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."
Hold Back the Night
I Am Kloot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The streets are filled with laughter
She'll not be after you once again
Come to my house and say we're friends
I can't help but see
Gone are the days
We tripped the light fantastic
Running wild, where did you go to, my little child
I cannot help but see
Fill up your days
And your pockets with plenty
Soon they'll be empty
Once again, someone has sent me
To you my friend
We just can't keep on running
Hold back the tide
And the waves of reason
Guilty of treason
Once again, stop all the seasons
The sun and the rain
Until you stop believing
Turn on the light
I can't see where I'm running
(?) keeps coming
Hold Back the Night is a poetic song that talks about a desire to stop the cycle of pain and disappointment that seems to have taken over someone's life. The first stanza talks about how the streets are filled with laughter but the singer's subject of the song will not be after them once again. Rather, they should come over to their house and say that they're friends. The singer is trying to help their subject deal with their problems by offering them a place of solace. The second stanza says that they should stop running wild and fill up their days with plenty. The singer recognizes the fact that the subject has gone through a lot of pain in their lives and offers their help by telling them that they can't keep running.
The chorus of the song tells the subject to hold back the night and the waves of reason because they are guilty of treason. They should stop all seasons of the sun and the rain until they stop believing. In essence, the singer is telling the subject to stop trying to rationalize their actions because they are only hurting themselves in the process. Finally, in the last line of the song, the singer says that they can't see where they're running, and something, maybe a memory, keeps coming back to them. This line is an acknowledgment of how difficult it is to break the cycle of pain and disappointment, and how it can follow a person even when they try to run away from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold back the night
Delay the darkness and desperation of the situation.
The streets are filled with laughter
People are busy enjoying and happy, but the singer is not able to join them.
She'll not be after you once again
The singer's love interest will not try to reconnect with him anymore.
Come to my house and say we're friends
The singer invites the love interest to visit him as a friend.
I can't help but see
The singer is aware of the reality and can't ignore it.
Gone are the days
The past is gone and lost forever.
We tripped the light fantastic
We enjoyed dancing and having fun.
Illusion's more drastic
The deception was immense and hurtful.
Running wild, where did you go to, my little child
The love interest was reckless and unpredictable, and now the singer wonders where she is.
I cannot help but see
The reality is hard to overlook.
Fill up your days
Make the most of your time and experiences.
And your pockets with plenty
Earn enough to support yourself and those you love.
Soon they'll be empty
The good times and money won't last forever.
Once again, someone has sent me
The singer is sent to help the love interest once again.
To you my friend
Addressing the love interest as a friend.
We just can't keep on running
The singer and love interest can't keep running away from the problems and the past.
Hold back the tide
Stop the overwhelming flow of emotions and thoughts.
And the waves of reason
The logical thoughts are turbulent and unpredictable.
Guilty of treason
The love interest has betrayed and hurt the singer.
Once again, stop all the seasons
The singer wants to stop everything from changing and preserve the present moment.
The sun and the rain
The natural elements of life and emotions.
Until you stop believing
Things won't change until you stop deceiving yourself and face the reality.
Turn on the light
Illuminate the situation and make it clear.
I can't see where I'm running
The singer is lost and doesn't know where his life is heading.
(?) keeps coming
A vague reference to unknown troubles that keep appearing in life.
Writer(s): John Harold Arnold Bramwell, Peter Alexander Jobson, Andrew Peter Hargreaves Copyright: Chrysalis Music Ltd.
Contributed by Layla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Neil Connolly
Simply one of the best tracks from I AM KLOOT. Ambitious, touching, delicate & stunning. Bravo.
you can't be this empty
Only just found out about these guys. My cousin recommended I hear them. I´m blown away by them and their modesty. Music with substance.
modey99
Love it!
emptyW
Wow this song is awesome! I'm glad that I stumbled upon it :D
1MacTaggart
Love the song, you guy have been pulling out all the stops with Guy & Craig. Real great music.
jarvis400
What a brilliant song and a video. Truly well done. Many thanks.
v1de0junk13
Love everything Kloot do. Lovely blokes, epic tunes. The video looks great (I don't get it, but it looks good).
TheLucvD
God I love this band...
Hasna Boudaoud
the music starting from 2:20 is amazing!
Brian Judge
What a track!