Icon For Hire has released three full length albums: Scripted, Icon For Hire and YOU CAN'T KILL US.
Released in 2011, their first album Scripted shattered first-week sales becoming the highest new artist debut in Tooth & Nail Records history. The record debuted on the Billboard Top 200, at No. 4, on the iTunes Rock chart, and No. 19 on the iTunes overall albums chart.
Icon For Hire released their second full length self-titled album Icon For Hire in October 2013 on the Tooth and Nail label. Producer Mike Green (All Time Low, The Wanted, Pierce The Veil) was at the mixer to follow up their debut album, Scripted.
After spending a remarkable 18 months touring around the world, the group returned to their hometown of Decatur, IL to write their new record. Icon For Hire is set to push the boundaries of music and fashion far beyond their debut. According to the guitarist, Shawn Jump, “We wrote and dreamed about this record away from everything. We needed a safe place where we could all get to “spirit,” and maximize our different influences.” Added drummer, Adam Kronshagen, “There’s been undeniable friction in the songwriting process. We love knowing that you will definitely hear the element of conflict inside of every song we wrote.
The band's video, “Off With Her Head,” received 200k views its first week. Frontwoman and fashion designer, Ariel, worked with the team for weeks to create an avant-garde interpretation of the hit song. The group spent two days in Compton, CA (South Los Angeles) filming the video with a variety of the hottest underground artists.
Icon For Hire moved towards a new chapter of the band in 2016. Adam Kronshagen left the band to spend more time with his family coupled with a split with their record label Tooth & Nail the band decided to go it alone, or so it seemed. The band put together a plan for a kick starter project backed by their own fans. The kick starter reached its target in a matter of days. The album YOU CAN'T KILL US was released in stages throughout the year to those who have backed the kick starter project and there were physical copies on sale in December 2016 when it was completed.
On October 23, 2018, the band uploaded a video to their YouTube channel titled "Supposed To Be Acoustic Sessions Video Teaser", announcing their first video session to come soon, as well as that the Still Can't Kill Us: The Acoustic Sessions album would be released on December 7. The band released their "Supposed to Be" Acoustic Video on October 26, their "Get Well II" Acoustic Video on November 8, and "Demons" Acoustic Video on November 23. The tracks were also uploaded to Spotify as singles. A new album The Reckoning was released in September 2022.
Ariel Bloomer - Vocals,
Shawn Jump - Guitar,
Adam Kronshagen - Drums,
Josh Kincheloe - Bass.
Brittle
Icon for Hire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mistake me for pretentious
I get stuck in my head
It's not personal, it′s just personal
I've been strong for too long
Sometimes I forget why I'm trying
I′m trying, I′m trying
Just another tragic misfit
Ship that cliché to the clinic
Document my disposition
Then they put me in a box
Slap a label on the top
Tape me up and ship me off
Now I′m someone else's problem
They call me damaged
I let them think what they like
They call me difficult
′Cause I don't fit in the lines
But I didn′t get this far without any scars
I'm not brittle
Well, maybe just a little
A little
I'm not brittle
If I get defensive
Don′t say I′m oversensitive
Maybe I have a tendency to snap on people telling me
"You fit inside this box we built, we know you better than yourself"
They're lying, they′re lying, they're lying
I′m just a statistic
Just another tragic misfit
Ship that cliché to the clinic
Document my disposition
Then they put me in a box
Slap a label on the top
Tape me up and ship me off
Now I'm someone else′s problem
They call me damaged
I let them think what they like
They call me difficult
'Cause I don't fit in the lines
But I didn′t get this far without any scars
I′m not brittle
Well, maybe just a little
A little
I'm not brittle
I tell myself
Keep breathing, don′t lose focus
I'm alive, I′m not a diagnosis
Keep breathing, don't lose focus
Keep breathing, don′t lose focus
You're alive, you're not a diagnosis
Keep breathing, don′t lose focus
I′m not a diagnosis
They call me damaged
I let them think what they like
They call me difficult
'Cause I don′t fit in the lines
But I didn't get this far without any scars
I′m not brittle
Well, maybe just a little
A little
They call me damaged
But they can think what they like
They call me difficult
'Cause I don′t fit in the lines
But I didn't get this far without any scars
I'm not brittle
Well, maybe just a little
A little
I′m not brittle
I′m not brittle
Keep breathing
Don't lose focus
The song "Brittle" by Icon for Hire is about the struggle of being misunderstood and labeled by society. The lyrics describe the feeling of being trapped in a box, labeled as different, and shipped off as a problem to someone else. The singer acknowledges that they are rough around the edges and often mistaken for pretentious, but they remind the audience that their behavior is not a personal attack. They recognize that being strong for too long can make one forget why they are trying, but they keep trying nonetheless.
The chorus of the song emphasizes how society labels people as damaged and difficult if they do not fit into predefined categories. The singer challenges this labeling by stating that they did not get this far in life without any scars, but that does not make them brittle. Brittle is used to suggest that the person is fragile and can easily break, but by the end of the song, the singer pushes back against this idea and claims that they are not as fragile as people assume.
The bridge of the song provides a self-reassurance to the singer, reminding themselves to keep breathing and not lose focus because they are alive and not a diagnosis. This line implies that society tends to label people with various disorders but reminding the audience that people are not their diagnosis.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm rough around the edges
I may come off as unrefined
Mistake me for pretentious
My roughness may be mistaken as arrogance
I get stuck in my head
I tend to overthink things
It's not personal, it's just personal
My actions are not a personal attack, it's just how I handle things
I've been strong for too long
I have been resilient for a long time
Sometimes I forget why I'm trying
Sometimes I lose sight of my reasons for persevering
I'm just a statistic
Society sees me as an insignificant number
Just another tragic misfit
I am perceived as another unfortunate outcast
Ship that cliché to the clinic
This stereotype is played out and needs to be discarded
Document my disposition
My emotional state is being recorded
Then they put me in a box
I am being categorized
Slap a label on the top
I am given a simplified label
Tape me up and ship me off
I am then passed off to the next institution
Now I'm someone else's problem
I am no longer society's responsibility
They call me damaged
I am viewed as flawed
I let them think what they like
I do not try to convince others of my true nature
They call me difficult
Because I do not fit neatly into their preconceived notions
′Cause I don't fit in the lines
I do not conform to their expectations
But I didn't get this far without any scars
My journey has left its marks on me
I'm not brittle
I am not easily broken
Well, maybe just a little
Though I am strong, sometimes I am a bit fragile
If I get defensive
If I appear to be on the defensive
Don't say I'm oversensitive
Please do not label me as overly emotional
Maybe I have a tendency to snap on people telling me
I may react strongly to those who try to dictate my behavior
You fit inside this box we built, we know you better than yourself
You must conform to our expectations because we know what is best for you
They're lying, they're lying, they're lying
Their beliefs about me are not accurate
I tell myself
I remind myself
Keep breathing, don't lose focus
Stay calm and remain focused
I'm alive, I'm not a diagnosis
I am not defined by my condition
They call me damaged
I am seen as defective
But they can think what they like
I will not let their opinions control me
I'm not brittle
I am resilient
Keep breathing
Remind yourself to continue living
Don't lose focus
Stay on track and avoid distraction
Writer(s): Amy V A Jump, Shawn M Jump
Contributed by Eli F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Icon For Hire
What was your favorite part of the video?? We'd love to know.
NOVA
Привет из России!
Вы классная группа.
Hello from Russia!
You are a cool group
꧁Sparkle Fairy꧂
Sofía Álvarez yes exactly my opinion :)
RissaFaith94
Honestly, the emotional punch in the gut when Ariel was being wheeled down the hall and Shawn was losing hold of her hand and screaming GOT ME. As did the rest of the video, but that was the first shot that made me really feel it and get into the narrative. The whole thing was a masterpiece, though.
Taco Lord
all of it!
Samantha Butler
@RissaFaith94 yo for real m8
Alex Rudie
Their old label didn't give them any music video for their second album, and we've given them 6 so far for this album. Applause to everyone who helped make this happen 👏 🙌
white vine
Actually 5 with this album, but I want Background Sad snd Sticks and Stones both to be made into music videos after hearing them both.
Karu_TC
@white vine Dont forget about Supposed To Be- You Can't Kill Us was another community-funded project.
white vine
@Karu_TC yes, but that was another album. If you count Hollow that makes 6 on this one because of the deluxe verision and I forgot about that one.