Ides of Space came into existence somewhere around the turn of the millenni… Read Full Bio ↴Ides of Space came into existence somewhere around the turn of the millennium in Sydney, Australia. After a spluttering false start or two, the band released an EP, First Translated in 1965, on the now defunct Sydney label Quietly Suburban. The recording received rave reviews, solid airplay in Australia, and filtered overseas to several sympathetic ears. By 2001, Ides were recording their second domestic EP, We Have Nowhere to Be, the majority of which was coupled with the debut to form an album that was released in the U.S on Better Looking Records, Japan on Painted Sky Discs, and Sweden on Kasual Recordings.

This compilation of sorts, There Are No New Clouds, was again well received. Epitonic described the band's sound by asking its readers to imagine perhaps, if The Go Betweens had formed not in the wake of the punk and New Wave explosion, but instead in the wake of early '90s U.K. shoegazer and U.S. lo-fi college rock, and you get darn close to the joy of Ides of Space. Alternative Press heard "10 stunning tracks", the All Music Guide noted that the presence of "[soaring] Guitars, boyish multi-part harmonies [and] good old-fashioned hooks" and Pitchfork stated that the way they play and write, it's hard to believe they've only been together for two years. The melodies are well developed and the playing is technically flawless, yet rough enough to sound real.

On the back of touring the U.S. tours with the likes of The Gloria Record, Her Space Holiday, Despericidoes, and The Special Goodness, and Australia with Trans Am, Preston School of Industry, Art of Fighting and Knievel, these recordings reached no. 3 on the Australian AIR charts and 28 on the CMJs.

The band then retreated with producer Wayne Connolly (Underground Lovers, Youth Group, The Vines) to record its follow-up LP, which saw the light of day through low-key releases in Australia, Japan and Sweden in 2004 but not the U.S. Here the story gets a little hazy...various U.S. deals did not eventuate, lives got in the way of the band, and its activities began to contract. In 2005, Ides recorded 2 songs with Tim Whitten (Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus) intended as a 7-inch single release. The masters of these recordings sat in songwriter Patrick Haid's desk draw until about 2 weeks ago.

But now Ides of Space's ‘lost recordings' Sleeping Fractures (and then some!) gets its long overdue release on Better Looking Records. The entire record, plus the insomniac's opus ‘fighting age/guaranteed escape' (previously only available on the Australian limited release EP We Have Nowhere...) plus the ominously titled pop-bliss nuggets ‘The Final Straight' and ‘No more Sound' (aka the desk-top draw recordings) will be available to those unwilling or unable to make Indiana Jones type expeditions for indie-rock.

Recently, members of Ides of Space have been active again in Line Drawings, who have a debut EP available through Bell Sounds. Check them out here (www.myspace.com/linedrawings).

Band members:
Patrick Haid - guitar and vocals
Mark Ayoub - guitar
Dave The - bass guitar
Martin Barker - keyboard
Anthony The - drums.

Switchboard
Ides Of Space Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"The time has come," the walrus said,
"To talk of other things
Like how to find the super glue to patch those broken wings
And whether anything can last until the fat girl sings
And whether anything can last"

I heard him speak and I proposed
He wipe the away his tears

And give me just a little time to find a souvenir
A tiny piece of shattered hope
To show them you were here
A tiny piece of shattered hope

"The days are long," the walrus said,
"But so, too, are the nights
And even birds with broken wings can manage winter's flight
So one day at a time again and we'll make it alright
One day at a time again"

I heard him speak and I proposed
He wipe the away his tears
And give me just a little time to find a souvenir
A tiny piece of shattered hope

To show them you were here
A tiny piece of shattered hope

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ides Of Space's song Switchboard seem to convey a message of hope amidst a seemingly hopeless situation. The use of the walrus as a metaphor for someone who is wise and knowledgeable adds a level of depth to the message. The beginning of the lyrics has the walrus stating that it is time to talk about other things, possibly implying that there are more pressing matters that need to be discussed. The mention of finding super glue to patch broken wings and lasting until the fat girl sings may seem random, but they are perhaps used to signify the brokenness of something that needs to be fixed and the possibility of a resolution that may seem impossible or far-fetched.

The second verse continues with the same message of hope, with the walrus stating that the days are long but so are the nights. The mention of birds with broken wings being able to manage winter's flight implies that even in the face of adversity, it is possible to endure and overcome it. The singer proposes to the walrus to wipe away his tears and to give him time to find a souvenir- a tiny piece of shattered hope- to show that they were present and persevered through difficult times. The repetition of the phrase "tiny piece of shattered hope" further emphasizes the idea that even with a small sliver of hope, it is possible to keep going.

Line by Line Meaning

"The time has come," the walrus said,
It's time to talk about other things.

"To talk of other things
Change the topic to something else.

Like how to find the super glue to patch those broken wings
Let's focus on fixing the problems.

And whether anything can last until the fat girl sings
Is anything really permanent?

And whether anything can last
Are there any guarantees in life?

I heard him speak and I proposed
I listened to him and suggested something.

He wipe the away his tears
He should dry his eyes and be strong.

And give me just a little time to find a souvenir
Let me find a memento to remember you by.

A tiny piece of shattered hope
Even something broken can hold value and meaning.

To show them you were here
To prove that you existed and mattered.

"The days are long," the walrus said,
Life can be a struggle.