The band was formed in 2005 by Guitarist John LaRussa (formerly of Narcissus) and bassist Brian Pittman (formerly of Relient K). In 2006 they added vocalist Ryland Raus prior to the recording and release of their 2006 debut. They are currently signed to Solid State Records, a subsidiary of Tooth & Nail Records.
In July 2007 the band announced through a blog on myspace that Brian Pittman was leaving for personal reasons: "After a lot of thought and consideration, Brian has decided to stay home. He will always have a place in Inhale Exhale, and we love him. But too many factors at home needed his attention. He is excited to be on a permanent break from music. He loves what he has done thus far in his career, but he needed to take care of some personal business."
Jeremy Gifford replaced Brian on the bass guitar throughout the rest of 2007 playing on tour dates and recording with the band. He left the band in 2008 to play guitar for the band Lovedrug. A new Bass player was never officially announced, but Greg Smith was eventually confirmed as Bassist.
On June 10, 2008 the band released their second album, "I Swear..." with the lead single "It's Myself Vs Being A Man".
It was announced on the band's MySpace page on May 12 that they were working on new material and would be recording during the summer to release their next studio album in the fall. In the middle of July, the band confirmed that their next album would be called Bury Me Alive. On September 15, Inhale Exhale posted a new song on their MySpace page, and on October 6th, Bury Me Alive was released.
On June 2, 2013, Inhale Exhale announced on their Facebook page that they were breaking up: "As of right now, after touring 10+ countries, releasing 4 studio albums internationally, and shooting videos and singles and all that goes along with being in this band, Inhale Exhale is coming to an end." They performed at the Alliance Festival on August 4, 2013 in Pittsburgh, PA along with Demon Hunter, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and others. Their final farewell show was performed in Canton, Ohio on October 19, 2013.
Line-up at the time of break up:
Ryland Raus - vocals
John LaRussa - guitar
Tony Saffell - drums
Greg Smith - bass
intentions
Inhale Exhale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not far enough for me.
Not far enough for me.
And for a moment it's all reality.
It's all reality, not this stupid dream.
Away... and I can't say that good intentions were inside, inside of you.
And I'll hold my breath and I'm trying to forget all of the lies.
It's never been about understanding me, but will the truth, will it set you free?
Or will you fall like the others have, abandoned and in need?
And I can't say that good intentions were inside, inside of you.
And I'll hold my breath and I'm trying to forget all of the lies.
Yeah...
Yeah...
Away... and I can't say that good intentions were inside, inside of you.
And I'll hold my breath and I'm trying to forget all of the lies
The lyrics to Inhale Exhale's song "Intentions" express a desire to escape from the present situation, to be "away from here" and "not far enough" from reality. The singer acknowledges that their current existence feels like a "stupid dream" and that they are longing for a more tangible, authentic reality. The refrain "And I can't say that good intentions were inside, inside of you" suggests that the singer has been hurt by someone else's actions, perhaps even deceived or misled by them. They are struggling to come to terms with this betrayal, but also grappling with the realization that true understanding may not ultimately be possible.
The second half of the song introduces a more existential tone, with questions about success, failure, and loneliness. The lines "Will you die a lonely man, will you push to succeed? / Or will you fall like the others have, abandoned and in need?" emphasize the high stakes of striving for achievement and fulfillment, and suggest that the path to either outcome may be fraught with pitfalls and obstacles. The song ends on the same refrains as before, indicating that while the questions posed may be important, they ultimately have no clear answers.
Line by Line Meaning
Away from here is where I want to be.
I desire to be far away from my current location.
Not far enough for me.
The current distance from here is not sufficient for me.
And for a moment it's all reality.
At times, the present moment feels like the only reality.
It's all reality, not this stupid dream.
This present moment feels real, unlike the unpleasant dream.
Away... and I can't say that good intentions were inside, inside of you.
I can't confirm that you had good intentions in wanting to leave this place.
And I'll hold my breath and I'm trying to forget all of the lies.
I'm holding my breath and attempting to erase all the dishonesty from my memory.
It's never been about understanding me, but will the truth, will it set you free?
It's never a matter of whether or not you understand me, but rather if the truth will liberate you.
Will you die a lonely man, will you push to succeed?
Will you perish alone or strive for success?
Or will you fall like the others have, abandoned and in need?
Or will you stumble and end up like the many others, forsaken and desperate?
Yeah...
Vocalization of acknowledgement or agreement.
Yeah...
Vocalization of acknowledgement or agreement.
Away... and I can't say that good intentions were inside, inside of you.
I can't vouch for your good intentions in wanting to depart this place.
And I'll hold my breath and I'm trying to forget all of the lies.
I'll withhold my breath and make an effort to obliterate all falsehoods from my thoughts.
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.