Members Mark Sasso and Casey Laforet grew up together in Windsor, and began playing as a band after moving to Toronto following high school. They played their first show in 2002 with two other musicians at Toronto club Holy Joes, although Sasso and Laforet have disagreed in the press about whether that show was played under the name Token Hillbillies or Mark Sasso and the Sassettes.
Although the two other musicians dropped out of the band's lineup after only a few shows, Sasso and Laforet continued as a duo, hooking up with producer Stephen Pitkin to record their first EP, Tin Type. Tin Type was recorded over two days in Mark Sasso's living room. The band called the recording space "The Orange Room" because it was painted orange.
The EP was released in January 2004 by weewerk Records, and came packaged in a brown paper bag containing a handmade photobook done in the style of the American Old West.
Pitkin recorded and co-produced Tin Type, but did not officially become a band member until the band released its first LP, Ambassador, on Six Shooter Records in 2005.
Ambassador was recorded in a former abattoir in the Toronto Public Stock Yards, which had been converted to a recording studio called Monumental Sound by Joe Dunphy, and was named for the Ambassador Bridge which connects Windsor with Detroit.
The band released its second full length album, Mountain Meadows, in 2008. Mountain Meadows" was co produced with John Critchley at Green Door studio in Toronto, where the album was also mixed. In keeping with the band's fondness of incorporating unique room tones within the recording, a number of locations across Canada were selected including; Healey Lake Lodge (Mactier ON), Wayne Town Hall (Wayne AB), Mt. Robson Lodge (Valemount BC), Halla Music (Toronto ON), Green Door Studio, and Casey's kitchen (Toronto ON).
Until June 2008, Pitkin's contribution to Elliott BROOD was embellished by his use of a Samsonite "Silhouette" suitcase instead of a conventional bass drum. After pummeling through several cases at inopportune times, he decided to put the idea to rest. This came after a particularly destructive encore on a double bill at Le Divan Orange club in Montreal, with the band "United Steelworkers of Montreal". The destroyed case from that show now resides as an art installation on the wall of the Moho Tavern in Peterborough.
No Way Out
Elliott BROOD Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sickness in my bones
Can't see a way out now
Fires all around tonight
Tonight, tonight
Oh tonight, oh tonight
Oh tonight, oh tonight
Keep running off the rails
Been running off the rails like
So many times before
It's still hard to leave when
You can't find the door
To lie, to lie
To lie to myself
Oh to lie, oh to lie
To lie
Just one more time
I tell it to myself
Can't outrun these fires
They're all around me now
Tonight, tonight
Tonight
The lyrics of Elliott BROOD's song "No Way Out" convey a sense of desperation and feeling trapped. The opening lines, "Strung out on a couch, A sickness in my bones," suggest a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. The singer feels overwhelmed and unable to see a way out of their current predicament. The repeated refrain of "Fires all around tonight" creates a vivid image of being surrounded by turmoil and chaos.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of self-deception and denial. The lines "It's still hard to leave when, You can't find the door, To lie, to lie, To lie to myself" depict a struggle to face reality and confront the truth. The singer acknowledges their tendency to deceive themselves and remain in a harmful situation, despite knowing deep down that it is not in their best interest.
Overall, "No Way Out" captures the emotional turmoil of feeling trapped and unable to escape a difficult situation. It explores themes of exhaustion, desperation, and the self-deception that can arise when one refuses to confront the truth.
Line by Line Meaning
Strung out on a couch
Feeling exhausted and worn out, unable to find any motivation or energy to get up from a couch
A sickness in my bones
A pervasive feeling of discomfort or unease deep within, affecting and weighing down the whole body
Can't see a way out now
Feeling completely trapped and unable to envision any possible escape or solution to the current situation
Fires all around tonight
Metaphorically surrounded by problems or challenges that feel overwhelming and dangerous, similar to being caught in a raging fire
Tonight, tonight
Emphasizing the immediacy and intensity of the negative emotions or circumstances experienced in the present moment
Oh tonight, oh tonight
Reinforcing the same sense of urgency and distress, pleading for a resolution or relief from the current state of affairs
Keep running off the rails
Consistently straying from the intended path or losing control, resulting in a continuous cycle of instability and unpredictability
Been running off the rails like
Having a history of repeatedly deviating from what is expected or desired, constantly encountering similar challenges
So many times before
Having experienced these difficulties and setbacks numerous times in the past
It's still hard to leave when
Despite the repeated negative experiences, finding it difficult to break free from the current situation or find a way out
You can't find the door
Feeling unable to locate or access the means to escape or move on from the current circumstances
To lie, to lie
Engaging in self-deception or dishonesty, pretending that everything is fine or under control
To lie to myself
Continuously deceiving oneself, denying the reality of the situation or the need for change
Oh to lie, oh to lie
Intensifying the recognition and repetition of the self-deception and denial, highlighting the internal struggle
Just one more time
Continuing the pattern of temporarily convincing oneself that things will improve or change, even if deep down it may not be true
I tell it to myself
Deluding oneself by repeating the false narrative or justification, attempting to maintain hope or sanity
Can't outrun these fires
Being unable to escape or evade the problems and challenges that surround and consume one's life, regardless of effort
They're all around me now
Suggesting that the problems and difficulties have multiplied and intensified, making it even more overwhelming and suffocating
Tonight, tonight
Emphasizing again the immediate and pressing nature of the distressing circumstances, reiterating the need for resolution
Tonight
Stressing the urgency and desperation for relief from the current state of entrapment and suffering
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Stephen Pitkin, Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind