Their début single, 'To You', on Ugly Man Records was produced by and featured backing vocals by Guy Garvey, lead singer of Еlbow.
Début album Natural History was released in March 2001 on Wall of Sound offshoot We Love You. It was followed by the self-titled I Am Kloot in September 2003 on the Echo label. In their early years I Am Kloot were regarded by many as an example of the 'quiet is the new loud' trend in indie rock, as they gained prominence in the same years as, for example, Turin Brakes and Norway's Kings of Convenience. I Am Kloot, however mostly acoustic, were definitely not always 'quiet', if only because of Bramwell's rough singing and Hargreaves' often powerful drumming.
The third 'Kloot' LP, Gods and Monsters, was released in April 2005. The band subsequently announced their departure from the label, citing reasons such as a lack of financial support and the cancellation of singles at short notice. The band released a compilation of radio sessions, BBC Radio 1 John Peel Sessions in October 2006, a collection of two Peel Sessions and other rarities.
Their fourth album, I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge, was released in April 2008. Once again a compilation album followed in its slipstream, this time 2009's collection of B-sides, rare recordings, sessions, and previously unreleased material, entitled B.
Following the somewhat disappointing sales of the 'Moolah Rouge' album, I Am Kloot had Elbow's Guy Garvey and Craig Potter produce their next studio album, which turned out to be a majestic return to form. Sky at Night (released July 2010) was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and charted at #24 in the U.K. album charts.
I Am Kloot were back on the map. 2013's Let It All In became their highest charting album in the U.K. (#10), but would turn out to be their final studio LP together. There would be two more releases (a soundtrack album called From There to Here in 2014, and a 2015 live album entitled Hold Back the Night: I Am Kloot Live) before John Bramwell announced (in late 2017) that the group had quietly split up a year or so earlier.
"There was no heavy break-up or anything," Bramwell said. "I just wanted to do something else. I'll never say never to getting back together but I was in I Am Kloot most of my adult life, but just as you can go to a great place on holiday year after year, sooner or later you want to go to somewhere else."
Dead Men's Cigarettes
I Am Kloot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
turned round here today, to find that someone was me
and we smoke, dead men's cigarettes
and we choke, on the bitter black regrets,
of ourselves - we've found no-one else
woke up this morning, for someone to set me free
but we smoke, dead men's cigarettes
and we choke, on the bitter black regrets
of ourselves - we've found no-one else
and we smoke, dead men's cigarettes
and we choke, on the bitter black regrets,
and we smoke, dead men's cigarettes
and we choke, on the bitter black regrets,
of ourselves - we've found no-one else
The song Dead Men's Cigarettes by I Am Kloot seems to be about the struggle to find freedom from something or someone, which the singer thinks can only come from themselves. The lyrics suggest that in looking for that freedom, the singer stumbles upon the realization that they are the ones who need to set themselves free, and they must do so by facing their regrets and the bitter aftermath of their actions. The chorus, "and we smoke dead men's cigarettes, and we choke on the bitter black regrets," speaks to the self-destructive behavior of the singer and perhaps those around them. The use of the imagery of smoking dead men's cigarettes also adds a mournful and reflective quality to the song.
The repetition of "we've found no-one else" in the song suggests a sense of isolation or perhaps a failed search for a savior or someone to lean on during hard times. The realization that one is the only one who can save themselves can be both empowering and daunting, and that emotion is certainly conveyed in the lyrics. Overall, the song is a melancholic reflection on the search for freedom, and the realization that sometimes the only person who can set us free is ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
woke up this morning, for someone to set you free
I woke up hoping that someone else would take responsibility for making changes in my life and free me from my struggles.
turned round here today, to find that someone was me
Upon looking back today, I realize that I am the one who finally took responsibility and made positive changes in my life.
and we smoke, dead men's cigarettes
We, as individuals, have developed habits and dependencies on the vices of others who are no longer living.
and we choke, on the bitter black regrets,
We struggle with our own negative emotions and the consequences of poor decisions we have made in the past.
of ourselves - we've found no-one else
Ultimately, we are solely responsible for our own lives and finding the motivation to improve ourselves.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andrew Hargreaves, John Bramwell, Peter Jobson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind