After two EPs ("The Chambers and the Valves" and "Bible Belt"), the band were signed to Transgressive Records in 2010. "No Rest", their first single on the label, was released in March 2011. They recorded their debut full-length album, "Shallow Bed", in Connecticut with Peter Katis (producer for The National, Jónsi and Interpol), and released it on March 5, 2012. An acoustic version of "Shallow Bed" was released by download only on 17 December 2012.
The band's projects also include creating a charity t-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project to raise money for Asylum Aid (in March 2011) and designing "Mammoth", a limited edition beer brewed with Signature Brew (in November 2012).
Their second album, "Alarms in the Heart", was released on August 25th, 2014.
They announced their split on their Facebook page on 12 November 2015, along with the release of their final EP, Hooves of Doubt.
Peter Liddle crafted a solo album 'Casual Labour' released 13 July 2018, with a gang of his musical friends, including several from the Dry the River family bassist Scott Miller, keys player Patrick Pearson, string-player Will Harvey, writer Matthew Reynolds along with producer Pete Miles.
Night Owls
Dry the River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where our father′s fathers lived
The same old trees scraping innocently
Since our grandparents were kids.
You were born in a terrible storm
And your Ma said "It's a sign."
You′re never at peace with your back facing east
And your itchy feet like mine.
We should change our names and go for guts and glory,
Never cut our hair, or give a care for right.
'Cause they've got us by the throat, they′ve got us on a tight rope.
You can tell your furious father,
He can have my guts for garters if he likes.
Some need, like the trunk of a tree, to accumulate alone,
And in time grow ripe on the vine
And I think we might be those.
On this cold little parcel of land
Where our father′s fathers lived
We scrape our knees climbing innocent trees
Like our father's fathers did
We should change our names and go for guts and glory
Never cut our hair, or give a care for right.
Cause they′ve got us by the throat, they've got us on a tight rope
You can tell your furious father he can have my guts for garters if he likes
You can tell your furious father he can have my guts for garters if he likes.
The lyrics to Dry the River's song Night Owls convey a sense of nostalgia and yearning for freedom from societal pressure. The opening lines set the scene of a small piece of land where generations before have lived, and where the natural world has remained unchanged despite the passing of time. The singer of the song is someone who was born in tumultuous circumstances, and their mother saw it as a sign of something important. This character feels a restlessness that is echoed by the "itchy feet" of someone else, and there is a sense that they both feel trapped by societal norms.
The chorus of the song is a call to arms, urging the characters to break free from what holds them back. They suggest changing their names and rejecting conventions like cutting their hair or conforming to society's standards of what is right. The final lines of the chorus reference the feeling of being controlled and constrained, with the image of being held by the throat on a tight rope. The singer acknowledges that they are challenging the norms of the time and may face backlash, but they are willing to sacrifice for the cause. The song ends with a repetition of the opening lines, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and the desire for something more.
Overall, Night Owls presents a powerful call to reject societal pressure and forge your own path. The lyrics are beautiful and vivid, creating a clear image of the world and characters within it. The song embodies a sense of longing and yearning for freedom that resonates with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Line by Line Meaning
On this little cold parcel of land
We are on a small patch of land that has been passed down through many generations of our family.
Where our father's fathers lived
Our ancestors have lived on this land for many generations, so we have a deep connection to it.
The same old trees scraping innocently
The trees around us have been there for a long time and have a sense of innocence that brings us comfort.
Since our grandparents were kids.
The trees have been around for so long that they were there when our grandparents were children.
You were born in a terrible storm
You were born during a violent storm, which may signify something in your life.
And your Ma said 'It's a sign.'
Your mother saw your birth during the storm as a sign of something meaningful or significant.
You're never at peace with your back facing east
You feel uneasy when facing east, for reasons that may be personal or cultural.
And your itchy feet like mine.
You have a restlessness inside you, similar to my own.
We should change our names and go for guts and glory,
We should reinvent ourselves and pursue our dreams with courage and ambition.
Never cut our hair, or give a care for right.
We should be unconventional and eschew societal norms.
'Cause they've got us by the throat, they've got us on a tight rope.
We feel trapped and controlled by outside forces.
You can tell your furious father,
If your father is angry with me, you can relay this message to him.
He can have my guts for garters if he likes.
I am not afraid of your father's anger and am willing to face his wrath.
Some need, like the trunk of a tree, to accumulate alone,
Some people need time alone, like a tree trunk that grows and strengthens on its own.
And in time grow ripe on the vine
In time, these people mature and become their best selves.
And I think we might be those.
I believe that we both need this time alone to grow and develop.
On this cold little parcel of land
We are still on this small, cold piece of land that holds so much history for us.
Where our father's fathers lived
Our ancestors lived on this land, and their legacy lives on in us.
We scrape our knees climbing innocent trees
We still climb the same trees that our fathers and grandfathers did, even if it means getting hurt.
Like our father's fathers did.
In doing so, we honor the legacy of those who came before us.
You can tell your furious father he can have my guts for garters if he likes.
I am unafraid of your father and willing to face the consequences of my actions.
Writer(s): Jon Warren, Scott Miller, Peter Liddle, Matthew Taylor, William Harvey
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.