The songs comprising Sunshower—produced by the band and noted engineer Chris Ribando (The Black Crowes, Priestbird, Mary J. Blige)—blend contemporary styles with a myriad of classic influences, from Dylan and The Beatles to Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac to The Police and Talking Heads. But you wouldn’t immediately hear them. The band has a knack for combining all of those influences into something utterly vital and wholly their own, as they’ve done on first single “Flaming Arrow,” a shimmering, ringing acoustic folk tune shot through with a bumping bassline and New Orleans inspired drum groove.
Sunshower dazzles on tracks like the dancefloor-friendly “Simple Stones,” filled with handclaps and soulful economic riffing that boasts a bass line for the ages while blending ‘80s Stones and MGMT. The epic opener “Volcano” melds The Beach Boys with The Flaming Lips, while delivering one of the disc’s best choruses. If Ishibashi conjures The Shins on “Find Me a Place,” he drops vintage, finger-picking folk on disc-closer “People in the Mountain.” As guitarist Zac Colwell puts it: “We can sound like Simon & Garfunkel, The Kooks, or even from a webisode of Yacht Rock.”
If they had their way, listeners would ingest each track on Sunshower as they would a new chapter in a never-boring book. Says singer/multi-instrumentalist K Ishibashi, “We approach every song like, ‘Will people be able to listen to this over and over again?’ ”
“Each song is like a little world,” adds Colwell. “We’re the same four guys playing the music on each track, but we just like to get way down in there and explore that little world.”
What K Ishibashi (lead vocals), Zac Colwell (lead guitar), Dave Heilman (drums) and Pat Dougherty (bass) have created as a result is a hook-heavy album tailor-made for our ADD times. And that mix-it-up mentality suits the band, as its songs are written by either Colwell or Ishibashi, each of whom have opposing approaches to lyric and melody.
“K leaves things a little more open for the listener,” says Colwell, who also plays keyboards and flute and adds backing vocals. “I consciously try to have a little narrative, and tell a story.” Counters Ishibashi, who plays guitar and violin in addition to singing lead on Sunshower: “His songs are pretty dark. I write bright, fun stuff, a lot of it stemming from one really big emotional experience. I’m more analytical, more left brain, he’s more right.”
“If there’s a theme to the album, it would definitely be bittersweetness,” Colwell continues.
“There’s definitely some humor, playfulness, but there’s also this twenty-something, we-have-to-temper-our-excitement sort of thing, especially being New Yorkers. Our elation is always checked, and some of the lyrics reflect that.” Bittersweet can be contradictory in terms, but in this case, these four unique personalities colorfully complement one another.
Although officially formed in 2003, the seeds for Jupiter One were planted in 2000 when Austin native Colwell and Ishibashi (raised in Virginia) met while working as touring musicians with a traveling circus, the Barnum Kaleidoscope. Bonding over their love for all music from soul to classical Indian, the duo began performing instrumental music in New York in the early 2000s, gradually working their way toward pop music incorporating vocals, and gigs at Pianos, Arlene’s Grocery and other reputable venues around Manhattan. “We noticed that once we started singing, girls started coming to shows,” laughs Colwell.
A former member of the popular STOMP performance collective, New Jersey-born drummer Heilman, caught an early incarnation of Jupiter One at a now-defunct bar in New York’s Lower East Side. “There was a unique, analog keyboard sound, something you don’t really hear anymore, especially then, in 2004,” he says, “and it just created this incredible sense of nostalgia. It made me feel like the band’s music was already history. It totally felt classic, and it made me sit up on the edge of my seat.” The current incarnation of the band coalesced with the addition of Delaware-raised bassist Pat Dougherty.
Taking its name from the spaceship in the ‘60s television show Lost in Space, Jupiter One made its recorded debut in 2005 with a self-titled EP, three songs from which made the transition—albeit in re-recorded form—to the group’s official self-titled debut album. The songs on Jupiter One scored the band a slew of high-level song-placements in TV and film projects (including the upcoming indie film Broken Windows, MLB Opening Day ‘09, NASCAR Talladega Race ’09 NBC’s Heroes Tribute, and the Sci-Fi channel’s Flash Gordon), as well as a number of video games (Madden NFL ’08, NHL ’08, etc.), and commercials (Payless‘09, Mazda ‘08).
Behind the new wave-inspired Jupiter One, the band members—having quit their day jobs—criss-crossed the States, building a fan base and surviving on Subway’s five-dollar footlong special, laughs Heilman. “We spent 14 months sluggin’ it out in the clubs,” he says. “We did not want to be some sort of boring web sensation. We wanted to meet our fans face to face.” And the work has paid off. “It’s definitely a show we’ve put time into, so it’s not just four guys playing a song, it’s supposed to be a spectacle,” says Colwell.
With producer/engineer Ribando at the controls, Sunshower embraces warmer, analog sounds and vintage recording techniques. “It’s the sound of the four of us playing together, rather than layering in the studio,” says Colwell. “Instead of piecemeal, it’s the way we actually sound live.”
Forgetting the sound for a minute, and thinking about the songs, Ishibashi adds: “We just want people to internalize them. We want Sunshower to be a journey.”
Fire Away
Jupiter One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lookin' for a simple answer
Show me that you want to stay
I can make it really happen
Lookin' like you're staying awake
Wish it wasn't such a bright day
Is anybody here okay?
Fire away! Fire away!
People around you, they are only afraid
Cause you can blast them far far away
So you're fine, I'm okay
Think of the problem, in a
Three-story maze
Never ever see them again
Lookin' at you through the sun
Wish it wasn't such a bright day
Is everybody here okay?
I can make it really happen
Fire away! Fire away!
People around you, they're only afraid
Cause you can blast them far far away
So you're fine, I'm okay
Think of the problem, in a
Three story maze
Never ever see them again
And again, and again and again and again
Is anybody here okay?
Is anybody here okay?
Is anybody here okay?
In my youth, I had stories to tell
Were they truth?
You'll never know if it's a lie
When I look up at the sky,
I see you (I see you), I see you
Fire away! Fire away!
People around you, they're only afraid
Cause you can blast them far far away!
So you're fine, I'm okay
Think of the problem, in a
Three-story maze
Never ever see them again
The lyrics of Jupiter One’s song Fire Away convey a sense of anxiety and restlessness as the singer searches for an answer to their current state of being. Throughout the song, he implores the listener to let go of their worries and doubts, to embrace the moment and let him take control. The line “I can make it really happen” serves as both a reassurance and a warning that there may be unforeseen consequences if they do not take his advice.
The chorus, “Fire away! Fire away! People around you, they are only afraid,” suggests a certain levity and nonchalance towards the people surrounding the listener as they wish to retreat from them for good. The lyric “Cause you can blast them far far away” further adds to this sense of distance and detachment as the singer tries to convince the listener to let these people go and move on.
The song has multiple interpretations, ranging from a plea to relinquish control to a song about fighting back against oppression. Whatever the interpretation may be, it is clear that the lyrics of Fire Away convey the emotional complexity of seeking liberation and trying new things.
Line by Line Meaning
Is anybody here okay?
Asking if anyone is feeling alright and searching for a sincere response.
Lookin' for a simple answer
Seeking a straightforward response.
Show me that you want to stay
Demonstrating a desire to keep a connection intact.
I can make it really happen
Asserting the ability to achieve a desired outcome.
Lookin' like you're staying awake
Appearing alert and conscious.
Wish it wasn't such a bright day
Expressing a dislike for bright sunlight.
Fire away! Fire away!
Calling to action for a full embrace of a particular endeavor or task.
People around you, they are only afraid
Observing that individuals near you are scared.
Cause you can blast them far far away
Stating that one has the potential to push others away with force.
So you're fine, I'm okay
Assuring each other that everything is good between them.
Think of the problem, in a three-story maze
Encouraging a strategy of contemplation and deep thinking when confronted with an obstacle.
Never ever see them again
Deciding to eliminate the issue or individuals permanently.
Lookin' at you through the sun
Gazing directly at the sun while observing someone.
And again, and again and again and again
Repeating the same actions or patterns.
In my youth, I had stories to tell
Reflecting on past life experiences that were significant.
Were they truth? You'll never know if it's a lie
Wondering if the recounted tales were accurate, but leaving an air of uncertainty.
When I look up at the sky, I see you (I see you), I see you
Envisioning someone every time the artist gazes at the sky.
Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@roderickwhitej.6635
Is anybody here okay?
Lookin' for a simple answer
Show me that you want to stay
I can make it really happen
Lookin' like you're staying awake
Wish it wasn't such a bright day
Is anybody here okay?
I can make it really happen
Fire away! Fire away!
People around you, they're only afraid
Cause you can blast them far far away
So you're fine, I'm okay
Think of the problem, yeah
Three-story maze
Never ever see them again
Lookin' at you through the sun
Wish it wasn't such a bright day
Is everybody here okay?
I can make it really happen
Fire away! Fire away!
People around you, they're only afraid
Cause you can blast them far far away
So you're fine, I'm okay
Think of the problem, yeah
Three story maze
Never ever see them again
And again, and again and again and again
Is anybody here okay?
Is anybody here okay?
Is anybody here okay?
In my youth, I had stories to tell
Were they truth?
You'll never know if it's a lie
When I look up at the sky,
I see you (I see you), I see you
Fire away! Fire away!
People around you, they're only afraid
Cause you can blast them far far away!
So you're fine, I'm okay
Think of the problem, yeah
Three-story maze
Never ever see them again
@Alb3rt0G
12 years later and I’m still listening to this, sadly it isn’t on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, nothing :(
@dimebag667
This is why I still buy CDs. I get it, but I wish people would stop giving up control for convenience. Flaming Arrow is another good Jupiter One jam 👍
@arvanmx5874
@Chris Wilkerson gracias por el dato
@dimebag667
@Arvan MX de nada 👍
@petters27
You can recommend songs to Spotify. I highly suggest you give it a go, will increase the chances of finding this banger on there.
@wowyolotv
i think it’s coming some time this year because the band said they get the rights for this album some time in 2023 in a Facebook post
@Janjo64
Thanks Burnout Paradise, too bad this isn't on spotify
@VEHICLEFAN5500
Even Also Featured In Greek
@northstar4601
The whole album is missing from there, it’s bizarre.
@FLTBLKfan
@North Star yeah