Gatsbys American Dream is a Seattle-based rock band. Since their founding i… Read Full Bio ↴Gatsbys American Dream is a Seattle-based rock band. Since their founding in 2001, they have written four albums, and one EP. They have also appeared on a few compilations with original songs and covers. Gatsbys American Dream gets their name from The Great Gatsby, a book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although it's widely agreed the band is hard to classify into one subgenre, it can be said they draw influence from alternative pop/rock, indie pop, indie rock, post-hardcore, and pop punk.

Gatsbys began with the disbanding of two bands called One Point Two and Good For Nothing. Bobby Darling was a guitarist for One Point Two and met up with Nic Newsham and Ryan Van Wieringen who were the lead singer and guitarist from Good For Nothing. The completion of Gatsbys didn't come until they recruited Kirk Huffman (formerly of K Through Six) to play bass and Dustin McGhye as their drummer, to make them a five piece band.

When Kaylan Cloyd from the band Acceptance got his hands on a Gatsbys demo, he handed it off to record label Rocketstar Recordings owner Darrick Bourgeois. Shortly after this, they were signed by the local record label and worked with producer Aaron Sprinkle to record their 2002 debut album Why We Fight. Their first show after being signed drew in a crowd of 500+, which was largely due in part to the extensive promoting by Rocketstar.

After Why We Fight came out, the band regrouped dropping drummer McGhye and picked up the Waxwing and Bugs in Amber drummer Rudy Gajadhar. Then in 2003, the band released their second album titled Ribbons & Sugar. Ribbons & Sugar was a concept album loosely based around George Orwell's fable Animal Farm. It became apparent to critics and fans alike after this release of Ribbons & Sugar that literary references in their lyrics were a thing to be expected. It also found them exploring ambitious experimental pop, opting for strange time signatures and tempo changes.

Gatsbys signed a two record deal with Rocketstar, and with Ribbons & Sugar being their second album, their Rocketstar contract ended and both parties decided that neither wanted to renew the contract, and both decided to go their separate ways.

Following its release, the band started to field numerous offers from other, bigger record labels. Slightly embittered by the receiving, the band signed a one-record deal with Chicago-based LLR Records (formerly Little League Records) in 2004. Their contractual record, the more mellow and subdued In the Land of Lost Monsters EP, was in part a response to the post-Ribbons record label attention the band received. Just about all of the labels that approached them thought they were excellent musicians, but wanted the band to write choruses for the next record, a normal songwriting technique the band had up to that point, seemed to avoid. Gatsbys, feeling uncomfortable about forgoing their integrity in order to get a record contract, continued writing music that they liked and in the way they wanted to write it. Doing so simply brought them more acclaim as a progressive rock band.

Several months after the EP's release, the band settled on Fearless Records, home of such acts as the now-defunct post-hardcore/indie rock legends At The Drive-In. With their 2005 album Volcano, it became clear that, as a band, the group had progressed to further musical heights, and was highly capable of writing music that is different from other bands that are usually clumped into the same category as Gatsbys.

Volcano having its central theme revolving around, what else but a volcano (particularly Pompeii, which becomes clear after seeing the title of the second song on the album) had yet once again literary references through out it, ranging from Pee Wee's Big Adventure, to Lord of the Flies, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Enders Game, and Speaker for the Dead.

During the touring that followed the release of Volcano, Gatsby's added a new member, Kyle O'Quin who is also a member of the band Surrounded By Lions.

During the tour that followed the release of Volcano, Gatsbys added Kyle O'Quin (also a member of the band Surrounded By Lions). A few months after O'Quin was added to the band, Ryan Van Wieringen met up with the band in Arizona while they were on tour there and rejoined the line up. Since then, he has been touring and performing live as part of the band.

Van Wieringen did not, however, participate in writing any guitar parts for their self-titled fourth full-length album, released August 8th, 2006. The album bears all the hallmarks of a Gatsbys record: an album of musical experimentation in a pop context, peppered with numerous pop culture and literary references, which appear in both the lyrics and song titles, ranging from works by Philip K. Dick to the television show Lost. The album is, however, noticeably bitter towards the music industry, even compared to previous Gatsbys releases, scalding both current "trend" bands and greedy record labels.

The band has been relatively inactive since the release of the self-titled album. The band has played a handful of shows in and around the Seattle area, and on April 27, 2007, they played their first out-of-state show since the self-titled album's release at Colgate University. In a forum post at Gatsbys fansite Snicker At The Swine, Bobby stated the following on the band's decision to ever go on tour again or write another album:

“ If i find I have more to say with Gatsbys I will write more music. We're not gonna just play to play. The only way I'll do more Gatsbys is if we are making new music. Which I am totally open to. I really have been working on new Gatsbys music. I'll probably lay down some demo shit the next time I'm at Casey's.”

During the hiatus, most of the members have started side projects.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground.
Wild Orchid Children.
Redredblue.
Keith Ledger.
Search/Rescue.
Zero Cool.
Rudy also played all of the drum parts for Forgive Durden's release "Razia's Shadow".

Golden Ticket
Gatsby's American Dream Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Receive news of your misfortune
And its scratching out my eyes, biting at my heart
But I've got something to offer
So this isn't a time to hide my hands
Still I hide my heart, still I hide my heart

This is where the rubber meets the road
Its where we forget our transgressions

And move on, ill carry you burden
For certain you have heard
Of hands that long for you to hold them
This ticket is golden, this ticket is golden

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
It's there that you will find me listening
(You can take tomorrow,dip it in a dream)
Don't look too hard
Cause I'm tearing off my face so you won't hurt alone

Let's start today

Make your mind up, grab a weapon
Move on

Overall Meaning

The song "Golden Ticket" by Gatsby's American Dream is about facing struggles head on and finding purpose in difficult times. The first verse discusses receiving news of misfortune, which is causing deep emotional pain. However, the singer has something to offer and can't afford to hide their hands. They are still hiding their heart though, implying that there is a fear of vulnerability that needs to be overcome. The chorus follows, discussing how this is where the rubber meets the road and where people forget their past mistakes and move on. The singer is willing to carry someone else's burdens but recognizes that there are others who long for companionship. The repeating line "this ticket is golden" likely represents the opportunity that lies ahead if one is willing to take it.

The second verse picks up on this theme of opportunity, discussing how paradise can be found simply by looking around. The singer positions themselves as a listener, perhaps indicating an ability to offer emotional support to someone in need. This is emphasized by the line "don't look too hard, cause I'm tearing off my face so you won't hurt alone." This seems to imply that the singer is willing to put on a brave face and hide their own struggles in order to help others. The song concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to make their minds up, grab a weapon (perhaps symbolizing strength or determination), and move on.

Line by Line Meaning

Receive news of your misfortune
Learning of your hardship brings me pain

And its scratching out my eyes, biting at my heart
Your troubles are affecting me deeply

But I've got something to offer
I have something of value to contribute

So this isn't a time to hide my hands
I shouldn't shy away from taking action

Still I hide my heart, still I hide my heart
I'm still guarding my emotions

This is where the rubber meets the road
This is where our true abilities and character are tested

Its where we forget our transgressions
It's a chance for us to start anew

And move on, ill carry you burden
I'll help you with your problems and share the load

For certain you have heard
I'm sure you've heard

Of hands that long for you to hold them
People who care about you and want to support you

This ticket is golden, this ticket is golden
This opportunity is priceless and valuable