the feeling of being trapped is so overpowering that it feels like running out of gas, but the song urges the listener to keep going anyway.

The chorus repeats the idea that the sun has the power to give the listener their "shine" and "pride," and that they cannot live without that light. Overall, the song offers a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

When your working is done
When you've accomplished everything that you have to do

And you have nothing left to lose
And there's nothing more to sacrifice in the process

Why don't you just roll away
It's time to just leave everything behind

That stone that's locked you up?
All the things that have been keeping you restrained

When your pattern is full
When you're at the end of a cycle

And it feels like there's no place to land
And it seems like there's nowhere else to go

When will you all run out of gas?
When will the energy finally dwindle?

Yeah, it happened so fast
It all just flew by

Leaving town for sell to pal
Going away for something or someone that you love

I recall only nights that we built
Remembering the moments that we spent together

With our hands and feet, making peace
Creating harmony with just the basics that we have

With the voice in our head
Listening to our inner selves

That ghost just stop
Making that unseen fear go away

Won't lie dead, it just bleeds
It's still there even if we try to bury it

Let the prophet rebound
Allowing someone to help us see things clearly

Let his riddle rub on to my pride
Understanding that there's still so much to learn

I'm just too hollow inside
Feeling empty despite knowing so much

Let it echo in time just to get it
Wishing that someone will understand

Through my head and mouth
Through my thoughts and words

Through the gorgeous light of the sun
Through the beauty that's constantly around us

And which I could never outrun
And the happiness that I can never escape from

Even if my perdition were just in front
Even if I knew that it could all lead to doom

The sun's got my shine
My shining moments are because of the sun

The sun's got my pride
My self-esteem is because of it

I could run but I'd never
I could try to escape but it's still with me

Live without your light
In fact, it's impossible to live without it

When your working is done
When you're finished with everything

And you've got nothing left to lose
And there's nothing more to give up

Why don't you just roll away
It's time to let everything go

That stone that's locked you up in your blues?
All the things that have been holding you back and depressing you

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON YOUNG, JONATHAN JAMESON, MATTHEW VASQUEZ, SEAN WALKER, KELLY WINRICH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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