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.
Enemy
EVE 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
October light show bright through the windshield
Right into my eyes where I was silent riding shotgun
Chewing on some sugar free gum
Parallel park and pay the meter
'If I die before I leave tell her
I'll never leave her
I am just fine
OK my nerves have never been so short
Can't get this shit off my mind
I just want to be alright
So tell her nothing's wrong
Then get undressed and spend the night
The autumn sun is burning logic in my brain
I'm asking why there is pleasure when there's pain
I'm here to pay for my mistakes in a humiliating manner
If there is a next time I'll cover up
I feel alone, I feel shaky and uncertian
A kind man shakes my hand and draws the curtain
In a word he saves my life and then
I exit out the enter door and smile
Can't get this shit off my mind
I just want to be alright
So just tell me nothing's wrong
Then get undressed and spend the night
I took a ride to meet an enemy
I faced a fear of mine and shivered but didn't blink
I took a ride to meet an enemy to end all the madness
And now I know that I'll be fine
I am fine
Can't get this shit off my mind
And I just want to be alright
So just tell me nothing's wrong
Then get undressed and spend the night
Just want to be fine
The EVE 6 song "Enemy" tells the story of a person who takes a ride to meet an enemy, who is also causing them anxiety and distress. The setting is autumn, with bright October light shining through the windshield. In the car, the person is silent and apprehensive, chewing on some sugar-free gum. They eventually arrive and parallel park, telling their companion to inform someone (presumably a loved one) that they would never leave her. The singer is broken up and short of nerves, unable to get the "shit off his mind". He just wants to be alright, and so asks his friend to tell his loved one that nothing is wrong. Later in the song, he feels alone and uncertain yet is already undressing with his friend, intending to spend the night.
The song's lyrics represent an internal conflict, as the singer is not only struggling with dealing with the enemy but also his own feelings. The singer takes the ride to confront his fears and ultimately learns that he will be fine. The lyrics suggest that the person may have gone through a traumatic experience and is trying to come to terms with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a ride to meet an enemy
I confronted someone I consider an adversary
October light show bright through the windshield
The sun was shining brightly
Right into my eyes where I was silent riding shotgun
The sunlight was shining directly into my eyes while I was sitting in the passenger seat
Chewing on some sugar free gum
I was chewing a piece of gum that didn't contain sugar
Parallel park and pay the meter
I parked my car and paid the parking meter
'If I die before I leave tell her
I'll never leave her
If I die, tell my loved one that I'll never abandon or forget them
I am just fine
I am just a little broken up
OK my nerves have never been so short
Can't get this shit off my mind
I'm not doing well, and I'm anxious and worried
I just want to be alright
So tell her nothing's wrong
Then get undressed and spend the night
I want to be okay, so I'll pretend everything is fine and seek comfort in physical intimacy
The autumn sun is burning logic in my brain
I'm asking why there is pleasure when there's pain
The sunlight is making my thoughts wander, and I'm questioning why people seek pleasure even though there is also pain in life
I'm here to pay for my mistakes in a humiliating manner
If there is a next time I'll cover up
I'm facing the consequences of my actions and will try to avoid making the same mistake again
I feel alone, I feel shaky and uncertain
A kind man shakes my hand and draws the curtain
In a word he saves my life and then
I exit out the enter door and smile
I'm feeling scared and lost, but a stranger's gesture of kindness helps me out of my dark thoughts and I leave with a sense of relief
I just want to be alright
So just tell me nothing's wrong
Then get undressed and spend the night
I'm still seeking comfort in physical intimacy and want to pretend everything is okay
I took a ride to meet an enemy
I faced a fear of mine and shivered but didn't blink
I took a ride to meet an enemy to end all the madness
And now I know that I'll be fine
I am fine
I confronted my fears and adversities head-on, and am confident that everything will be okay
Can't get this shit off my mind
And I just want to be alright
So just tell me nothing's wrong
Then get undressed and spend the night
Just want to be fine
I'm still struggling with my worries and want to find solace in physical passion
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JON SIEBELS, MAX COLLINS, TONY FAGENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind