Recorded with Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Lucero) in California, the album sees the band stripping down the expansive orchestration of 2009’s It’s Great To Be Alive and discovering what magic lurks at the core of Fake Problems’ collective psyche. “We wanted the album to be a little more subtle and let it speak for itself,” Farren explains when asked how found the act found the inspiration to craft a unique brand of music that manages to incorporate elements of infectious indie rock & roll and ‘60s girl groups—the latter of which is aided by crooning vocals courtesy of Fake Problems’ longtime friends/fans Arrested Development’s Mae Whiteman and Alia Shawkat.
Farren also acknowledges that Hutt helped the band realize their Phil Spector-esque wall of sound production style they had in their heads, which allowed them to transcend the DIY punk scene they grew up in without abandoning their roots. “In the past we would jam so many ideas into one song and it would just be too much,” Farren admits. “Ted helped us realize that while that approach is very creative, it’s wasn’t the best way to go about writing this record” he continues. “This album was a good exercise in restraint and filtering the ideas so we could make every good idea really count. “
From soul-inspired indie-rock experiments like “5678” and chilling compositions like “Ghost To Coast” to sparkling beach punk-inspired gems like “Complaint Dept,” Real Ghosts Caught On Tape effectively shows how Fake Problems have organically developed into one of rock’s most exciting acts and will undeniably see them attracting a whole new base of music fans who are looking for something in what they listen to that can’t be easily described or marketed. “The song ‘Complaint Dept’ was such a different thing for us to do because all of the guitar parts are so intricate and noodly,” Farren says when asked about some of his favorite moments on the album. “It was just so fun to be able to do that with our band because it’s surprising for a Fake Problems song, but it works for us.”
Real Ghosts Caught On Tape also sees Farren expanding his lyrical palette—and while he’s become well known for his theological imagery, this album sees Farren exploring himself more as opposed to any external deities. “There’s a theme in the lyrics of uncertainty,” he explains. “There’s an emphasis on fear, trying to persevere, not giving up hope and doing the best you can to stay positive,” he continues. “It’s more of a record about being yourself and living your own life than it is about any other person, concept or idea,” he summarizes. Although lines like “When I reach the pearly gates of hell, I’ll send those dimes back up the wishing well with a note tied to each that reads ‘Nobody’s listening.’” (from “Complaint Dept.”) still display Farren’s gift for wordplay and metaphor, “it’s more of a conversation than a sermon.”
That said, Real Ghosts Caught On Tape isn’t going to make Fake Problems an easy act to categorize—but that’s something that they wouldn’t change for the world. “Creatively we always molded our band from the beginning so that we’d be able to do anything and tour with anyone from Against Me! to William Elliott Whitmore to even the Dillinger Escape Plan,” Farren explains. “I think it’s kind of hard to slap our name on a sticker and recommend us if you like another band, but I think in the long term it’s definitely a blessing that we’re not pinpointed into one thing,” he continues. “We really don’t ever want to be that type of band.”
“Sometimes I dream of getting in my car and driving straight through the night,” vocalist Chris Farren croons on the intricately arranged ballad “Ghost To Coast.” Real Ghosts Caught On Tape is the perfect soundtrack to that journey from darkness to light, showcasing a band who have grown to new artistic heights lying on the other side of the horizon.
Fake Problems is an American rock band from Naples, Florida. They released their first album, How Far Our Bodies Go, on Sabot Productions on April 27, 2007. Their second record, It's Great to Be Alive, was released through Side One Dummy Records on February 17, 2009.
Growing up is never easy, but when you’re in a band it often seems impossible. Make the same record twice and you’re chastised for being repetitive, but if you make too large of a sonic shift your fan base will desert you. Luckily Naples, Florida’s Fake Problems have never had to deal with this dilemma because with each release they’ve not only organically reinvented their sound, they’ve also successfully redefined who they are as musicians and human beings in the process. The culmination of this is the band’s SideOneDummy debut It’s Great To Be Alive, which shows Fake Problems’ unique brand of indie rock finally shaking off the insecurity and soul-searching of adolescence and sees the band embracing a sense of perspective that can only be gained by spending countless months on the road touring, laughing and writing music they believe in.
In order to capture their creative vision for It’s Great To Be Alive the band packed up their van and headed to the cornfields of Omaha, Nebraska, where they spent two weeks tracking the album at ARC Studios with producer A.J. Mogis (Cursive, Rilo Kiley, The Faint). Although this might seem like an unconventional choice for a band who have toured with decidedly more aggressive peers such as Against Me! and the Riverboat Gamblers, Fake Problems were so prepared going into the studio they didn’t have to worry about getting bogged down with technicalities. “We knew exactly what order we wanted the record to be in and what auxiliary instruments we wanted to use on the songs,” Farren explains adding that Perry arranged the strings, Look Mexico’s Matt Agrella arranged the horns—and at one point the band even enlisted the help of a seven-piece horn section comprised of University of Nebraska students and teachers.
The result is an album that combines the band’s punk rock roots with elements of folk and indie rock to create a unique amalgam of music that’s as distinctive as Farren’s soulful tenor. “I’m definitely influenced by my musical surroundings, so there was never any decision to make ‘this’ or ‘that’ kind of song,” the band’s frontman explains, listing everyone from alt-country crooners like Ryan Adams to troubadours like Bob Dylan and rock revivalists such as the Hold Steady as influences this time around. “We write songs that we would want to hear from other artists,” he elaborates. “We make music that we want to listen to, so it just wouldn’t make sense to keep doing the same thing over and over again.
From the sinister shuffle of “You’re A Serpent, You’re a She-Snake” to orchestral ballads like “Tabernacle Song” and intricately layered anthems like “There Are Times,” It’s Great To Be Alive is less of a traditional album and more of a sonic journey that refuses to be limited by genre constraints.
ADT
Fake Problems Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the backrooms, in the bathrooms, I am still so out of place
I am shaking in my shoes and my hands are paralyzed
I tried to say something clever, but they all just roll their eyes
Just tap your feet along with your heartbeat
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
The television is waiting to save you
Just tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
Where am I supposed to go?
What am I expected to say?
Who the hell am I gonna pretend to be today?
If I disappear somehow, far away from this crowd
I would hide and hide and hide from every fear I can't confide in them
Tap your feet along with your heartbeat
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
The television is waiting to save you
It'd be nice to have a conversation
Just tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
If confidence is key, I must be locked out of the house
If home is where the heart is, then I do not have...
No, I do not have a pulse
Just tap your feet along with your heartbeat
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
The television is waiting to save you
It'd be nice to have a conversation
Just tap, tap your feet...
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
To your heartbeat
Tap, tap your feet to your heartbeat
The song "ADT" by Fake Problems expresses feelings of discomfort and anxiety in social situations and the search for a way to cope with these emotions. The singer of the song is struggling to fit in, feeling paralyzed and unable to speak up in front of others. He finds himself at odds with himself and with the people around him, feeling out of place and unconfident. The chorus seems to suggest a solution: to tap his feet along with his heartbeat, to focus on something simple that he can control and find comfort in.
The lyrics convey a sense of isolation and lack of belonging, with lines like "If I disappear somehow, far away from this crowd / I would hide and hide and hide from every fear I can't confide in them." The singer is searching for a way to connect with others but feels trapped in his own insecurity. The repeated refrain to tap one's feet along with the heartbeat seems to encourage a mindfulness practice, a way to ground oneself in the present moment and find relief from anxious thoughts. The TV is also mentioned as a possible escape, a numbing distraction from uncomfortable feelings.
Overall, "ADT" captures the struggle to find one's place in social situations and the search for coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety and insecurity.
Line by Line Meaning
If you can't take it anymore I would gladly fill your place
I am here for you and will take your place if the situation becomes unbearable.
In the backrooms, in the bathrooms, I am still so out of place
Even in quiet, private spaces, I still feel isolated and disconnected from my surroundings.
I am shaking in my shoes and my hands are paralyzed
My anxiety is overwhelming and physical, preventing me from taking any action.
I tried to say something clever, but they all just roll their eyes
My attempts to fit in or be noticed are often met with disdain or indifference.
Where am I supposed to go?
I feel lost and without direction.
What am I expected to say?
I am unsure of what is expected of me and what to say in social situations.
Who the hell am I gonna pretend to be today?
I feel pressure to be someone I'm not in order to fit in or be accepted.
If I disappear somehow, far away from this crowd
The idea of escape is appealing in order to avoid the anxiety and pressure of social situations.
No, I do not have a pulse
I feel emotionally numb and disconnected from myself and those around me.
If confidence is key, I must be locked out of the house
I lack the confidence necessary to navigate social situations and feel excluded as a result.
Just tap your feet along with your heartbeat
A coping mechanism to distract from anxiety and live in the present moment.
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
Keeping to oneself in order to avoid social discomfort.
The television is waiting to save you
A reliance on media or other distractions to avoid confronting anxiety.
It'd be nice to have a conversation
Despite the anxiety and discomfort, there is still a desire for connection and genuine interaction.
Contributed by Adeline B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@theotherevilmonkey72
*blows bubbles through bubble pipe majestically* (in old wise man voice) : Kids, y'all are gonna go far
@AriWilde
If you can't take it anymore
I will gladly fill your place
In the backrooms, in the bathrooms
I am still so out of place
I am shakin' in my shoes
And my hands are paralyzed
I try to say something clever
But they all just roll their eyes
Just tap your feet along with your heartbeat
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
The television is waiting to save you
It'd be nice to have a conversation
Just tap tap your feet to your heartbeat
Where am I supposed to go?
What am i expected to say?
Who the hell am I gonna pretend to be today?
If I disappear somehow, far away from this crowd
I will hide and hide and hide
from every fear I can't confide in them
Just tap your feet along with your heartbeat
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
The television is waiting to save you
It'd be nice to have a conversation
Just tap tap your feet to your heartbeat
If confidence is key,
I must be locked out of the house
If home is where the heart is,
I do not have a pulse
Just tap your feet along with your heartbeat
And don't say a word to anyone, anyone
The television is waiting to save you
It'd be nice to have a conversation
Just tap tap your feet to your heartbeat