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
Swoon
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vibrating to your ring tone
My world begins to dance
We discuss important stuff
The rendezvous is set up
To catch a film and dinner
Stuck in a cinema or
Suddenly realize and fall into my arms
Working you under cover
Softly slowly got ya
Any moment now your gonna swoon
Into my arms
A same you
A same me
Spoon feeding the ground dark soil
A friend too good to go there with
Shake it up and get it on
Oh well I know you know you do
And maybe you've not said in so many words
You've always got your reasons
You're a right little know it all
Stuck in a cinema or
Saving me from a car your
Suddenly realize and fall into my arms
Working you under cover
Softly slowly got ya
Any moment now your gonna swoon
Let me be the great Scott
Tip top pit stop in your ocean
I could be the shipmate's wife
Got you down and dirty with the lotion
This is where I was going to sing your name
Over and over again
But I chickened out
I haven't done it
'Cause I thought you probably wouldn't like it
Swoon and fall into my arms
Let me be the great Scott
Tip top pit stop in your ocean
I could be the shipmate's wife
Got you down and dirty with the lotion
Let me be the great Scott
Tip top pit stop in your ocean
I could be the shipmate's wife
Got you down and dirty with the lotion.
The lyrics of "Swoon" by Imogen Heap talks about a romantic night out between two people who are clearly attracted to each other. The first verse talks about setting up a rendezvous to catch a film and dinner while enjoying each other's company. The second verse implies that they are quickly getting closer to each other to the point where they fall into each other's arms. The chorus emphasizes the build-up towards this moment of attraction where the singer is working the other person slowly and carefully, eventually leading to a moment of swooning into each other's arms.
Line by Line Meaning
Your name in lights
I am captivated by you and feel like you are the center of attention
Vibrating to your ring tone
Even the sound of your phone ringing makes my heart race
My world begins to dance
Being around you brings me so much joy and excitement
We discuss important stuff
We have meaningful conversations and connect on a deeper level
The rendezvous is set up
We have made plans to spend time together and I am looking forward to it
To catch a film and dinner
We have planned to go on a date to the movies and for a meal afterwards
Stuck in a cinema or
Whether we are in a movie theater or
Saving me from a car your
You are always there to protect me and keep me safe
Suddenly realize and fall into my arms
You have a moment of clarity and realize that you have feelings for me, and we embrace
Working you under cover
I am slowly making you fall for me without you realizing it
Softly slowly got ya
My gentle approach and charm are winning you over
Any moment now your gonna swoon
You are on the brink of falling deeply in love with me
A same you
We are very similar
A same me
We have a lot in common
Spoon feeding the ground dark soil
We are nurturing something new and exciting together
A friend too good to go there with
I value our friendship too much to risk losing it by pursuing a romantic relationship
Shake it up and get it on
We should take a chance and see where our feelings lead us
Oh well I know you know you do
I am certain that you feel the same way about me
And maybe you've not said in so many words
You may not have explicitly expressed your feelings, but I can sense them
You've always got your reasons
You have your own justifications for not revealing your true feelings
You're a right little know it all
You can be quite stubborn and set in your ways
Let me be the great Scott
Let me be the one who sweeps you off your feet and makes you fall madly in love
Tip top pit stop in your ocean
I want to be your safe haven and comfort, amidst the chaos of life
I could be the shipmate's wife
I want to be your partner in life, through thick and thin
Got you down and dirty with the lotion
We are comfortable with each other and are able to let our guards down
This is where I was going to sing your name
I was going to express my love for you in a grand gesture
Over and over again
I wanted to repeat your name to emphasize how much I love you
But I chickened out
I got scared and didn't follow through with my plan
I haven't done it
I haven't expressed my love for you in such a bold way
'Cause I thought you probably wouldn't like it
I was afraid that you would reject or laugh at me if I went through with my plan
Swoon and fall into my arms
Let yourself be overcome by your feelings for me and allow us to be together
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IMOGEN JENNIFER JANE HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind