Artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ken Andrews began his career in… Read Full Bio ↴Artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ken Andrews began his career in 1991, fronting the critically acclaimed alt-rock group Failure. Noted for their expansive wall of sound, the band has often been compared to Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden, but stood out due to their cinematic and experimental sonics combined with dark thematic and lyrical touches. Their sound, developed over the course of three albums, peaked with the band’s final release, Fantastic Planet (1996). A seminal, groundbreaking 90's rock album, Fantastic Planet is recognized as a “lush and highly crafted recording”, and “a musical and production masterpiece” (Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide).

Exclaim! praises: "Andrews, the ‘alternative Phil Spector’, and brainchild behind the much heralded group Failure, who arguably are the genesis of the chromatic processed guitar sound (currently perpetuated by former member Troy Van Leeuwen, who took it to A Perfect Circle and Queens of the Stone Age), and whom also earned accolades worldwide and gained great support by the likes of other left-field dark rockers such as Tool."

Since producing and mixing Fantastic Planet, a new career opened up for Ken, as bands and artists found themselves drawn to his aural sensibilities. Easily segueing into his second calling as a producer/mixer, Ken has worked for numerous acts—including Beck, Pete Yorn, Tenacious D, A Perfect Circle, Jimmy Eat World, Mae, and Blink-182.

In 2000, Ken continued as a recording artist with his first solo project, ON (Epic Records), and later with the band Year of the Rabbit (Elektra). “I enjoy making records. Whether I’m helping other artists enhance their vision as a producer or mixer, or writing and recording my own stuff as an artist; I find both worlds to benefit each other, as I invariably pick up skills and techniques from the artists I produce and vice versa. I find wearing both hats equally satisfying creatively.”

Now, Ken returns to the scene with his first solo release as Ken Andrews. “I’m very excited about this album [Secrets of the Lost Satellite]. I’ve had the opportunity to ask various people I’ve worked with over the years to come in and collaborate with me this time. I brought in two of my oldest musical cohorts, Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, IMA Robot) and Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker the Star, Abbey) to co-produce the new album with me. Justin’s accomplished career as a top L.A. studio bassist (Tori Amos, Air, Garbage, The Mars Volta) and his experience as Beck’s live musical director and bassist has prepared him well for the tasks of producer. His main concept for this record, and the driving force as to why this album is decidedly different from my previous solo work, was to bring in a live band to overdub as a unit, on top of my fairly finished and detailed demos. The band consisted mostly of Beck’s current live group, whom I had met when I was hired by Beck to contribute to the Nacho Libre Soundtrack (Brian Lebarton, Matt Mahaffey, Matt Sherrod, and Justin Stanley). We all got together for a two-day recording session, which was one of the most exciting of my life. These guys are so tuned in to each other. Listening to them come up with ideas, and in some cases completely transforming my songs—was a huge rush for me. While the basic structures and all the vocals stayed the same, the songs became injected with a live, undulating quality, that enhanced the basic feel I was going for, but took it far beyond what I thought was possible.”

“The creative process has been very liberating and free flowing. I finally have taken the pressure off of myself, in terms of playing most of the instruments, and really used my skills as the songwriter and overall auteur of the album to my advantage,” he explains.

“Write Your Story”, a track Ken co-wrote with Jordon Zadorozny, strays from what is heard on past Failure, ON, and Rabbit releases. Somewhere in the musical vein of Air and The Doves, the dreamy undertones of the song echo alongside luxuriant vocals.

“Jordon and I have worked together a lot in the past, except with the underlying roles reversed (I was producing him in the past). We both, play, sing, engineer, and produce, so we tend to get into the nitty-gritty of things real quick. Jordon is one of the very few people I’m completely comfortable writing with for my own album. He and I share a writing sensibility that we don’t talk about, it just happens. Plus, he completely understands my musical history and what I was trying to achieve on this album. His role was primarily co-producer, but he played quite a few instruments on various songs, and he co-wrote probably my favorite song on the album, “Write Your Story.”

“Secret Things”, one of the album’s standout tracks, combines tripped-out strings with a synth-bass groove creating a demanding, viscerally appeal. Live instruments (drums, piano, and guitar) mingle with electronic elements. Strong, hooky vocals keep the song on course. “In Your Way”, another stylistically dynamic track pulls the listener into an eerie, enticing space/dream world.

Secrets of the Lost Satellite is expected in stores on March 13, 2007 courtesy of Dinosaur Fight Records. “I think people are going to hear things that they are used to hearing from me on this album, but they are also going to hear things that I haven’t really done in the past,” explains Ken.

A three-week promotional headline tour is slated to coincide with the anticipated release. This tour will be Ken’s first return to the live scene since touring with Year of the Rabbit in 2003.

Does Anybody Know
Ken Andrews Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They said a lot of things
When you were gone
They claimed you didn't know
Said you were wrong
They tried to paint you as someone who could say most anything

Does anybody know?
Does anybody know?

They tried to shut you up
You didn't care
You said it anyway
Fought through the fear
And when the time was right you did what no one thought you would

You gave a sacrifice that cannot be undone, no
The shedding of the skin that brings us down
You let go
You let go

You have to fall apart
To know you're not alone
You have to look back far
To know you're not alone
You have to see the scars
To know you're not alone
You have to go that far
To know you're not alone
You let go
You let go

Does anybody know?
Does anybody know?

Overall Meaning

Ken Andrews's song "Does Anybody Know" is an introspective piece about the weight of other people's opinions and how easy it is for them to paint a false image of someone's character. The lyrics start by listing the rumors that surfaced after the singer's departure, where people claimed to know him better than he knew himself. The second verse highlights how the singer defied their expectations by speaking up despite opposition and fear. He did what no one thought he would, defying the stereotypes that people were trying to ascribe to him. The chorus repeats the question "Does anybody know?" implying that the singer wonders if anyone knows who he truly is beyond the rumors and facade created by others.

The third verse changes the focus, and the singer emphasizes that going through adversity is a necessary part of growth. You have to fall apart to know you're not alone, look back far to see where you've been and how far you've come, and finally, the scars are a testament to the hardships you have overcome. The final line emphasizes that you have to go that far to know you're not alone, reinforcing the idea that growth and overcoming adversity are a shared human experience. The final chorus repeats the same question, but this time, it can also be read as a plea for someone to understand the singer's inner struggles and truly see him beyond the rumors and preconceptions.

Line by Line Meaning

They said a lot of things
Rumors and gossips are going around while you're away.

When you were gone
The rumors occurred when you're not present around them.

They claimed you didn't know
They are portraying you with ignorance which is false.

Said you were wrong
They lied about you being wrong to make themselves look good.

They tried to paint you as someone who could say most anything
They're trying to portray you as someone who's untrustworthy and talks too much.

Does anybody know?
Questioning the truth and awareness of others on the situation.

They tried to shut you up
They attempted to silence you to avoid getting caught with their lies.

You didn't care
You didn't allow them to stop you from speaking up about the truth.

You said it anyway
You spoke and conveyed the truth anyways.

Fought through the fear
You faced your fear of what others might think and still voiced your truth.

And when the time was right you did what no one thought you would
You have surpassed the expectations of others to completely reveal the truth.

You gave a sacrifice that cannot be undone, no
The truth you revealed came at a personal cost that can never be taken back.

The shedding of the skin that brings us down
The lies that were once hidden are now been shed and bringing them down.

You let go
You have accepted the consequences of revealing the truth and moved on.

You have to fall apart
Breaking down helps you understand that people can recover from harsh situations.

To know you're not alone
Realizing that others are going through similar life struggles and pain helps you not to feel alone in a situation.

You have to look back far
Revisiting past struggles gives an insight on how one gets through tough times and knowing, it's okay to struggle sometimes.

To know you're not alone
You can still walk through difficult times without feeling like someone's watching or judging you.

You have to see the scars
Looking back on the pain you've been through and comprehending that it wasn't easy, but you survived.

To know you're not alone
Acknowledging that others go through hardships that result in emotional, mental or physical scars, and because of that, they are not lone warriors on this journey of life.

You have to go that far
Sometimes walking through the pain and hardships can lead to the discovery of their true strength.

Does anybody know?
The question being asked to realize that others go through the same or similar experiences and move forward even if other people don't acknowledge their experience.

Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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