“Empty City Nights,” their latest album, is an intimate portrait of urban life, love and loneliness. Recorded on one microphone for only $200, it is presented as glimpses into the lives of different people during one “empty city night.” It is the kind of stripped back, raw, and emotional album that fans of far beyond frail’s live shows and earlier EP’s have been waiting for years to hear.
“The album was inspired by the view from my loft in downtown Kansas City. I’d be looking out my window late at night, see a handful of lights on, and wonder what might be happening in those apartments,” says far beyond frail guitarist and songwriter David Cecil. Sharlynn Verner, the band’s vocalist adds, “It’s kind of a reflection on how isolated city life can feel, even though you’re in such close proximity to so many people going through the same things.”
While this is far beyond frail’s fifth release, they’ve typically recorded with full bands, producers, and larger studio budgets. “We’ve been crisscrossing the country for years, touring as a duo, so we thought it was time to make an album as a duo,” says Cecil. “We wanted to see what would happen if it was just the two of us in a room, with the ability to hit record. So, we bought a cheap microphone and set out to make the whole thing with just it and my laptop.”
Even though “Empty City Nights” is a departure from how far beyond frail has made albums in the past, it doesn’t stray far from the sound that has made them an underground success story. Drawing from influences like Counting Crows, Aimee Mann and Sarah McLachlan, as well as contemporaries like Ingrid Michaelson, A Fine Frenzy, and Sarah Bareilles, “Empty City Nights” is edgy, emotional pop music that combines singer-songwriter sincerity with alt-rock intensity. “We think it’s the closest we’ve come to capturing whatever it is that made us want to write songs and play them for people in the first place,” says Verner.
“Empty City Nights” is available wherever digital music is sold, including far beyond frail’s online store at http://music.farbeyondfrail.com, where listeners can preview the entire album and name their price to download it. For more information, visit the band's website at http://www.farbeyondfrail.com.
Indigo
Far Beyond Frail Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We started out slow
And it figures that I’d be the last to know
That you, were only playing a game
Wasn’t my face you saw
Just a girl you once knew by a different name
And if your heart is really in this
I wish you’d find a way to show it
Wondering which way to go
Caught between your violet skies
And your blue eyes
I’m feeling like indigo
With no one to call my own…
You said that I am the light of the moon
The light of the sun
And I’m the place in which all your good things go
And you said you
Don’t wanna see me cry
You just can’t bear to say goodbye
Before I do
So if your heart is really in this
Could you find a way to let me know it
‘Cuz I’m out on a line
Wondering which way to go
Caught between your violet skies
And your blue eyes
I’m feeling like indigo
With no one to call my own…
I’m tired of the meaningless words you say
We’re perfect and broken in one
Fucked up day
And I’m out on a line
Wondering which way to go
Caught between your violet skies
And your blue eyes
I’m feeling like indigo
With no one to call my own…
The song "Indigo" by Far Beyond Frail is about the confusion and pain that comes with being in a relationship where one person is not fully committed. The singer sings about how the relationship started out fast and slow, but she was unaware that her partner was only playing a game. He only saw her as a girl he once knew by a different name and not someone he truly cared about. The singer is caught in the middle, unsure of what to do because she is torn between her partner's violet skies and blue eyes. She feels lost and alone, represented by the color indigo, with no one to call her own.
The singer is tired of her partner's meaningless words and broken promises. He tells her that she is the light of the moon and sun, but she knows that he doesn't truly mean it. She is tired of being strung along and wants her partner to either commit fully or let her go. She is tired of being caught between his lies and false promises, and just wants to know where she stands.
Overall, "Indigo" is a song about the pain and confusion that comes with being in a one-sided relationship. The singer is lost and alone, wanting either a true commitment or a clean break, but unsure of how to proceed.
Line by Line Meaning
We started out fast
Our relationship began with excitement and passion
We started out slow
Our relationship also had times of calm and ease
And it figures that I’d be the last to know
I was unaware that you were not truly invested in our relationship
That you, were only playing a game
You were not truthful with me and only interested in playing with my emotions
Wasn’t my face you saw
You didn't truly see me for who I am
Just a girl you once knew by a different name
You only saw me as a person from your past and didn't really get to know me
And if your heart is really in this
If you truly care about me and our relationship
I wish you’d find a way to show it
I hope you can demonstrate your true feelings instead of just saying things
‘Cuz I’m out on a line
I am stuck in the middle of our relationship with no clear direction
Wondering which way to go
I am confused and unsure of what to do next
Caught between your violet skies
I am trapped between the intensity of your passion and emotions
And your blue eyes
And your cool and apathetic demeanor that is hard to read
I’m feeling like indigo
I am experiencing a complex and hard-to-define mix of emotions
With no one to call my own…
And I feel alone and unsupported in this situation
You said that I am the light of the moon
You previously expressed intense affection and admiration for me
The light of the sun
And you spoke of me as being central to your world and happiness
And I’m the place in which all your good things go
You have placed all of your positive feelings and love within me and our relationship
And you said you
You once told me
Don’t wanna see me cry
You don't want to witness me in pain or discomfort
You just can’t bear to say goodbye
You are struggling to confront the idea of ending our relationship
Before I do
Before I am forced to be the one to end things
So if your heart is really in this
If you truly want to be with me and are committed to our relationship
Could you find a way to let me know it
Please try to communicate your feelings honestly and clearly to me
I’m tired of the meaningless words you say
I am frustrated and fed up with the empty promises and expressions of affection you offer
We’re perfect and broken in one
Our relationship is both beautiful and chaotic at the same time
Fucked up day
We are living in a complicated and messy situation
And I’m out on a line
And I am still stuck in the middle of it all
With no one to call my own…
Feeling lost and unsure of where I stand in this relationship
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.