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."
Twist
I Am Kloot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We fuck and we fight, someone else does the dishes,
And meantime my memory reminisces and twists,
There was a time when we were filled with laughter,
Haplessly hoping happy ever after,
Did we string up a heart, let it swing from the rafters
And bleed.
There's blood on your legs, I love you
There's blood on your legs, I love you
Evoke the rich tapestry of love and devotion,
Emote the sweet saccharine of all that devotion,
Forget all about that and fall in this ocean with me,
With me.
Twist, snap, I love you
Twist, snap, I love you
Twist, snap, I love you
Da da da…
There's blood on your legs, I love you
There's blood on your legs, I love you
There's blood on your legs, I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
The lyrics of I Am Kloot's song Twist depicts the complexity of love and relationships. The first stanza touches on the idea of fate and destiny as the singer admits being twisted on the concept of three wishes. The line "we fuck and we fight, someone else does the dishes" suggests a turbulent relationship where there are frequent conflicts and someone else bears the responsibility of resolving them. The next line about memory reminiscing and twisting reveals the complexity of the relationship as the singer looks back on happier times but is unable to shake off the more painful memories. The line "Did we string up a heart, let it swing from the rafters and bleed" is a metaphor for leaving oneself vulnerable in a relationship, leading to heartbreak.
The second part of the song continues on this theme, with the line "There's blood on your legs, I love you" being a stark reminder of the messiness and pain that often accompanies love. The subsequent line "Evoke the rich tapestry of love and devotion" reveals how the singer is trying to hold on to the idea of love and the positive aspects of the relationship, despite the hardships. The repetition of "There's blood on your legs, I love you" throughout the song serves as a motif, highlighting the contradictions and paradoxes inherent in love.
Overall, Twist is a poignant reflection on love and relationships - the good, the bad, and the ugly. The lyrics show how love can be both beautiful and painful, and how it never quite fits into neat categories or expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Twisted on destiny, fate and three wishes
Our fate and destiny have been entangled and distorted by the granting of just three wishes.
We fuck and we fight, someone else does the dishes
Our relationship is tumultuous and volatile, but we have a designated person to handle the mundane tasks like washing dishes.
And meantime my memory reminisces and twists
As time passes, my recollection of our past experiences becomes more ambiguous and convoluted.
There was a time when we were filled with laughter
There was a time in our relationship when we were genuinely happy and joyful.
Haplessly hoping happy ever after
Despite a sense of futility, we are desperate for a happy ending to our story.
Did we string up a heart, let it swing from the rafters
Have we taken a vulnerable and fragile heart and put it on public display, risking damage or loss?
And bleed
And have we suffered the consequences of such recklessness?
There's blood on your legs, I love you
I am willing to overlook even the most unsightly of flaws or mistakes because of my deep affection for you.
Evoke the rich tapestry of love and devotion
Let us conjure up the complex and intricate interweaving of love and commitment that we share.
Emote the sweet saccharine of all that devotion
Express the sentimental and indulgent aspects of our feelings for each other.
Forget all about that and fall in this ocean with me
Let us abandon all distractions and dive headfirst into this intense and all-consuming connection we share.
Twist, snap, I love you
Our love is unpredictable and visceral, capable of both twisting and snapping, but it endures.
Da da da...
A vocalization expressing a sense of untranslatable emotion.
I love you
A simple and powerful expression of affection.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andrew Hargreaves, John Bramwell, Peter Jobson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind