"I had never played before. I learned how to play the bass in 10 days because they had a show and no bass player," admits Justine Volpe. "I was a really huge fan of the band and I was friends with the girls, so I thought what the hell."
Frogpond began tuning up their live show by taking every gig they could get, which led to memorable opening slots for the Toadies and Everclear. One of the highlights of their early career came when Mike Mills from R.E.M. caught a Kansas City show and became immediately enamored with Frogpond's sound; a personal invitation to play R.E.M.'s Monster tour wrap party in Atlanta followed shortly thereafter.
Landing a deal with Sony subsidiary TriStar, the band recorded their debut Count To Ten in September '96 at Smart Studios in a whopping two and a half days with Everclear's Art Alexakis at the dials. "The studio flooded and our time was cut in half," Volpe recalls. "It was do or die." Following the release of Count To Ten, Frogpond then hit the road for more than a year, adding to the band's growing fan base throughout the Midwest and beyond.
In February 1998, Frogpond broke with its erstwhile "all-girl" history and enlisted drummer Billy Johnson (to whom they lovingly refer to "the new girl") to join the band's core family of Heidi and Justine; the three-piece began pre-production work on Safe Ride Home in spring of '98 with producer Doug McBride at Gravity Studios in Chicago. The two months spent recording the new album seemed like a lifetime compared to the two-and-a-half days on the first record. Adding a cellist on three songs, electronic strings on "Sleep," and even enlisting the help of Veruca Salt's Louise Post for backing vocals on "Whatever," all seemed like luxuries well-deserved and well worth the diligent effort from all involved in the project.
Frogpond disbanded in 2000. Heidi Phillips reemerged with Abileen in 2004, and Kristie Stremel is still active as a solo artist.
http://www.lawrence.com/bands/frogpond/
Empty Room
Frogpond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How should I feel
It was only yesterday I saw her
Whish I could see her
Wish we could see her again
They decided they would leave a few days early
The weather here was getting old
That she would keep him safe
Safer than she was
Safe to come home
Chorus:
I can still see them
Saying goodbye, see you soon
I can still see them
Cleaning out that empty room
And I feel lucky despite this loss
'Cause she is safe at home
And he is here to carry on
Sometimes I wonder
If the choices that we make
Are really ours
Got a letter yesterday
But no one talks about it
Chorus
The lyrics of the song "Empty Room" by Frogpond convey a story of grieving for a lost loved one. The singer begins by asking how they should feel and expressing their wish to see her again. The song then takes a turn to describe the departure of the loved one and her partner from the town they were in. The singer thought that the loved one would keep her partner safe, but they both ended up leaving. The chorus describes the singer's memory of seeing the loved one and her partner saying goodbye and cleaning out an empty room. Despite the loss, the singer feels lucky because the loved one is safe and her partner is carrying on. The song ends with a hint at the idea that the choice to leave was not entirely theirs.
The song's lyrics are poignant and emotive in their delivery of the painful experience of losing a loved one. The imagery of the empty room, the goodbye, and the letter contribute to the sense of longing and emptiness that accompany such a loss. The thematic idea of choices and their consequences resonates throughout the song, adding to its depth and complexity.
Line by Line Meaning
Please tell me something
The singer is seeking advice or guidance.
How should I feel
The singer is unsure of how to process their emotions in a certain situation.
It was only yesterday I saw her
The singer recently spent time with a female subject before a tragic event occurred.
Wish I could see her
The artist is expressing a desire to see the female subject once again.
Wish we could see her again
The artist is expressing a shared desire for all parties involved to be able to see the female subject again.
They decided they would leave a few days early
The female subject and her partner chose to leave earlier than expected.
The weather here was getting old
The singer is alluding to the fact that the weather was dull or monotonous before the couple's departure.
And it's funny 'cause I thought
The artist is reflecting on a previous thought they had about the female subject's partner.
That she would keep him safe
At one point, the artist believed that the female subject would ensure her partner's safety.
Safer than she was
The female subject was not necessarily safe herself, but at least her partner was supposed to be safer with her.
Safe to come home
In the singer's eyes, the female subject's partner was supposed to be safe enough to return home after their trip.
I can still see them
The artist is having a vivid recollection of the couple before they left.
Saying goodbye, see you soon
The couple said a standard farewell before parting ways with the singer.
Cleaning out that empty room
The act of clearing out a room after someone has left is particularly poignant for the singer in this situation.
And I feel lucky despite this loss
Despite losing the female subject, the singer is trying to maintain a positive outlook.
'Cause she is safe at home
The female subject is no longer present, but she is safe in her own home.
And he is here to carry on
The female subject's partner is present and able to continue living his life despite the tragedy.
Sometimes I wonder
The singer is expressing a sense of curiosity or speculation.
If the choices that we make
The singer is contemplating whether or not they have control over their own decisions.
Are really ours
The artist is questioning the true extent of their own agency and free will.
Got a letter yesterday
The artist received a piece of correspondence recently.
But no one talks about it
There is a topic or issue related to the letter that has not been openly discussed by anyone involved.
Contributed by Camden L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.