Heap grew up playing music from an early age, and by her eleventh birthday she was writing her own songs. From the age of 15, she studied at the BRIT School Of Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, South London, recording three tracks for the school's annual CD between 1994 and 1995, "Aliens" being the title track of the latter.
After being introduced to Nik Kershaw by his manager Mickey Modern, Heap and Kershaw recorded four demos that Mickey Modern took to Rondor Music. Consequently, a few months later Heap signed her first record contract at 18 to independent record label Almo Sounds. During 1996, Heap began working with an experimental pop band called Acacia, which featured her future collaborator Guy Sigsworth and was fronted by the singer Alexander Nilere. While never a full member of the band, Heap was a guest vocalist (as a counterpart to Nilere) and contributed to various Acacia single and album tracks in 1997. One Acacia song, "Maddening Shroud", would later be covered by Frou Frou.
Heap enjoyed a prestigious live début, performing four songs (backed by friends Acacia) between sets by The Who and Eric Clapton at the 1996 Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park, London. Her début album, I Megaphone (an anagram of "Imogen Heap") was internationally released in 1998 on independent record label Almo Sounds and garnered critical acclaim. However, as production of the album neared completion, it was announced that the record label had been sold and would be shut down. I-Megaphone featured collaborations with Guy Sigsworth and Dave Stewart. In Japan, the regional distributor, Zora, re-released the album in 2002, featuring "Blanket," her collaboration with Urban Species which was released as a single in the United Kingdom, and a Frou Frou remix of one of her B-sides, a video to which was released exclusively to Japanese media. Following the disbanding of her UK and USA record label, I Megaphone was scarce in circulation, having not been re-printed until November 2006. An independent Brazillian record label has rights to the record, and has issued limited copies, some of which are available on eBay. It has also been released through the iTunes Music Store under the Almo label.
At the same time as the Japanese re-release, Heap was working on new tracks with producer Guy Sigsworth, who had collaborated on "Getting Scared" from I-Megaphone. Together, they formed an electro-pop group Frou Frou, releasing an album called "Details" and singles, "Breathe In", "It's Good To Be In Love" and "Must Be Dreaming." The album was a full collaboration between the two artists. Frou Frou were approached to cover "Holding Out for a Hero", originally performed by Bonnie Tyler, for the soundtrack to the highly successful movie Shrek 2. An album track, "Let Go", was featured in the movie Garden State in 2004.
In December 2003, Heap announced on her web site that she was going to write and produce her second solo album, using her site as an online blog to update fans on progress, even seeking them to be her A&R team for the lyrics to "Daylight Robbery". Heap set herself a deadline of one year to make the album (she booked the album mastering for December 2004), and re-mortgaged her flat to fund production costs, including the use of studio time and instruments (which she purchased as a birthday present to herself). Having been burned by previous challenges with record labels (Heap had been spurned twice by record companies, when Almo Sounds was sold and when Frou Frou's label staff focused on promoting other acts), Heap decided to form her own record label on which to release the new record. At the end of 2004, Heap premiered two album tracks online, enabling fans to pay for a digital download, entitled "Just For Now" (which was up for a limited time as a Christmas gift), and "Goodnight And Go", which had been featured on the second season of hit US TV drama The O.C.
In April 2005, The O.C. season two finale featured another track, the sparse vocodered-vocal track, "Hide And Seek". The track was released immediately to digital download services such as iTunes where it became an instant fixture in the chart. The track was released as a digital download on the 5th July 2005 in the UK and peaked at #8 on the iTunes download chart.
The album, entitled "Speak For Yourself" was then released in the UK on July 18th 2005 on her own record label, Megaphonic Records. The album was also released on iTunes UK, where it entered the top 10, selling strongly. "Hide And Seek" also received radio attention from the popular UK radio station BBC Radio One, with DJ Scott Mills featuring it as his "Record of the Week", and provoking strong reactions ("love it or hate it") from other DJs at the station. Due to popular demand, the track was commercially released on a special limited edition (1500 copies were printed) 7" vinyl in the UK in September. Speak For Yourself was licensed to Sony BMG imprint RCA Victor in August 2005, enabling the record to be released in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was released in those territories in November, and Heap appeared on the Hotel Cafe Tour promoting the record. Imogen also performed "Goodnight And Go" on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 11, 2006. Heap is slated to continue touring in 2006 in the US and UK to support the record.
As well as TV soundtracks (Frou Frou and Heap's solo records have been featured in shows as varied as The O.C. to CSI, among others), Heap has also contributed solo tracks to movie soundtracks. Her cover of the song "Spooky" (made famous by the band Classics IV, and previously covered by Dusty Springfield) for the soundtrack to the Reese Witherspoon movie Just Like Heaven. Heap also wrote a special track entitled "Can't Take It In" for the soundtrack to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She has also appeared on the second soundtrack for the HBO television series "Six Feet Under", entitled "Six Feet Under Vol. 2: Everything Ends" with a 50-second track that closed the Season 4 episode "I'm A Lonely Little Petunia (In An Onion Patch)". Three versions were recorded and are available from Heap's official web site.
In addition to producing her own records, she has also produced a track for Nik Kershaw and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Joshua Radin, Jeff Beck, Temposhark, LHB, Way Out West, Jon Bon Jovi, Mich Gerber, Sean Lennon, Urban Species, Blue October, Jon Hopkins and Acacia.
Heap's 2009 album 'Ellipse' features Canvas, Aha! and Half Life.
Sites: Twitter
www.imogenheap.com
Lifeline
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hm, can you read it on my face?
Data mining from old memories
Hm, sunflowers and a smile catching
Hm, welcoming a heartbeat to the family
Light tie lanterns, wish bound in the night
Who, what, when?
All in one stir of a teaspoon
I'm shaken and gasping for air
Lifeline, before and after
In an instant of great white gravity (gravity)
Hold tight, 'cause all is against me
Every cell in my body, brace,
Woah, and keep breathing,
And keep breathing
Gracious future,
Hm, won't you lend a hand to pull me through?
'Cause me and you've got some things we need to see to
(Let's get to work, let's get to work)
Adventures in the multi-verse
Effervescent candlelit closeness
Plus, I feel like I've just got the hang of this living thing
Who, what, when?
All in one stir of a teaspoon
I'm shaken and gasping for air, air, air, air
I will, on one day,
And sometime, in some place,
I've still got some go in me yet
Lifeline, before and after
In an instant of great white gravity (gravity)
Hold tight, 'cause all is against me
Every cell in my body, brace (in my body, brace)
Rise high, cling to the laughters
For that moment of broken tragedy (tragedy)
Bright-eyed, the world is against me
Every cell in my body, brace,
Woah and keep breathing,
Keep breathing,
Still breathing
My bones stay strong,
My days, still long,
My heart has many heartbeats,
And home is where love is
Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah
Lifeline, before and after
In an instant of great white gravity
Hold tight, 'cause all is against me
Every cell in my body, brace
Rise high, cling to the laughters
For that moment of broken tragedy
Bright-eyed, the world is against me
Every cell in my body, brace,
And keep breathing
Keep breathing
And keep breathing
Keep breathing
And keep breathing, ah
Keep
The song "Lifeline" by Imogen Heap is full of insightful lyrics that are deeply emotional and touching. The first verse of the song talks about memory and how it can be easily mined from old events. The second line, "Hm, can you read it on my face?" suggests that she is trying to remember something or understand something that she sees in her face. The song then transitions into a narrative about a person who is facing overwhelming odds, but they are fighting to overcome them.
The next verse talks about the importance of holding onto hope and optimism during tough times. She sings about how we should all be looking for adventures in the multi-verse and clinging to laughter to help us through moments of broken tragedy. The chorus of the song is empowering and its lyrics are powerful: "Lifeline, before and after, in an instant of great white gravity, hold tight, 'cause all is against me, every cell in my body brace, woah, and keep breathing."
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to survive and persevere when facing adversity. It is a song about hope, optimism, and the power of the human spirit to endure and overcome even the toughest of challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Freeze frame on me
Pause for a moment and observe me closely
Hm, can you read it on my face?
Do my facial expressions reveal my emotions?
Data mining from old memories
Recalling past memories to extract information
Hm, sunflowers and a smile catching
Capturing a moment of happiness and warmth
Hm, welcoming a heartbeat to the family
Celebrating the arrival of a new family member
Light tie lanterns, wish bound in the night
Hopeful desires expressed through illuminated lanterns
Who, what, when?
Questions of identity, purpose, and timing
All in one stir of a teaspoon
Life-changing situations happen unexpectedly
I'm shaken and gasping for air
Feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope
Lifeline, before and after
The defining moments that shape one's life
In an instant of great white gravity (gravity)
A moment of significant impact and weight
Hold tight, 'cause all is against me
Staying strong amidst adversity and opposition
Every cell in my body, brace,
Preparing for the worst while hoping for the best
Woah, and keep breathing,
Maintaining composure and mental stability
Gracious future,
Looking forward with hope and optimism
Hm, won't you lend a hand to pull me through?
Asking for help and support to overcome challenges
'Cause me and you've got some things we need to see to
There are still important things to achieve and experience
(Let's get to work, let's get to work)
Motivating oneself and others to take action
Adventures in the multi-verse
Exploring the vastness and diversity of existence
Effervescent candlelit closeness
Intimate moments of shared connection and warmth
Plus, I feel like I've just got the hang of this living thing
Gaining confidence and comfort in navigating life
Rise high, cling to the laughters
Holding on to moments of joy and humor
For that moment of broken tragedy (tragedy)
Preparing for the inevitable sorrows and setbacks in life
Bright-eyed, the world is against me
Feeling outnumbered and outmatched by obstacles
And keep breathing
A reminder to remain calm and composed
My bones stay strong,
Physical strength and resilience
My days, still long,
Life is full of opportunities and experiences
My heart has many heartbeats,
Ability to love and be loved
And home is where love is
A place of comfort, safety, and affection
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IMOGEN JENNIFER JANE HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind