During the early years of the band, many demos were recorded and ripped to CDs which were often distributed for free. The demos were titled “Demo in a Bag” and the name references the fact that the CDs were “distributed” in plastic bags with homemade confetti.
In 2009, they self-released their debut album Record in a Bag in 2009 as a free download on their website. The name of their debut references their string of demos. Later that year, the band entered and won a “battle of the bands” contest in Ottawa, Ontario which was hosted by a local radio station. With the $250,000 prize money, the band reissued their self-released debut and formed Royal Mountain Records. Royal Mountain Records has since helped launch the career of other Toronto, Ontario artists such as PUP and Alvvays.
In 2011, the band was nominated for the Best New Group Award at the Canadian music awards show the 2011 Juno Awards, but lost out to Said the Whale
On February 26, 2013, the band released their second LP, White Paint. The pre-order sales of this album lead to the ambitious 111 Songs project which was eventually released in 2015. At the time, Hollerado stated "as part of the deal we would write them a custom song. The idea was the person would send us their name and where they were from and two facts about themselves, and a few months later we would send them a song we wrote for them”. The band sold over 100 of these packages before they realized the tremendous amount of work all these original songs would be. “111 Songs” actually resulted in two years of work on the songs and many of the songs were used in the band's third full-length album Born Yesterday which was released in 2017.
In early 2019, Hollerado announced the group would be disbanding following one last album and tour. Retaliation Vacation was released later that year and the band embarked on a final tour titled The One Last Time Tour. The band played their final shows on December 11th-13th at the Danforth Music Hall with a final performance at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on December 14, 2019.
Since the disbandment, frontman Menno Versteeg (vocals, guitar) has joined the Canadian supergroup Anyway Gang and released some music under the moniker Mav Karlo. Jake Boyd (drums) is part of the newly formed supergroup Girlfriend Material. Nixon Boyd (guitar) is an additional guitarist/tour guitarist in “Anyway Gang” and is credited as as a producer/composer on many albums/songs from bands signed under Royal Mountain Records.
I Want My Medicine
Hollerado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I found you all alone
I listened loud to that I know
You gave my head a home
Now I am out there running out
(Verse)
I remember I was just knowing
And where heads are turning
You can’t always get what you what you say
(Verse)
And til the clock pedals for fun
I love you, I come in red
But now I am breathing through tubes
And it’s not how I speak of it
(Verse)
I have you all alone
You gave my heart a home
You make the days less long
Oh let me hear just one more song
(Verse)
But still that’s when you kill me for blindness
I swear you’re my everything
I’m am setting to my hands on the pictures
I swear I am young again
(Verse)
And the hospital pills I am burning
They’re more like telepathy
And settling you now makes me feel like was never even born at all
(Chorus)
I want my medicine
I need my medicine
I want my medicine
I need my medicine
(Verse)
You’ve been up through the years
We’ve shed so many tears
I’m getting ready to die
I’m saying goodbye
To my record collection
The lyrics of Hollerado's "I Want My Medicine" may seem vague and mysterious at first, but a closer analysis can reveal deeper meanings. The song starts with the singer finding someone who gave him a sense of belonging, which made him feel invincible. The lyrics suggest that this person, possibly a lover, has a significant impact on the singer's life, and he is grateful for it. However, things have changed, as the singer is now breathing through tubes, and the pills he is taking seem to be burning him. The lyrics also suggest a feeling of hopelessness and confusion, as the singer is looking for his medicine, which may signify a search for a cure or a solution to his problems.
The lyrics reveal a sense of nostalgia for the singer, as he wants to hear one more song and is saying goodbye to his record collection, possibly indicating that he is getting ready to die. The chorus "I want my medicine, I need my medicine" could be understood both literally and metaphorically, as medicine can refer to physical pills or cure, but it could also refer to a more abstract entity that the singer is missing, such as love, hope, or purpose.
Overall, "I Want My Medicine" seems to be a poignant and emotional song about the search for a cure or a solution to one's problems, the longing for love and belonging, and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
I found you all alone
I discovered you by chance, with no one else around
I listened loud to that I know
I paid close attention to the things that I was sure of
You gave my head a home
You provided a sense of belonging in my mind
Now I am out there running out
I feel like I'm running out of time, or options
I remember I was just knowing
I recall having a clear understanding of something
I really am, it made me invincible
That realization gave me a sense of power and strength
And where heads are turning
In situations where people are paying attention
You can’t always get what you what you say
Your words don't always have the desired impact or result
And til the clock pedals for fun
Until time slows down or takes a break
I love you, I come in red
My love is intense and passionate
But now I am breathing through tubes
I am struggling with an illness or injury that affects my breathing
And it’s not how I speak of it
It's not something I talk about openly or easily
I have you all alone
I have you to myself, without any distractions or interruptions
You gave my heart a home
You provided a sense of belonging in my emotions
You make the days less long
You make time seem to pass more quickly or easily
Oh let me hear just one more song
I want to enjoy this moment for just a little longer
But still that’s when you kill me for blindness
Despite the good times, you hurt me with your behavior or actions
I swear you’re my everything
I truly believe that you are the most important thing in my life
I’m am setting to my hands on the pictures
I am reminiscing through old photographs
I swear I am young again
Looking at the pictures makes me feel young and nostalgic
And the hospital pills I am burning
I am refusing to take the medication prescribed to me
They’re more like telepathy
The pills seem to be affecting my thoughts or emotions in unusual ways
And settling you now makes me feel like was never even born at all
Being with you now makes me feel like I don't have any past, or that it doesn't matter
I want my medicine
I need the thing that makes me feel better or eases my pain
I need my medicine
I am dependent on the thing that makes me feel better
You’ve been up through the years
You've been with me through all the ups and downs of life
We’ve shed so many tears
We've had many emotional moments together
I’m getting ready to die
I am accepting the inevitability of my own mortality
I’m saying goodbye
I am preparing to leave this world
To my record collection
One of the things I cherish most, which I am leaving behind
Contributed by Evelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.