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.

Wherever
Five Times August Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's strange to me, I'll give you everything
But you don't know what it means
And I hate to be the one to disagree
But you don't know what your missing

Cause I see inside you
I want to be the life of you
Cause you gave that much to me

Wherever you want me,
Whenever you need me
I'll be waiting for my time to go
Whatever you're asking
There's no need to ask it,
I'll be on my way to get it done

So I've laid it on the line, do you need a little time?
I guess I could understand that
It's a lot to take in you wouldn't know where to begin
But you won't need to ever look back

Cause I see inside you
I want to be the life of you
Cause you gave that much to me

You know, I want you to know
You know, I want you to know
I could give you more the world and a little bit more

Wherever you want me,
Whenever you need me
IWhatever you're asking
There's no need to ask it,
I'll be on my way to get it done

Wherever you want me,
Whenever you need me
I'll be waiting for my time to go
Whatever you're asking

There's no need to ask it,
I'll be on my way to get it done

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are about a person who is willing to give everything they have to their partner, but their partner doesn't fully understand the depth of their love. The singer is expressing frustration about their partner not appreciating what they have to offer, but also a determination to continue giving their all, regardless of the circumstances. The chorus emphasizes the singer's commitment to being wherever and whenever their partner needs them, and taking care of whatever they need without needing to be asked.

In the verses, the singer acknowledges that their partner may need time to fully understand their feelings and what they have to offer. The line "It's a lot to take in, you wouldn't know where to begin" shows that the singer recognizes the complexity of their emotions and is giving their partner space to process. However, the singer also knows that they can never go back to a time when they weren't fully invested in their partner and they are willing to wait for their partner to catch up.

Overall, this song is a declaration of a deep and unwavering love, but also an acknowledgement that it takes time for some people to recognize and appreciate what they have in front of them.

Line by Line Meaning

It's strange to me, I'll give you everything
I find it weird that I am willing to offer you everything I can, but you might not value it as much as I do.

But you don't know what it means
You might not be aware of the value of what I have to give.

And I hate to be the one to disagree
It bothers me to have a different opinion than you regarding the significance of my offer.

But you don't know what your missing
You are not aware of the opportunities you're losing by not accepting my offer.

Cause I see inside you
I understand you and your needs.

I want to be the life of you
I desire to be a part of your life and make it better.

Cause you gave that much to me
You have already been generous to me, and I want to give back to you.

Wherever you want me, Whenever you need me I'll be waiting for my time to go Whatever you're asking There's no need to ask it, I'll be on my way to get it done
I am ready to accommodate your requests and needs, regardless of the time and effort required from me.

So I've laid it on the line, do you need a little time?
I have explained everything honestly, but I understand that you might need some time to think it over.

I guess I could understand that
It is reasonable that you require more time to make a decision, and I will respect that.

It's a lot to take in you wouldn't know where to begin
I know that it could be overwhelming for you, and you might not know how to respond.

But you won't need to ever look back
Once you accept my offer, you will not regret it, and it will be for the better.

You know, I want you to know I could give you more the world and a little bit more
I need you to comprehend that I can provide you with a lot more than you currently think is possible.

Contributed by Alyssa N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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