Formation and Early Years (2000 – 2001)
Emery formed in 2001 in Rock Hill, South Carolina but moved to Seattle, Washington in search of a better musical environment. The band was named after a first grader that Toby Morrell met while working as an intern for a teacher in college. The four members in the band at the time, Toby Morrell (vocals/guitar), Devin Shelton (drums), Matt Carter (guitar/keyboards), and Joel "Chopper" Green (bass) actually left Rock Hill, South Carolina for Seattle on September 11, the day of the terrorist attacks; they found out about the attacks when they stopped at a local diner in South Carolina. Most of the members are from the bands Sachul, Joe 747, Simply Waynes and Oogie Brown. After a little while Seth Studley, who was one of the original members of the band, broke out of a serious relationship and followed them to Seattle and resumed his post as drummer. Since Seth took over drums, Devin went ahead and took the position of guitarist.
The Weak's End (2002 – 2004)
After making Emerald City their new home in Seattle, Washington, Emery signed a record deal with Tooth & Nail Records, also of Seattle, in 2002. Wasting no time, Emery paired up with producer/engineer Ed Rose and worked on their debut album, The Weak's End. It was produced at the Black Lodge Studio in Eudora, Kansas. The record was released in January 2004 by Tooth & Nail Records. Emery toured extensively to promote their new release.
The Question (2005 – 2006)
While touring, Seth Studley decided to leave the band in order to get married and Emery had to look for a new drummer. While touring with Haste the Day, Dave Powell was brought out to audition. Powell was officially put in the band on November 2005. Powell originally played in the Indianapolis-based metalcore/hardcore band The Bowels of Judas.
Soon after touring, Emery went back into the studio to record their next record with production done by Aaron Sprinkle this time around. The band took five weeks in recording sessions. The Question was released on August 2, 2005. "Studying Politics" was released as the album's first single with a video emerging on June 29, 2005. On November 21, 2006, Emery re-released The Question, adding a DVD, five acoustic versions of previously recorded songs and two new demo tracks, which were produced by Matt Carter. The DVD included a documentary film of Emery, live songs and bonus footage.
After the re-release, Joel "Chopper" Green decided to leave the band. On September 19, 2006, Emery posted a blog on their website explaining the departure. Devin and Toby since then switched bass parts in concerts and in the studio.
I'm Only A Man (2007 – 2008)
While touring with Underoath in Australia, Emery announced that they were releasing a new album. The album, I'm Only A Man, leaked onto the internet before its official release on October 2, 2007. The album was produced by Ryan Boesch and Matt Carter and recorded at Dark Horse Studio in Tennessee. It received mixed reviews. Emery released a deluxe edition of the album as well, which featured four acoustic songs that were recorded while on the Take Action Tour with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and DVD with a live footage and a documentary. The iTunes version of the deluxe edition also added a bonus track called "Whoa! Man".
While Broken Hearts Prevail and ...In Shallow Seas We Sail (2008 – 2010)
Emery announced in an interview on TVU that they finished a new 8-track EP entitled While Broken Hearts Prevail, which was released on October 28, 2008. They began premiering some of the new material while on tour opening for The Almost, including a song entitled "Edge Of The World".
In an interview with Toby Morrell, Emery announced that would be releasing a new album called ...In Shallow Seas We Sail. Up until the announcement of Emery resigning to Tooth & Nail Records, it was unsure if the band would seek a new label, since their contract had expired. They re-signed with Tooth & Nail and soon gave out information on their new release.
On April 7, 2009, Emery released a new song entitled "Cutthroat Collapse" on their Myspace, Purevolume, and iTunes. On May 29, 2009, Emery put ...In Shallow Seas We Sail in its entirety up on their Myspace. On June 2, 2009, ...In Shallow Seas We Sail was officially released.
During their headlining U.S. tour, Emery had selected dates filmed for a DVD in the works. The release date is unknown at this time. Emery set out on tour supporting Underoath on their fall/winter headlining tour for the rest of the year. In the summer of 2010 they went on the "Scream it Like You Mean it" tour with Silverstein, Ivoryline, Dance Gavin Dance, We Came as Romans, Sky Eats Airplane, and I Set My Friends On Fire.
We Do What We Want (2011- 2012)
On January 26, 2011 it was announced that the band's fifth album We Do What We Want is set to be released on March 29, 2011. The band also released a clip of a song titled "Scissors". Another song titled "The Curse of Perfect Days" has been released to Christian rock radio stations.
On January 31, 2011, vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and bassist Devin Shelton announced he was taking an "indefinite hiatus" from Emery.
On February 1, 2011 a song titled "The Cheval Glass" was released on the band's Facebook, Youtube and Myspace page. On February 17, 2011, the band announced that We Do What We Want would be released through both Tooth & Nail and their hardcore/metal subdivision Solid State Records reflecting the heavier sound of the album.
In 2012, Toby Morrell and Matt Carter formed a side project duo, simply called Matt & Toby, with a more acoustic/electronic type sound. The duo released a self-titled album in November of that year via Tooth & Nail.
Bad Christian Music (2013 - present)
In 2013 Emery did not resign with Tooth & Nail records, subsequently leaving the label. Later that year, they founded Bad Christian Music, a blog & podcast website, as well as an indie record label.
In 2014, the band released two books, Bad Christian, Great Savior, and The M Word.
On May 19th, 2015 Emery released their sixth full length album, their first album via Bad Christian Music, You Were Never Alone. The album peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on Top Christian Albums, No. 6 on Independent Albums, No. 8 on Alternative Music[ No. 10 on Top Rock Albums and No. 31 on Top Album Sales.
Bands such as Abandon Kansas and The Classic Crime have also joined the artist roster of Bad Christian Music.
Members
Toby Morrell: lead vocals, guitar
Matt Carter: guitar, aggressive vocals
Josh Head: keyboard, vocals, aggressive vocals
Dave Powell: drums
Former Members
Devin Shelton: guitar, lead vocals (on indefinite hiatus now)
Seth Studley: drums
Joel Green: bass
Joey Svendsen: bass
The Walls
Emery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We write a thousand pages
They're torn and on the floor
Headlights hammer the windows
We're locked behind these doors
And we are never leaving
This place is part of us
And all these scenes repeating
My hands seem to deceive me
When I'm nervous or when I'm healthy
The scenery's all drawn.
They hang here from the walls dear
Painting pictures, bleeding colors
Blanket the windows
Sometimes it gets so hard to breathe
Your eyes see right through me
These fights with your arms left beside
One thing and one more says goodnight
You've got the map come get to me
These knuckles break before they bleed
Tear out these veins that own my heart
This skin that wears your lasting marks
I've built these walls come get to me, come get to me
Is this your lesson, a slight discretion
The lines that keep you, the lines that sweep you
Lock the doors from inside
Your face is so contagious, it wears announcements
It leaves me breathless, I won't forget this, I won't forget
Let the walls have their say
This time the walls will have their say
No conversation, without remorse
And this television drowns the only source
Wake from these dreams of you in my arms
To the staircase where you hold my heart
This place, these walls mean everything to me
The song 'Walls' by Emery is a sad story of a couple who are trapped in their own fears, and the walls they have built around themselves. The opening lines convey the idea that the couple is isolated from the outside world and is unlikely to leave. The reference to "torn and on the floor" pages implies that they have tried to write about their feelings but have ended up tearing them all down. The lines "And we are never leaving, This place is part of us" suggest that they have made a prison of their own making and are unable to escape.
As the song progresses, the lyrics convey an image of the couple being emotionally trapped. The words "My hands seem to deceive me, When I'm nervous or when I'm healthy," suggest that the person is suffering from severe anxiety and is unable to control it. The imagery of the scenery being drawn, and bleeding colors suggest that the person is experiencing a sense of emotional chaos. The lyric "These fights with your arms left beside, One thing and one more says goodnight," conveys a sense of being alone in a relationship, with no one to hold on to.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "come get to me" over and over again, conveying the sense of desperation the person feels for human contact that is missing in their life. The final lines "This place, these walls mean everything to me," encapsulate the central idea of the song – the Walls that surround them are a symbol of their own making, and the only way they know how to exist.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you listening?
The singer addresses someone and asks if they are paying attention.
We write a thousand pages
They have written a lot about their experiences in this place.
They're torn and on the floor
The writings have been destroyed and scattered on the ground.
Headlights hammer the windows
The light coming from the outside hits the windows with force.
We're locked behind these doors
They are trapped inside this place with no escape.
And we are never leaving
They have accepted their fate and decided to stay in this place forever.
This place is part of us
This place has become a significant and inseparable part of their lives.
And all these scenes repeating
They keep reliving the same experiences over and over again.
Are cold to the touch
Their memories of this place have lost their emotional significance.
My hands seem to deceive me
The artist's body is not responding as they expect it to.
When I'm nervous or when I'm healthy
The singer's mental and physical states affect their body's response to stimuli.
The scenery's all drawn.
The landscapes they observe have been created by their own minds.
They hang here from the walls dear
Their imagined landscapes are now physically present in the form of paintings on the walls.
Painting pictures, bleeding colors
The paintings on the walls are vivid and emotionally charged.
Blanket the windows
The paintings cover the windows, blocking out any external source of light.
Sometimes it gets so hard to breathe
The artist feels suffocated by their mental state and their physical surroundings.
Your eyes see right through me
The artist feels exposed and vulnerable around the addressee.
These fights with your arms left beside
The addressee has not physically fought with the singer, but their absence in moments of conflict feels like a betrayal.
One thing and one more says goodnight
The singer longs for something more in their relationship with the addressee, but the addressee is unable to provide it.
You've got the map come get to me
The artist is lost and needs the addressee to guide them.
These knuckles break before they bleed
The artist is physically and emotionally drained from their struggles, and they feel as if they are on the verge of collapse.
Tear out these veins that own my heart
The artist's emotional attachment to the addressee is overwhelming and unhealthy, and they want to get rid of it.
This skin that wears your lasting marks
The singer is physically marked by their attachment to the addressee.
I've built these walls come get to me, come get to me
The artist has created emotional barriers between themselves and the addressee, but they want the addressee to break down those walls and reach out to them.
Is this your lesson, a slight discretion
The singer wonders if the addressee is purposely teaching them a lesson or if their reactions are part of a conscious decision.
The lines that keep you, the lines that sweep you
The singer feels that there are invisible lines between them and the addressee that both connect and separate them.
Lock the doors from inside
The singer has intentionally created barriers and defenses against the addressee in order to protect themselves.
Your face is so contagious, it wears announcements
The addressee's facial expressions are very expressive and reveal a lot about their feelings and personality.
It leaves me breathless, I won't forget this, I won't forget
The addressee's presence has a strong emotional impact on the artist, and they feel that they will never forget it.
Let the walls have their say
The singer wants to express their feelings and needs, but they feel that the walls and the environment around them have a power of their own and need to be acknowledged.
This time the walls will have their say
The singer has decided to let the emotional tension in their environment take control and dictate their emotional response.
No conversation, without remorse
The artist and the addressee are unable to communicate without experiencing guilt or regret.
And this television drowns the only source
The only source of information or entertainment is the TV, and it consumes all of the artist's attention and energy.
Wake from these dreams of you in my arms
The artist is unable to escape their emotional attachment to the addressee even in their dreams.
To the staircase where you hold my heart
The staircase is a significant location for the singer and represents their strong emotional connection to the addressee.
This place, these walls mean everything to me
The artist's emotional world revolves around this physical space and everything in it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: YASMIN GREEN, SAM EYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidh3023
2024 and Emery is still amazing!
@frankmarano1118
Damn straight!
@brimbotungus8507
Named my daughter after them lol
@davidh3023
@@brimbotungus8507 your daughter has a great name!!
@sandragalletas6022
Si ❤
@maxpow99
2020 and Emery is still dope
@xTaftx
That coronavirus though.
@emeryhersh8702
Thanks bro!😂👌
@dcconcertclipguy7013
hell yeah duuude
@ladyfibonaccii
@@emeryhersh8702 😂😂