The band had roots in the influential Long Island, NY scene, having played everywhere from backyards to bar mitzvahs, to opening on huge tours with veteran bands like Taking Back Sunday. Their energetic live performances and the desire to extract all traces of the "rockstar attitude" from their music garnered them a huge fanbase, especially in the Northeast. Over time, the band has been fortunate to have met some people who have jumped aboard to help the band in ways that they couldn't for themselves. Bryan Russell, who engineered the band's first EP at his Brooklyn loft, passed the record on to Will Noon, who at the time played drums in Long Island favorite Straylight Run. Noon offered to help the band gain exposure to booking agents and record labels.
As the band grew frustrated and disgusted at being courted by the labels, they were fortunate enough to meet booking agent Matt Galle, who gave their record a listen and offered to help the band. Galle was the piece to the puzzle that Envy needed. He quickly befriended the band and saw eye-to-eye with their plan to tour incessantly, and made it happen. The band went on to release 2007's Lucy Gray, which saw the band having minor success with single, "Sugar Skulls" especially on networks like FuseTV, where the video aired in heavy rotation.
In 2009, drummer Dan Gluszak made a decision to leave, with the band offering a statement via Myspace: "We, as a band, have decided to part ways with our drummer, Dan. I can't overstate how much it pains me and the rest of the guys to have to announce the departure of one of our founding members but at the end of the day, we truly believe it is in the best interest of all parties involved to go our separate ways."
During 2010, the band released their darkest and deepest work, a full length entitled "Lowcountry" that drew on a number of musical influences, from metal to Southern roots and blues. It would be the last release the band would put out before announcing their split, which some speculate was due to growing frustrations and differences with the label over future success of the band.
In July 2010, Envy on The Coast announced their breakup with three final farewell shows, ending the band's six year run. The band stated in a message on their Facebook page that members Sal Bossio and Jeremy Velardi had approached the rest of the band, informing them of their impending departure. Vocalist Ryan Hunter stated in the message, "They explained that they are no longer happy being a part of this, and there was nothing Brian and I could do or say to change that. Because Envy on the Coast was founded upon the musical and personal relationships between the four of us, Brian and I have decided that we would rather move forward rather than finding musicians to replace Sal and Jer."
In a separate Myspace message announcing the final shows, Hunter explained that guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Sal Bossio and bassist Jer Velardi had decided to leave the group, causing the band to decide it was time “to pull that curtain down.” Hunter wrote, “Brian and I decided a long time ago that we wanted to be artists. That can mean a lot of things, but to us it just means we want to keep making art and music together. And that’s what we plan on doing. I doubt anyone’s mentally ready to swallow ‘what’s next’ yet, so we’ll just leave it at that for now. In the coming weeks, we’ll be announcing our three final shows and together, we will celebrate the death of something beautiful. Thank you all for being a part of this.”
Their sold out last show took place at NYC's Irving Plaza on August 28th, 2010. Byrne and Hunter have moved on to form North Korea, while Bossio and Velardi are reportedly working on new music endeavors.
Bad News
Envy on the Coast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is here for you
But obviously
To everything and love ya, too..
Your body feels brand new
Life is good for you
Til they die for you're still singin' for
If his hook is in your mouth and he's got you...
He's got you!
Oh,
He's got you.
I'm bad news
So the things I do
You let me in and I swear I'll prove to you
The medicine just won't go down.
Swallow again and again and again
And again
Bad news
It is here for you
Life is spread around
You're sparkling
Like a born again
But nothing's ever new
You know that's true
I call it pretty music
But my father keeps on callin' it the blues! ohhh ohh oh
Oh..
Callin' it for you...
He's callin' it the blues, ohh..
I'm bad news so the things I do..
Let me in and I swear I'll prove to you..
The medicine just won't go down.
Swallow again and again and again..
And again.. oh.. and again..
Oh.. and again! oh!!
Bad news
Bad news
Ohh..
Now bad news
Well I'm bad news!
Well I call it pretty music
My father keeps on callin' it the blues!
The song Bad News by Envy on the Coast seems to be about someone who is bad for another person. The lyrics speak about how this individual is bad news, but the person they are addressing can't seem to let go. The chorus repeats "Bad news, it is here for you" which suggests that this person is not good for them, yet they still let them in.
The second verse continues the theme of the person being bad news, but proposes that they can prove themselves to be different. The line "The medicine just won't go down, swallow again and again and again" suggests that the person knows they shouldn't be with this individual, but they can't help themselves.
The last few lines of the song reference the fact that the person singing may be aware of their bad influence, but they still refer to their actions as "pretty music" while their father calls it "the blues". This suggests that while the singer may know their actions are wrong, they are still trying to justify them in some way.
Overall, the song seems to be about the cycle of being drawn to someone who is not good for you, yet you continue to let them in despite knowing it will only lead to more pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad News
An ominous message is in store
It is here for you
This message is intended for you specifically
But obviously
Its presence is clear and unmistakable
To everything and love ya, too..
Even when everything seems good and you're loved, bad news can still find you
Your body feels brand new
You feel revitalized and energetic
Life is good for you
Things are going well right now
Til they die for you're still singin' for
The good times don't last forever and eventually, they will come to an end
If his hook is in your mouth and he's got you...
You may be in a situation where you feel trapped or powerless
He's got you,
He's got you!
He has complete control over you
Oh,
He's got you.
You are completely in his grasp
I'm bad news
The bearer of bad news is present
So the things I do
The bad news is caused by the artist's behavior
You let me in and I swear I'll prove to you
If you allow me in, I can demonstrate my bad news to you
The medicine just won't go down.
The bad news is unpalatable and difficult to accept
Swallow again and again and again
And again
Despite how tough it is to digest, you must continue trying to accept the bad news
Life is spread around
You're sparkling
Like a born again
You feel reborn and renewed after experiencing a period of happiness
But nothing's ever new
You know that's true
Despite this feeling, nothing is truly new - this is just the cycle of life
I call it pretty music
But my father keeps on callin' it the blues! ohhh ohh oh
The singer is aware of their own tendency to sugarcoat unpleasant news, but their father sees it for what it is
Callin' it for you...
He's callin' it the blues, ohh..
Even when the singer tries to hide the bad news, others can see the reality of the situation
Now bad news
Well I'm bad news!
The artist reiterates their role in the delivery of bad news
Contributed by Brooklyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@preludesi100
good no dislikes, envy on the coast is fucking amazing i wish they were still together. they should do a comeback tour, id rock the shit out of that.
@GDRhodes1
Thanks for uploading these man..I got the bonus tracks for pre ordering as well but I dont know how to get them o.o
@RegardeLeBeauMouton
Bad News
It is here for you
But obviously
To everything and love ya, too..
Your body feels brand new
Life is good for you
Til they die for you're still singin' for
If his hook is in your mouth and he's got you...
He's got you,
He's got you!
Oh,
He's got you.
I'm bad news
So the things I do
You let me in and I swear I'll prove to you
The medicine just won't go down.
Swallow again and again and again
And again
Bad news
It is here for you
Life is spread around
You're sparkling
Like a born again
But nothing's ever new
You know that's true
I call it pretty music
But my father keeps on callin' it the blues! ohhh ohh oh
Oh..
Callin' it for you...
He's callin' it the blues, ohh..
I'm bad news so the things I do..
Let me in and I swear I'll prove to you..
The medicine just won't go down.
Swallow again and again and again..
And again.. oh.. and again..
Oh.. and again! oh!!
Bad news
Bad news
Ohh..
Now bad news
Well I'm bad news!
Well I call it pretty music
My father keeps on callin' it the blues!