Kael and Heather married in 2005, and shortly thereafter moved to Irvine, CA, where they met John Williams, who was also in the area doing a PhD in comparative literature at UC Irvine. Heather was studying biology, and Kael was already hard at work creating music for film and TV projects. One afternoon in the fall of 2007, looking for a distraction from writing his dissertation, John suggested to Kael and Heather that they write some music together. Within three weeks they had written a few songs, and put them up online (on ye olde Myspace). The response from listeners was fast and overwhelming, so much so that they were motivated to continue writing and release a full album, Dynamo, in 2008. After playing some shows in southern California, the band won “Best Electronic Band” at the OC Music Awards, and was listed by the New York Post as a “new music must-have.” NPR called the band’s debut album “clever, intriguing . . . even beautiful.”
When John graduated and got a job at Yale, and Heather was accepted to medical school at UCLA, the band realized they’d either have to carry on via long-distance songwriting, or else end the band. With Dynamo doing so well, and many more songs still on their way, the band decided to try songwriting bi-coastally. John purchased some home-recording equipment to take with him to Connecticut, while Heather and Kael moved to Los Angeles, where Robot Repair built a beautiful studio space for Kael to work in. During the next three years, the band sent tracks back and forth online, video chatting, and emailing notes to write two more studio albums, New Medium (2010), and The Matter (2012). The band’s sound had matured by this point into something more powerful and intense. Alternately sparse and epic, harmonic and grinding, pensive and playful, FPF was clearly moving beyond their electro-pop beginnings.
By 2013, FPF’s music seemed to be circulating everywhere, with millions of plays on Spotify, LastFM, Hype Machine, and Pandora, and appearances on everything from ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” to MTV’s “The Real World,” NBCSports, and E! Then, just as the band was contemplating a fourth album Kael and Heather discovered that they were expecting a baby. Many fans wondered whether Faded Paper Figures would be able to maintain its songwriting work with so much going on. But very little seems to slow them down. If anything, the music now comes with even greater clarity and brilliance, and as a result, the band is now set to release their fourth studio album in August, 2014, titled “Relics.” This most recent album promises to be their most honest, sophisticated, and ambitious, spanning a vast musical and lyrical spectrum, from epic synth-pop anthems on questions of life and death, to quiet, intense meditations on the passage of time. The band seems to have fully mastered not only their signature sound (electronic beats, gorgeous guitar riffs, and beautiful harmonies), but accelerated full force into a brave new world of sitars, analog synths, and even more intense vocals. Whatever emotions and uncanny dreams those day jobs are creating, it seems to be paying off enormously in their musical lives.
Breathing
Faded Paper Figures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but your breath
is everywhere I still want you to be.
Chicago fires
so full of death
could never keep your spirit far from me.
Falling off the glyphs,
nothing corresponds to what you mean,
Five degrees below,
far too cold to walk into the sea,
and no one sees the rising tide.
Now we're breathing as one, like two rays of the sun
Now we're breathing as one, like two rays of the sun
Translate the code
but not the words,
keep patching up the holes with love and bliss.
Old dream mine roads
and coffin clothes,
no love escapes this last necropolis.
Let me come inside,
keep me breathing through these former lives
in places no one ever finds.
Calling up the past,
nothing left if all these memories
are buried deep inside your mind.
Now we're breathing as one, like two rays of the sun
Now we're breathing as one, like two rays of the sun
Egypt had it right, your long eyelashes glide,
like irises, Osirises are guarding me tonight.
Whispering these signs, numbers in my mind,
so let it be, just come to me like jackals in the night.
The lyrics to Faded Paper Figures' song "Breathing" describe a sense of longing for someone who has passed away. Although the person is gone, their memory and essence still lingers all around the singer. They compare their presence to the aftermath of the Chicago fires, which despite their destruction, could not keep the person's spirit from permeating their surroundings. The singer is feeling lost and disconnected, as though nothing in their current life corresponds to the person they miss, and every word is overshadowed by their absence.
Despite the distance between them, the singer and the person they miss are still connected on a deeper level, symbolized by their breathing being as one, like two rays of the sun. The singer wants to hold onto this feeling of connection, as they try to decipher and make sense of the memories and emotions left behind. They describe trying to "translate the code but not the words," meaning that they are attempting to understand the deeper meaning behind their memories without getting bogged down in the literal details.
The bridge of the song takes on an almost mystical quality, with references to ancient Egypt and jackals in the night. The singer seems to be reaching out to the person they miss, asking for guidance and comfort in the midst of their grief.
Overall, "Breathing" is a poignant meditation on loss and the enduring power of memory and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you're gone, but your breath is everywhere I still want you to be.
Even though you have left, I feel your presence everywhere and still desire your company.
Chicago fires so full of death could never keep your spirit far from me.
Even though tragedy struck in Chicago, I believe you are still with me in spirit.
Falling off the glyphs, nothing corresponds to what you mean, and every word is set aside.
I am struggling to understand you, as none of the words seem to match up to what you truly mean.
Five degrees below, far too cold to walk into the sea, and no one sees the rising tide.
The environment is harsh and unforgiving, making it difficult to find peace or solace. Additionally, danger is approaching unnoticed.
Now we're breathing as one, like two rays of the sun
Our connection is so strong that we are functioning almost as a single entity.
Translate the code but not the words, keep patching up the holes with love and bliss.
Although we may not always understand each other, we continue to work on our relationship and fill any gaps with love and happiness.
Old dream mine roads and coffin clothes, no love escapes this last necropolis.
Even in old or dark places, love cannot be escaped or denied.
Let me come inside, keep me breathing through these former lives in places no one ever finds.
Allow me to be a part of your past and keep me alive through memories and experiences that nobody else knows about.
Calling up the past, nothing left if all these memories are buried deep inside your mind.
Reflecting on the past becomes pointless if those memories are hidden and inaccessible.
Egypt had it right, your long eyelashes glide, like irises, Osirises are guarding me tonight.
Referencing Egyptian mythology, your beautiful eyes are a source of protection and comfort for me.
Whispering these signs, numbers in my mind, so let it be, just come to me like jackals in the night.
Receiving small hints or clues from you, I am calling for your presence to come to me stealthily and without warning.
Contributed by Keira M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@spacecowb0iinot60
literalmente no tienen ninguna cancion mala, los escuchare a diario para que ganen reconocimiento
@inperfectrhythm
This is insane! insanely awesome. Can't wait for you guys to come back to Boston... I'm so sad I missed you!! Love from MA :) <3
@yanboubou
Love the colors! Love the music! Love you guys! :)
@tenuousphenomena
Love it!
@kai_stults7852
AMAZING LOVE IT :3
@ErnestoVargasHernandez
great! love this song!
@lindab1511
me gusta mucho, desde la primera vez que la escuche
@TheZenaMan
Love it!
@madsalama
This is so good. I love it !
@iaa98
+metalnumbz
me to