They sound both thrillingly new and yet drenched in musical history, a serendipitously assembled garage rock outfit chock full of swampy rhythm and blues, and a singer - two, actually – both reminiscent of Van Morrison at the age of 19, all vim and sticky vigour.
So here are the mandatory details. They are from London, and there are four of them: Vincent Davies, the 20-year-old singer, guitarist and bassist; Ranald Macdonald, the 21-year-old co-singer, keyboardist, guitarist and bassist; 21-year-old Josh Lewis on guitar and bass; and 20-year-old Oscar Robertson on drums.
That's a lot of guitars for just four people, but a sound like theirs isn't going to happen without them. They combine the ramshackle hedonism of, say, The 13th Floor Elevators with the swagger of the White Stripes, and if Vincent has the vocal inflections of a young Steve Winwood circa the Spencer Davis Group, then Ranald boasts the full throttled fervour of early Van Morrison. It all adds up to quite a brew.
The band met, not on the indie circuit because they've never been on the indie circuit, but rather in the subterranean - blues clubs in and around the capital.
At first, the four of them were in two separate acts that gravitated toward one another under the conviction they had something together that, separately, they did not. They played their first ever gig in April 2014; now, a year on, they have written an album's worth of songs, recorded with their hero, had airplay by Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Jason Bentley (KCRW), Jo Good (XFM) and played 60 live shows up and down the UK supporting acts such as Benjamin Booker, Hanni El Khatib.
Early live shows were thrilling and chaotic, and they began to attract a crowd. A video clip of the bands 2nd ever show passed through many hands, and resulted in one of the tracks getting radio play in the U.S on the Sirius-XM satellite network.
Amongst those who heard it was Shel Talmy. He was put in touch with the band's management to talk about producing their music. They did not have to be asked twice, and jumped on the next plane west.
"That was fate", says Vincent, laughing, before adding, "but I think the rest of the band may tell you otherwise - mere luck, perhaps. Thing is, we were listening to a lot of records at the time, and all our favourites seemed to be produced by Shel. So to then have him contact us was just amazing, unreal".
They spent 10 days in Los Angeles in the company of a legendary producer, watching, listening, learning. Together, they recorded a handful of songs, amongst them the band's first single, "Dreaming of Another Girl", its fantastic spidery guitar line and Ranald’s throbbing vocal ache the perfect introduction to a band with so many abundant sonic thrills.
I Don't Mind
Hidden Charms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mind
Take what you need
I don't feel alive
I don't mind
Bring me the spear
It's all mine
Wasted my life
I don't mind
Bring no reason
and no lies
Can't you see through my paralyzed eyes
i don't mind
cut through the crowd
no one around her
i don't wanna be the one to throw you down
down, down, down
No wiser, just older
Everyone walks with a crutch on their shoulder
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
In the song "I Don't Mind" by Hidden Charms, the singer appears to be detached and indifferent towards the actions of another person, as they repeatedly sing "Do what you want, I don't mind" and "Take what you need, I don't feel alive." It's possible that the singer is someone who has been hurt or let down in the past and has become emotionally desensitized as a result. They feel like their life has been wasted and that they have wasted others' time as well.
The line "Bring me the spear, it's all mine" could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a metaphorical request to be stabbed or hurt so that they can feel something, or it could be a reference to the mythological spear belonging to the Celtic god Lugh, which represents sovereignty and power. Either way, the singer seems to be searching for something to fill the void they feel.
In the second half of the song, the singer seems to realize that they are not better than anyone else, despite their indifference towards others. They sing "No wiser, just older, everyone walks with a crutch on their shoulder." The crutch could represent a physical or emotional burden that everyone carries with them. The repeated refrain of "I don't mind" throughout the song could be seen as both a coping mechanism and a cry for help.
Line by Line Meaning
Do what you want
You have the freedom to do as you please.
I don't mind
Your actions won't affect me emotionally.
Take what you need
You can have what you require from me.
I don't feel alive
I lack vitality and enthusiasm in my life.
I don't mind
Your actions won't impact me emotionally.
Bring me the spear
Retrieve the weapon, and bring it to me.
It's all mine
I take full possession and ownership of it.
Wasted my life
I spent my existence in an irresponsible or unproductive fashion.
Wasted your time
I exhausted your time in vain or meaningless endeavors.
I don't mind
I am indifferent to it, and it won't affect my emotions.
Bring no reason and no lies
Don't bring any explanations or falsehoods.
Can't you see through my paralyzed eyes
You should able to recognize my lack of motivation, energy, or enthusiasm.
I don't mind
Your actions and behavior won't bother me.
Cut through the crowd
Get through the group of people swiftly.
No one around her
She's alone or separated from everybody else.
I don't wanna be the one to throw you down
I don't wish to cause your failure or misfortune.
Down, down, down
Suggestive of a decrease in level, energy, or status.
No wiser, just older
I haven't gained knowledge, only age.
Everyone walks with a crutch on their shoulder
Everyone has their own support system or dependency.
I don't mind
I'm equable and indifferent towards it.
I don't mind
I'm serene and tranquil about the whole matter.
I don't mind
In any case, it won't have any impact on me.
I don't mind
In any event, I won't be moved emotionally.
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stonedrose3101
Best band in the UK.
@alexaksenov5762
No doubt!
@SnakeOil47
Stoned Rose indeed
@smildath4288
More song please hidden charms :)
@lendmeyourunderbelly
Really awesome that huge pigeon man!
@PauloGomes-xj2tt
Where is the album?
Rock on!!🤘
@talitha.s9612
Who is actually under the mask in this??? 😂 amazing video creds to whoever came up with the ides!!
@annisahariono6156
❤️❤️❤️❤️
@Dkenur
John lennon singing from the beyond
@patrom0406
man! this voice sound like the pissed off ghost of john lennon to me :p