There are few artists in the music industry that can hold the title “indepe… Read Full Bio ↴There are few artists in the music industry that can hold the title “independent” with as much depth as Brad Skistimas of Five Times August. The 26 year old singer/songwriter has passed up opportunities with major labels to go at his career alone. Based out of the small town of Waxahachie, TX, the indie Southerner has garnered enough success in his own stride to ignore the pipe dreams of glitz and glamour so many bands tend to get caught up in. He is a true patriot to the “Do It Yourself” work ethic. His only aid is manager and wife, Kelly, making the two a legit “mom and pop store” in the midst of a large corporate industry. With the release of Five Times August’s latest album “Life As A Song,” the dynamic duo plan to push boundaries and set the standard for what being a truly “indie” is all about.

In November 2004 Five Times August’s song “Better With You” was featured in MTV’s hit show Laguna Beach. The series’ music supervisor had found the song at random via online web portal CDBaby.com. By the end of the year that exposure had snowballed into an underground following for the one-man band, catapulting Myspace listens and iTunes sales. By Spring ’06 Five Times August was a national touring artist, performing solo acoustic shows across the country (to date FTA has performed in 43 of the 50 states). More song placements soon followed, with features on networks ranging from The CW and MTV to ABC, FOX and Lifetime, among many others. In 2007 Five Times August became the first unsigned act in history to accomplish national distribution through Wal-Mart stores.

It doesn’t stop there. Most recently you may have heard Five Times August in a national GMC commercial promoting their big summer savings event. Also, if you own any of HBO’s 2009 DVD releases, you’ll most likely be hearing the song “Do It Again” in a quick ad before the menu pops up.

“Life As A Song” is a twelve-track collection of Five Times August’s most popular songs in recent years. Based on fan favorites and the most licensed songs, Skistimas went back into the studio with Grammy Award winner Andy Zulla (Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, Rod Stewart) to polish and shine each song for more commercial success, re-recording many of the tune’s instrumentation and vocals from the ground up. “It’s an album of growth and change,” Skistimas says about the quazi “best of” album. “At the start of the album you’ll find me where I was as a songwriter, more innocent and raw. By the end you’ll see I’m not the same songwriter anymore, there’s a deeper outlook on life in the newer songs.”

The album includes new mainstream versions of underground college cult-hits like “Up To Me” and “Better With You” (the latter has sold 58,000 digital singles to date). Alongside those fan favorites, the album also includes a few new songs, one being the stand out piano ballad “Break,” which shadows influence from Nilsson’s classic hit “Without You.” Brad explains “the beauty of this album is that even though a lot of my fans may know the songs already, it’s going to be a brand new listening experience for them. They are going to hear these songs as if for the first time.” Skistimas’ mind rests knowing songs like “Wherever” and “The Lighting” finally sound like he had always envisioned.

Brad is furthering the expansion of Five Times August with a new concrete touring band. After spending the last three years touring solo, Skistimas is changing gears on the road, transitioning his intimate set list into a full on concert experience. Five Times August will be on several national tours surrounding the release of “Life As A Song,” in stores October 13th, 2009.

Sunrise
Five Times August Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She?s looking at sunrise
In the morning light
Left without a reason
She left last night

She?s looking at sunrise
Holding hands
Sitting in the backseat

With a selfish man

All she did
Was forget about her problems
Let him use her all he wanted
Now she?s still there

She?s looking at sunrise
On year eighteen
Thought she knew her own mind
But she don?t know what it means

?Hearts and Bones?
Playing on the radio
Though the singer is a stranger
He just changed her

Now she?s trapped inside a day
Where nothing is the same
She just gave herself away
And she don?t even know his name

She?s looking at sunrise
With lonely eyes

And a baby on the way now
She?s got a new life

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of the song, "She's looking at sunrise in the morning light, left without a reason she left last night" depicts a woman starting her day after going through some emotional distress. She may have left her home without any explanation or reasoning and is now sitting outside looking at the sunrise, trying to make sense of what just happened. The next lines portray her sitting in the backseat with a selfish man, holding hands and looking at the sunrise. This could imply that this man is using her, and she is aware of it, but she still feels trapped because of her emotional attachment towards him.

The lyrics go on to explain that she forgot about her problems and let this man use her however he wanted, and she is still there. She is now in her 18th year, and she thought she knew her own mind, but she doesn't know what it means. The singer then references the song "Hearts and Bones" playing on the radio, where the singer, who is a stranger, changed her. The woman is now trapped inside a day where nothing is the same, and she gave herself away without even knowing the man's name. The song ends on a bittersweet note, where she is looking at the sunrise with lonely eyes and a baby on the way, which symbolizes a new life, but she is still trapped in her past emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

She?s looking at sunrise
She is experiencing the first moments of daylight.

In the morning light
During the early hours when the sun first appears.

Left without a reason
Abandoned without cause or explanation.

She left last night
Departed during the previous evening.

Holding hands
Grasping another's hand.

Sitting in the backseat
Seated in the rear of a vehicle.

With a selfish man
Accompanied by an egocentric individual.

All she did
Her sole actions involved.

Was forget about her problems
She ignored her own difficulties.

Let him use her all he wanted
Permitted him to exploit her in any way desired.

Now she?s still there
She is currently present in that situation.