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 beginning
Emery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't go
I've been walking through these woods shivering in these new clothes
And I
I wanted to see
The world through eyes
But they were never meant for me
we waited completely naked
But never underestimate the lie, that kind
that breaks it, the whole life that you tasted
I thought I heard her say
I don't want to go
But the words hurt more than I thought through
And nothing leaves you quite as cold
As my father's back turned on me
When you take someone down the garden path
You take someone for all they have
And death
Was only a word
But to a jealous heart that has made its plans
It was the soil that gave it birth
And the sun it’s light there on me
Shone through the clouds and upon my feet
To the ground that we chose as a door to leave
Die for one man
I was so in love, I was just so young and so in love
How could I say no to the hand that was built for me
I saw it so clear, like the first day you laughed or said my name
I couldn't say no, but we both know, we both know
We would have been changed like the days of our lives
(The illusion was ours, it was joy it was rapture)
Oh this place is a hell with its death and goodbyes
And you can't stop yourself when you’re dreaming of days
But these pieces will fade until there's only this place
.
In this world that’s to come, it's only the fear
Was there ever a moment, just a moment the truth could touch our lips
Would it have mattered, the harvest will come
If I would have chosen another, it would have meant I loved him more than you
In Emery's song "The Beginning," the singer expresses their desire to experience life through a different perspective. They describe themselves as walking through the woods in new clothes, shivering, and wanting to see the world through different eyes. However, they realize that these eyes were never meant for them. In the second verse, the singer references a moment where they waited naked, only to be deceived and hurt by someone they trusted. The lyrics convey a sense of disappointment and betrayal.
The rest of the song continues to describe the singer's disillusionment with the world and those around them. They reference their father's rejection and lack of support, as well as a failed relationship where they couldn't say no, ultimately leading to regret. The lyrics are introspective and complex, touching on themes of disillusionment, betrayal, and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait
Hold on, stay a bit longer, don't just leave yet
Don't go
Please don't leave me here all alone
I've been walking through these woods shivering in these new clothes
I've been wandering aimlessly with uncertainty, afraid and uncomfortable in these new circumstances
And I
I wanted to see
The world through eyes
But they were never meant for me
I wanted to experience the world as it is, but I realized that I'll never be able to see it the way others do
It was placed just right, to catch the eyes
we waited completely naked
But never underestimate the lie, that kind
that breaks it, the whole life that you tasted
The trap was set perfectly to lure us in, but in our vulnerability, we were stripped bare and deceived by a lie that destroyed everything
I thought I heard her say
I don't want to go
But the words hurt more than I thought through
And nothing leaves you quite as cold
As my father's back turned on me
When you take someone down the garden path
You take someone for all they have
I may have heard her object, but her words couldn't hurt as much as her leaving did; the betrayal from a loved one who turned their back is the coldest feeling of all, and the person who deceives you robs you of all that you have
And death
Was only a word
But to a jealous heart that has made its plans
It was the soil that gave it birth
And the sun it’s light there on me
Shone through the clouds and upon my feet
To the ground that we chose as a door to leave
Death was just a word until my jealous heart made plans that led to its birthing; the sun still shone on me, revealing the path of escape we chose
Die for one man
I was so in love, I was just so young and so in love
How could I say no to the hand that was built for me
I saw it so clear, like the first day you laughed or said my name
I couldn't say no, but we both know, we both know
I was so blinded by love that I couldn't deny the hand that fate dealt me; it was as clear to me as the joy of the first day you smiled and spoke my name, but deep down we both know that there was no stopping it
We would have been changed like the days of our lives
(The illusion was ours, it was joy it was rapture)
Oh this place is a hell with its death and goodbyes
We would have evolved and grown as much as the days pass; the joy we felt in the beginning was our illusion that came with a bitter end as this world can be a living hell full of death and separation
And you can't stop yourself when you’re dreaming of days
But these pieces will fade until there's only this place
.
In this world that’s to come, it's only the fear
You can't help but dream of the past, but those memories will fade until we're left with only this place; in the future, it's just apprehension that persists
Was there ever a moment, just a moment the truth could touch our lips
Would it have mattered, the harvest will come
Did we ever have the chance to acknowledge what was really happening? Would it have made a difference? We will all reap what we sow
If I would have chosen another, it would have meant I loved him more than you
If I had picked someone else, it would mean that I loved them more than I loved you
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: CARTER MATTHEW D, MORRELL TOBY JAMES, POWELL DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
willyJdiaz
Dude. This just sent me back in time. It has this nostalgic early 2000's feeling to it. I was just waiting for Toby to just jump at the end.. This is great
Big Boss
Love this song :D
Ed Tuey
Amazeballs!
Disgruntled Grunt
Love this song
Joao Ricardo
Awesome!!!
Andre Dos Santos
PURE Emery...
haveagreenday
Toby's beard was so glorious.
Deivid Ramon
I can see Adam & Eve talking one each other when i'm listening to this song.
Bob 01
If I would have chosen another it would have meant that I loved him more than you💖💖💖💖💖
R0uN81
Why it has to have a dislike button ?