The band has released four albums, "Eve 6" (1998), "Horrorscope" (2000),It's All In Your Head (2003), and Speak in Code (2012). Two of the band's singles, "Inside Out" and "Here's To the Night", reached the Top 40 in the United States.
Reunited and re-energized, the band returned with a new album called Speak In Code eight years after parting ways in 2004. As the fourth full-length release for Eve 6 and their debut on new label Fearless Records, the album heralds not just a return to form for the threesome, but a new chapter in a book that had ended all too abruptly.
“Overall I'm really proud of it, and I think we're doing right by our fans, who’ve waited a long time for us to make another record. I think we're giving them something they'll enjoy,” says singer/bassist Max Collins. “Once we got in the studio there was a lot of energy. There aren't any filler moments; each song has its purpose. This is the strongest collection of songs we've ever had on one record.”
In many ways, Speak In Code is a work with deep personal significance for Collins, who has weathered his share of personal adversity. The album is a testament to coming out okay on the other side, with friendships still intact, but it’s within the journey that the story truly lies. Whether it’s romantic relationships or dealings with his bandmates, communication—and its barriers—is a central theme underpinning the release.
“In some of the songs frustration is a theme. I was sort of looking at difficult personal relationships with a humorous spin in some places, and with more earnestness in others,” explains Collins. “The title [Speak In Code] is a lyric from ‘Curtain,’ and there was something kind of evocative about it. In that song, I'm referring to being newly sober and just feeling like an open nerve, feeling freaked out, having people and life being sort of overwhelming. It's almost like people are speaking a language you don't understand.”
First single “Victoria” lyrically weaves a tale that draws the listener into a hook-laden, 80‘s-influenced anthem, putting a contemporary spin on the classic Eve 6 sound. “[‘Victoria’] indulges this paranoid what-if fantasy that kind of has a foot in the truth: My wife went on this girls’ vacation to Mexico, and when I was looking through the photos, I saw my imagination start to go, and wrote that song,” Collins recalls. “I'm convinced in my mind that something’s going on that really isn't.”
Far from being just some nefarious nostalgia cash-in, Speak In Code is a genuine example of triumphing over one’s obstacles, both professionally and personally, seven years in the making. Eve 6 say the time rebuilding was essential to regaining their footing, which seems more solid in 2012 than ever. "In a lot of ways, the years leading up to this album release was a bit of a ‘paying our dues’ situation. We certainly had to earn the right to have this opportunity again,” says Fagenson. “This time around I think we realized just how hard it is to really get a rock band going and just when you think you're near the finish line you realize there's another hundred miles to go. But all that work and time simply strengthened our belief in what we were doing, and it was a crucial aspect of our development. It really taught us about stick-with-it-ness and perseverance."
"The time we spent apart really made us appreciate what we have in each other. It's a chemistry you can't manufacture,” adds Collins. “We literally grew up playing music together. The bond that we have as a result of so much shared experience infuses the sound of the band."
With Speak In Code slated for an April 24th release, the band is gearing up for their much-awaited reintroduction to fans. Now part of the Fearless Records family, it’s a guarantee Eve 6’s music will reach a wide, eager audience of potential devotees, and a full slate of touring behind the release is slated for 2012. Diehards who caught the band live in prior years will undoubtedly be thrilled to see the trio once again on stage, but it will be a somewhat older, definitely wiser group that greets them. According to Collins, it’s all good.
“We’re looking forward to playing new songs, and reconnecting to the fans with new material,” says Collins. “I feel this profound gratitude to the other two guys in my band. We've been through a lot—we've had the mountaintop moments and the Death Valley moments—and we're still here today, we all get along, and we made this thing together. It's almost miraculous, to me. There's this convergence that goes on for something that's bigger than the sum of its parts, and that's such a joyful, cool fucking thing.”
External links
http://eve6mediahq.com Eve 6 MediaHQ - Bootlegs, Videos, Post-Eve 6 Breakup Message Board and more
http://facebook.com/eve6official - Eve 6's current Facebook page
http://www.myspace.com/eve6 - Eve 6's current myspace.
Downtown
EVE 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Toeing the line, toeing the line)
I’m always keeping on my best behavior
(Toeing the line, toeing the line)
I like to think I try to try to do whats right
But still I get this feeling that I can’t deny
I tell myself I’m better than the average lot
I know it
And I’m about to show it
So take me downtown on the company dime
Punch me in the arm, make sure I’m alive
I need a weekend
Gotta kick out the dust
Get my motor running cause it’s started to rust
Shake it off
Turn me on
I’ve been down on the ground for too long
So take me downtown
Take me downtown
Down, down, down
I’m a professional, the family is stable
(Toeing the line, toeing the line)
We join hands for the prayer at the table
(Toeing the line, toeing the line)
I like to think I try to try to do what’s right
I go rolling in the dirt but I clean up nice
I tell myself I’m better than the average lot
But I'm not
I know it
And I’m about to show it
So take me downtown on the company dime
Punch me in the arm, make sure I’m alive
I need a weekend, gotta kick out the dust
Get my motor running cause it’s started to rust
Shake it off
Turn me on
I’ve been down on the ground for too long
So take me downtown
Take me downtown
Down, down, down
I want to feel
To feel so far away
I want to feel
To feel so far away
To feel so far away
I want to feel
So take me downtown on the company dime
Punch me in the arm, make sure I’m alive
I need a weekend, gotta kick out the dust
Get my motor running cause it’s started to rust
Shake it off
Turn me on
I’ve been down on the ground for too long
So take me downtown
Take me downtown
Down, down, down
The lyrics of Eve 6’s song “Downtown” narrate the desire to escape from the monotony of everyday life, to let loose, and to feel alive. The opening lines of the song introduce the singer as a responsible citizen, a good friend, and neighbor, someone who always keeps to their best behavior. However, the next few lines reveal that the singer feels trapped in this predictable and tedious existence, despite his efforts to do what’s right. He admits that he’s not better than anyone else and has the urge to break free from these chains that bind him down. Thus, he pleads to be taken downtown on the company dime, to be punched in the arm to make sure he’s alive. He wants to shake off the rust that he has accumulated and get his motor running.
The next verse reinforces the image of the singer as a responsible family man who joins his loved ones for the prayer at the table. He reveals his tendency to roll in the dirt but still clean up nicely, indicating the feelings of suffocation and the need for a weekend getaway. The chorus repeats, signifying the singer's desperation for liberation, adding to his desire to feel so far away. The song creates vivid images of breaking free from the usual routine, like dancing in a club or partying hard, literally anything that brings excitement and novelty to the mundane life.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a citizen, a friend, and a neighbor.
I try to be a good human being and contribute to society by fulfilling my roles as a citizen, a friend, and a neighbor.
I'm always keeping on my best behavior
I try to follow the rules and be a good person, living up to expectations and societal norms.
I like to think I try to try to do what's right
I make an effort to do what's right, even if I don't always succeed.
But still I get this feeling that I can't deny
Despite my efforts, I can't shake off the feeling that there's something missing.
I tell myself I’m better than the average lot
I like to think that I'm above average in terms of moral character and behavior.
But I'm not
But the truth is, I'm not always better than everyone else.
And I’m about to show it
I'm going to do something that reveals my imperfections and shortcomings.
So take me downtown on the company dime
Take me out for a night on the town, where I can let loose and have fun without worrying about the cost.
Punch me in the arm, make sure I’m alive
I need a jolt of adrenaline to wake me up and remind me that I'm alive and living in the moment.
I need a weekend, gotta kick out the dust
I need a break from my routine and responsibilities to clear my head and energize myself.
Get my motor running cause it’s started to rust
I need to rev up my energy and enthusiasm, which has been dwindling due to monotony and boredom.
Shake it off
I need to shake off my negative thoughts and emotions and start fresh.
Turn me on
I need to be energized and inspired to feel alive and passionate about life.
I’ve been down on the ground for too long
I've been feeling stuck and demotivated for too long, and I need a change of pace.
I want to feel so far away
I want to escape my present reality and experience something new and different.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Anthony Fagenson, Don Gilmore, James Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Akira Collins
i love this band, grew up listening to them. finally saw them in concert 4 years ago and loved it. got a pic with the guitarist, Jon during the opening group. got asked my name by the drummer. best night. Got the band name tattooed on my right shoulder.
Jonathan Holbrook
I take it back, I saw them a second time and they were amazing
RBEO22
Best track on the album!
Amanda Baran
They're pretty good... time to check out the rest of the album!!!
warriorgirl126
Love it :)
_dory_lyn_
omg the funk intro is great
SPHR NSSR
Best
Denny Smith
Legit
Jonathan Holbrook
They suck in concert, but I love their music