The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass. Other former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero (drums, 2008) and Denny Bowen (drums, 2009–2013 in studio; 2013–2014 touring)
Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Upset! the Rhythm released Wave Like Home on 25 August 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & The Self-Portraits. In 2009 the band signed to independent Chicago record company Thrill Jockey.
Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and released on 4 May 2010.Their third full-length album, On the Water, was recorded in Elizabeth City, NC's historic, waterfront Andrew S. Sanders House. It was released on 11 October 2011.
These early albums from Future Islands are often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.
In 2014, they released Singles with hit-track Seasons (Waiting on You). The band and song gained critical acclamation from Pitchfork and NME and performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, a performance that went viral. In 2017, they released The Far Field and most recently in 2020 they released As Long As You Are.
Where I Found You
Future Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The smell of your skin
The way that you walked
And laughed
And I remember our room
And coming home to you
I remember our room
Look back hold onto the last
Don't let today push out the past
You've gotta look back, look back
Hold on 'til the last
I remember the drive with and without you
One road I took to catch you
The other road I took to leave you,
Where I found you
And I remember that day
We sat in some strange bar
With nothing much to say
Nothing at all
I loved you
And I still do
You know I loved you
And I still do
Look back, hold onto the last
Don't let today push out the past
You've gotta look back, look back
Hold on 'til the last
I loved you
And I still do
You know I loved you
And I still do
Look back, look back
Look back
Hold on 'til the last
In "Where I Found You," Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring reflects on a past relationship with raw honesty and vulnerability. He reminisces about the small details he remembers about his former partner - her smile, her scent, the way she walked and laughed. He also reflects on the memories they shared together, including their room and coming home to each other. Herring appears to be feeling nostalgic, yearning for something that is now gone, as he implores the listener to "hold onto the last" and "look back" so as not to forget the past.
As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that their relationship came to an end. Herring recalls the day they sat in a bar with nothing much to say, possibly indicating a lack of connection or conversation between the two. The chorus repeats the sentiment that Herring still loves his former partner, imploring her to hold onto the past and not be consumed by the present.
Overall, "Where I Found You" showcases Future Islands' ability to craft deeply emotional songs that resonate with listeners on a personal level. Through Herring's evocative lyricism and impassioned delivery, the song captures the bittersweet pain of remembering a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember your smile
I vividly recall the sight of your happy face
The smell of your skin
I can still perceive the fragrance of your body
The way that you walked
I have a precise memory of your distinctive gait
And laughed
I joyfully recall the sound of your laughter
And I remember our room
I keep in mind the space where we shared our life together
And coming home to you
I have a clear memory of returning to your warm embrace
Look back hold onto the last
Take time to reflect on the good times and cherish them
Don't let today push out the past
Do not allow the present to override the memories of the past
You've gotta look back, look back
You must persist in remembering good moments from the past
Hold on 'til the last
Hold on to the memories until the end of your time
I remember the drive with and without you
I recollect the journeys we made together or separately
One road I took to catch you
I traveled on a path to meet you for the first time
The other road I took to leave you,
I left you behind when I had to go
Where I found you
The place where we met has special meaning to me
And I remember that day
I preserve a memory of that specific day
We sat in some strange bar
We spent time in a peculiar drinking establishment
With nothing much to say
We struggled to find something to talk about
Nothing at all
We did not speak much on that occasion
I loved you
I had strong feelings of affection for you
And I still do
And that sentiment persists to this day
Look back, look back
Reflect on the past
Hold on 'til the last
Cherish every memory until the end of time
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Gerrit Welmers, Samuel Thompson Herring, William Hugh Cashion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind