While they began performing live in June 2003, they soon released their 4 Song Sampler, produced by Hidden in Plain View's Rob Freeman, to help spread the word. Due to various national tours with bands such as Hidden in Plain View, The Academy Is... and Hellogoodbye, Houston Calls' fanbase grew steadily, until in spring 2004, Clayton left the band. Through mutual friends, Josh Grigsby was introduced to the band and became their drummer on May 15, 2004. The newly manned five-piece went into the studio with producer Jesse Cannon, to record their Sampler Volume 2 (2004). A few months after its release in August 2004, Houston Calls became the second band to sign with Rushmore Records, a subsidiary record label of Drive-Thru Records, who the band had been friends with ever since their formation.
On August 2, 2005, the band's official debut album, A Collection of Short Stories, was released. Produced by Ed Rose, the CD contained eleven songs, three of which had previously been released on their two samplers.
In November 2006, Kenny Ryan announced he was leaving the band, Houston Calls found a replacement in Jose Lopez in Feburary 2007 who had been filling in for Kenny.
In April 2008, the band entered the studio with producer Mark Weinberg to record their follow up to A Collection of Short Stories, The End of an Error and was released on October 14, 2008, along with the single "Life Won't Wait". The album was made available to stream via AOL on the day of release. The band went on a UK Tour as main support newcomers You Me At Six. Farewell were the openers.
At the end of December 2008, founding member Jarrett Seltzer left after no longer wishing to tour as a musician. Two weeks later, it was announced that Jose Lopez would no longer be in the band due to personal reasons. The band has announced that Dan Diaz of Red Light Green Light will be filling Jose's spot. Jason Jaksetic of The Pilot will be filling in on bass. The tour will go on as planned.
On June 9, 2009, the band officially announced that they are disbanding. They will play their last show on August 29, 2009, at School of Rock in their hometown.
Some of the members brand new band Future of the Party with some of the Paulson members.
Nagoya
Houston Calls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll take off so you'll know just what I had to do
To become what I am right now.
I won't run now,
I won't run I'll hold it down
Even though it is a struggle
Just to stand my ground
My heart is saying go
But my mind is saying wait, wait, wait
There really isn't a decision to be made.
My mind is made up and there's nothing
I wish that everyone could realize
That they could see through my eyes
I'm better off and I am thinking it's just right
I've got problems of my own
I won't concern myself with all of your noise
Please just turn it down to a suitable volume for this room
I swear I will go deaf before we get anywhere
All because you wouldn't have it any other way.
With every good point you remind me
Of the day to day of sitting home feeling like a waste.
Don't try to take this from me
You've become impossible
And I think it's time we say goodbye.
The lyrics to Houston Calls's song Nagoya depict the struggle to assert independence and make a decision that may not be popular with others. The singer emphasizes the importance of standing one's ground, even though it may be a difficult and lonely path. He acknowledges that his heart may be telling him to leave, but his mind is telling him to wait. Despite the struggle, the singer feels confident that he is making the right choice, and he wishes that others could understand his perspective.
The song also touches on the frustration of dealing with other people's problems and noise, which can be distracting and overwhelming. The singer asserts that he has enough problems of his own and cannot take on others' as well. He pleads with others to turn down the volume and stop trying to take his independence away.
Overall, the song is about the importance of being true to oneself and not letting the opinions and pressures of others dictate one's decisions. It is about standing up for oneself and asserting independence, even when it may be hard or unpopular.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll just take off
I'm leaving
I'll take off so you'll know just what I had to do
I'm leaving so you'll understand the sacrifices I had to make to become who I am now.
To become what I am right now.
I had to go through certain things to become who I am today.
I won't run now,
I won't leave now,
I won't run I'll hold it down
I'll stay and face the challenges that come my way.
Even though it is a struggle
Although it's difficult
Just to stand my ground
To hold on to what I believe in
I wouldn't have it any other way.
I don't regret my decision.
My heart is saying go
My emotions are telling me to leave
But my mind is saying wait, wait, wait
But my logical thinking is telling me to stay and be patient
There really isn't a decision to be made.
I've already made my choice and there's no turning back.
My mind is made up and there's nothing
I've made up my mind and nothing can change it.
I wish that everyone could realize
I hope everyone could understand
That they could see through my eyes
What I'm going through and why I made my decision.
I'm better off and I am thinking it's just right
I'm in a better place now and I believe it's the right thing for me.
I've got problems of my own
I have my own issues to deal with
I won't concern myself with all of your noise
I won't be bothered by your negativity
Please just turn it down to a suitable volume for this room
Please tone down your criticisms to a manageable level
I swear I will go deaf before we get anywhere
Your constant negativity is preventing us from making progress
All because you wouldn't have it any other way.
Your refusal to be positive is hindering our success.
With every good point you remind me
Even though you have some valid points,
Of the day to day of sitting home feeling like a waste.
You fail to recognize my struggles and how I feel
Don't try to take this from me
Don't try to deny me of what I have and worked hard for.
You've become impossible
You've become too difficult to deal with.
And I think it's time we say goodbye.
It's time for us to part ways.
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.