Ducktails is the solo project of Matthew Mondanile, a founding member of Ri… Read Full Bio ↴Ducktails is the solo project of Matthew Mondanile, a founding member of Ridgewood, New Jersey indie beach bums Real Estate. While not too dissimilar in tone from their own sun-kissed pop, Mondanile's work as Ducktails presents a more fragmented, mercurial version of the Garden State of mind. Mondanile's output under the Ducktails moniker was prolific and perhaps a tad illusory to start; he released numerous ultra-rare cassettes and CD-Rs, a pair of 7"s, and a pair of "official" LPs (a self-titled album on Not Not Fun and Landscapes on Olde English Spelling Bee) by 2009.

In addition to playing in several other projects, including Predator Vision and the Parasails, Mondanile released a split with Dracula Lewis in 2010, before releasing Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics in 2011. The album took a more bare-bones approach, and marked a notable change in style for Ducktails. By the time 2013's The Flower Lane arrived on Domino Recordings, Mondanile had moved even further away from his bedroom beginnings, recording more traditional mellow pop with a full band. A five-song EP, Wish Hotel, arrived later that year, retaining the same sophisticated style as the album that preceded it, as did 2015's full-length St. Catherine. With producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck) bringing a touch of warmth and clarity to Mondanile's sincere psychedelic tunes, the album also featured guest appearances by fellow experimental indie artists James Ferraro and Julia Holter.

The lead guitarist parted ways with Real Estate in 2016 before Ducktails' Jersey Devil arrived a year later on Mondanile's own New Images label. Started in Los Angeles but finished after moving back to his hometown of Ridgewood, its collaborators included co-producer John Anderson (Girls, Nick Waterhouse) and Parasol's Chi Yoon Hae, who flew in from South Korea to cover bass.

Biography by Nate Knaebel

Confession
Ducktails Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah we had a lovely day
And I'm glad you came along
But I've got something to say
And I hope you're not scared off

A thing happened to me
And to some looks really bad
But I hope you understand

That I've left it in the past

Confession
You never know what to expect
First impression
Hopefully she has no regrets

Of course I am to blame
But I also feel that this
Was out of my control
And that I have been betrayed

But I never meant to make
Anyone feel bad

On purpose or by mistake
So I hope you understand

Overall Meaning

"Confession" by Ducktails is a song about opening up and revealing a secret or a mistake to someone. The singer acknowledges that they had a lovely day with the person they are speaking to and expresses gratitude for the experience. However, they also feel the need to confess something, and they hope that the person won't be scared off by their revelation.

The lyrics suggest that something happened to the singer that may seem bad to others, but they emphasize that they have put it behind them. It is likely something that the singer feels guilty about or responsible for, but they also perceive it as something beyond their control, feeling betrayed by the circumstances. They clarify that their intention was never to make anyone feel bad, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and they hope for understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah we had a lovely day
We had a really great time together

And I'm glad you came along
I am happy that you were there with me

But I've got something to say
I need to tell you something important

And I hope you're not scared off
I hope this doesn't make you want to distance yourself from me

A thing happened to me
Something occurred in my life

And to some looks really bad
And to some people, it may seem really negative or unfavorable

But I hope you understand
But I hope you can comprehend and empathize

That I've left it in the past
That I have moved on from it, it's no longer affecting me

Confession
This is my admission of guilt

You never know what to expect
You can never predict how someone will react

First impression
The initial impression someone has of me