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.
Lost Stars
Faded Paper Figures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of California highway
I wanted to share with you.
There were still foothills and fires,
and breakdowns on the runways,
I wanted to run with you.
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
and dreaming of what could be,
wanting to move with you.
Watching concrete island towns,
and skyways full of palm trees
and walking along with you.
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
I found you like a culinary gem
in a stucco-pink strip mall,
I found you as the curtain's coming
down on a melancholy romcom.
I found you in California.
The lyrics of Lost Stars by Faded Paper Figures depict a longing for a lost love in the state of California. The singer of the song recalls memories of vast highways and scenic vistas that they wished to share with their significant other. As they look back on those memories, the singer remembers feeling college-bound and dreaming of a life together. These happy memories are juxtaposed with the idea of lost stars and causes, hinting at the underlying sadness and regret that the singer feels about this lost love.
The song takes on a more wistful tone as the singer recounts the small moments that made their time together special. They recall discovering their love in an unlikely place, a strip mall, and enjoying the bittersweet ending of a romantic movie together. The final line, "I found you in California," reinforces the idea that this state holds deep meaning for the singer and their memories of love.
Overall, Lost Stars is a poignant reflection on lost love and the power of memory to evoke longing and regret. The song captures the complex feelings of nostalgia, heartbreak, and hope that can accompany the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
There were still entire empires of California highway
There were vast stretches of beautiful Californian roads that I wanted to explore with you.
I wanted to share with you
I longed to experience the beauty of the empire with you.
There were still foothills and fires
There were mountains and wildfires in the distance that we could witness together.
and breakdowns on the runways
We could face any unforeseen circumstances together while traveling.
I wanted to run with you
I wished to embark on this adventure with you, to travel fast and far while holding hands.
Lost stars are coming on
I feel lost and unsure of the future.
Lost causes calling on
I am fighting for something hopeless and it's dragging me down.
I was second college bound
I was unsure of my future plans after finishing high school and possibly wanting to attend college.
and dreaming of what could be
I was optimistic about the endless possibilities the future held for me.
wanting to move with you
I wished to go through life's transitions with you.
Watching concrete island towns
Observing cities on islands of concrete.
and skyways full of palm trees
A birds-eye view of the land filled with palm trees.
and walking along with you
Going through life's experiences with you by my side.
I found you like a culinary gem in a stucco-pink strip mall
You are a rare and precious discovery to me, amidst the mundane everyday life.
I found you as the curtain's coming down on a melancholy romcom
You entered my life when I was losing hope in love and bring joy and happiness to my life like a fairy tale ending.
I found you in California
I discovered you in the land of infinite possibilities and beauty.
Contributed by Camden L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paulo Guerreiro
There were still entire empires
Of California highway
I wanted to share with you.
There were still foothills and fires,
And breakdowns on the runways,
I wanted to run with you.
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
I was second college bound,
And dreaming of what could be,
Wanting to move with you.
Watching concrete island towns,
And skyways full of palm trees
And walking along with you.
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
I found you like a culinary gem
In a stucco-pink strip mall,
I found you as the curtain's coming
Down on a melancholy romcom.
I found you in California.
Wishcash junev
Found you guys by a mere accident, i'm glad it happened. I truly enjoy your music
Alos
This should have like 7 million views, not thousand.. Great song! :D
Marcelo Metayer
Seven biliion.
John K Peterson
On our honeymoon, my wife and I traveled Highway 1 from Carmel-by-the-sea to San Simeon (Hearst Castle), so this video brings back some good memories of amazing vistas and fun times!
Paulo Guerreiro
There were still entire empires
Of California highway
I wanted to share with you.
There were still foothills and fires,
And breakdowns on the runways,
I wanted to run with you.
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
I was second college bound,
And dreaming of what could be,
Wanting to move with you.
Watching concrete island towns,
And skyways full of palm trees
And walking along with you.
Lost stars are coming on
Lost causes calling on
I found you like a culinary gem
In a stucco-pink strip mall,
I found you as the curtain's coming
Down on a melancholy romcom.
I found you in California.
ZerX Music
This song is so good! Can't stop listening :)
J S
i dont remember where i first heard this...but its so addictive. i cant believe this has only 40k views?! deserves a few million at least!
RNorthex
by far one of my favorites on the album
Amadd
Some songs can just grab you and take you on a magnificent journey. Awesome.
Jaclyn Munoz
Faded paper figures can do no wrong!!!! What a fantastic new album - again!