“Live music has so much potential for greatness,” expresses HRVRD vocalist Jesse Clasen. “To me, a studio recording is a snapshot of where a song is at that moment, and it should always continue to evolve and take on new perspectives. Live performances are opportunities to share something unique and beautiful with your audience…I’ve always admired the artists that let their songs blossom into something new and exciting even after they’ve been recorded.”
And while HRVRD’s performances let the band explore expanded artistic grounds, one simply cannot deny the power, quality and creativity found within the Charlotte, NC-based band’s recorded material that serves as their foundation. Founded in 2004 by guitarists Lee Herrera and Jason Shaw, the band progressively evolved into a quintet of brilliantly imaginative musicians, rounded out by drummer Tim Cossor, bassist Garrett Leister and the aforementioned hypnotic frontman, Jesse Clasen. Together the band, formerly known as Harvard, released their debut EP Animals in 2008 followed by the critically acclaimed full-length album The Inevitable and I less than a year later through Enjoy The Ride Records.
HRVRD also went on to release their self-produced album Interpretations in 2010, a five-track EP of reimagined versions of songs off of The Inevitable and I, followed by a year and a half of writing for their upcoming album. In January 2012, the band returned to Salad Days Studios in Baltimore, MD to reunite with renowned producer Brian McTernan (Circa Survive, Senses Fail), who had also produced The Inevitable and I. Clasen elaborates on their decision to work with McTernan again explaining, “We record our demos with the intention of listening to them more objectively in order to make them better; however, everyone gets attached to the way the demo sounds and so rarely do we ever make revisions…Working with Brian [McTernan] again makes everyone in the band more comfortable though and ready to make those revisions. It is an environment where everyone is ready to do what it takes to enhance the songs.” Shaw adds, “Brian is amazing to work with because he expects the best out of you and is going to reciprocate that ideal in his part of the recording process. He wants every song to have an identity, which is something I personally want in the music I play…it’s nice to work with someone who’s on the same page as you.”
On the new album, HRVRD’s haunting sound blends intricate and cinematic guitar riffs with dark, passionate lyrics and powerful, driving rhythms. Effortlessly encompassing the impressive technical qualities of underground progressive-rock and experimental outfits, while remaining accessible through honest, relatable lyrics, the fusion creates a full-bodied, dreamlike ambience filled with catchy, yet sonically sinister melodies. Clasen's ethereal voice defies genres and offers vast vocal range with a wide spectrum of stylistic tones that stand out as notable without overpowering the outfit’s more than capable instrumentations. Their true talent shines not only in their ability to perfectly juxtapose driving and atmospheric elements in a complimentary manner but also in their use of those musical elements to guide and balance the lyrical storytelling.
“The most important thing we kept in mind [on the new album] was a strict “less is more” rule,” Herrera notes. “In the end, I think the songs are more mature, more heartfelt and more honest, we used all of our experiences from the first record and tried to learn from them to make a better, shorter and more focused product.” Lyrically, the new album shares a journey of intense internal struggles of the ordinary man. “It’s about the tension between positive and negative perspectives on relationships, progression, religion, and science,” Clasen expounds. “And more personally, it’s me working out who and what I love, and why.” The band will release the sophomore, full-length album through Upstate NY-based independent label Equal Vision Records later this year, with the record’s release date and details yet to be revealed.
Members:
Jesse Clasen - Vocals
Lee Herrera - Guitar
Jason Shaw - Guitar
Garrett Leister - Bass
Tim Cossor - Drums
Deliverance
Hrvrd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Face what is coming now
Light power, soap box horror house
Like them, they saw us coming down
Too late foreign rain miracle
And lights out
Forward spin their souls
Too late foreign rain miracle
And this year maybe your last
Your last year
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
(Gracefully baked)
Late show
Latency, latency go
Careful
I was in bed when they called
The lake took time to drain
And that song was never played
Too late foreign rain miracle
And this year maybe your last
Your last year
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
(Gracefully baked)
Looks like I don't care
Looks like I don't wear
Wear
We talked through it all
And made sure you'd fall
And made it impossible
Back and forth
Maybe, you'll see what I mean
Back and forth
And maybe, you'll see exactly what I mean
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
At least one
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
The lyrics of Hrvrd's song Deliverance are both abstract and powerful. The first few lines of the song seem to suggest that something ominous is coming and the singer must face it. The next few lines describe a soap-box horror house, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for our society's obsession with sensationalism and fear-mongering. The line "Like them, they saw us coming down" refers to the people who are running or controlling this horror show, and how they're taking advantage of our anxiety.
The chorus ("And this year maybe your last, your last year...") is haunting and seems to suggest that something terrible is about to happen. The line "Looks like I don't care, but I always care" adds to the overall sense of unease - it's unclear whether the singer is resigned to fate or trying desperately to fight against it. The verse following the chorus appears to be describing a missed opportunity or a lost love, with the lines "The lake took time to drain, and that song was never played" painting a picture of something beautiful and fleeting that's been lost forever.
As a whole, the lyrics of Deliverance are cryptic and open to interpretation. They evoke a sense of anxiety, unease and loss, and combine a general dissatisfaction with modern society with a focus on personal, individual struggles. Ultimately, the song is about trying to survive in a world that doesn't make sense.
Line by Line Meaning
Lent, some common land
We are borrowing something that belongs to everyone
Face what is coming now
We need to confront the challenges ahead of us
Light power, soap box horror house
People use their influence to scare others
Like them, they saw us coming down
We were seen as easy targets by those who wanted to harm us
Too late foreign rain miracle
We missed our chance to avoid a disastrous event
And lights out
Everything ended suddenly and unexpectedly
One more take control like that
Someone else took charge and things went wrong again
Forward spin their souls
Their souls were corrupted by their desire for power
And this year maybe your last
We may not have much time left
Your last year
This may be our final year
Looks like I don't care
I appear indifferent
But I always care
I do actually care
Love affair
My emotional attachment to something
Looks like I don't wear
I seem to be lacking something
What I always wear
What I actually possess
(Gracefully baked)
In a state of mind that is calm and relaxed
Late show
Things are happening after the expected time
Latency, latency go
The delay needs to be overcome
Careful
We must be cautious
I was in bed when they called
I missed an important opportunity
The lake took time to drain
It took a while to resolve an issue
And that song was never played
We missed out on a beautiful experience
We talked through it all
We communicated extensively
And made sure you'd fall
We set up someone to fail
And made it impossible
We prevented things from being successful
Back and forth
We went from one extreme to the other
Maybe, you'll see what I mean
Perhaps you will finally understand my perspective
At least one
At a minimum, we should have one thing
Contributed by Aubrey G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@theradracer1847
Lent, some common land
Face what is coming now
Light power, soap box horror house
Like them, they saw us coming down
Too late foreign rain miracle
And lights out
One more take control like that
Forward spin their souls
Too late foreign rain miracle
And this year may be your last
Your last year
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
(Gracefully baked)
Late show
Latency, latency go
Careful
I was in bed when they called
The lake took time to drain
And that song was never played
Too late foreign rain miracle
And this year may be your last
Your last year
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
(Gracefully baked)
Looks like I don't care
Looks like I don't wear
Wear
We talked through it all
And made sure you'd fall
And made it impossible
Back and forth
Maybe, you'll see what I mean
Back and forth
And maybe, you'll see exactly what I mean
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
At least one
Looks like I don't care
But I always care
Love affair
Looks like I don't wear
What I always wear
@yuhikochan1952
2020 yall
@cosmicxwitch
thank you pandora, for finding this great song!
@Lastrevio
i like this
@Tauten23
Best not well known band from my city. Charlotte
@PJTheCurryGod
looks like i dont caree but i always caareeee love afaaaiiirrr
@pkmntrainersergio
🎼🎶layers and layers of gold🎵
(I know it says latency, latency go.. But I like hearing that)
@it6068
Sergio Garcia oh no now thats all i can hear smh haha
@imag1nary3n3my
Dope stuff though
@imag1nary3n3my
Sounds like the mars Volta with a little at the drive in and circa sprinkled on top lol
@itsmehjonas2011
imag1nary3n3my so true I thought it was at the drive in