“I think the good in people is never lost,” Koji said. “And it’s never gone from music. Music is an art form that celebrates potential. If you’re looking for it, you’re going to find it.” - February 20, 2012 interview with Gaining Ground Media.
Koji can be seen advocating with organizations such as Resolve and Invisible Children on behalf of the child soldiers being used by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in central and east Africa as well as Humility Now to help raise awareness about the homeless right here in the United States. His concerts feature a combination of music, storytelling, media and visual art, all aimed at empowering youth to create positive, lasting change and build community.
In 2010, Koji released four records. Seaside Sessions was a demo tape that came together in one day with producer Gabe Liberti at Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn. That spring, he hit the road with his demo in tow and almost immediately after upon returning home, Koji landed a deal with Run For Cover Records. In August, RFC released Spring Song Vol. 1 - a full-length live record tracked at intimate house shows on Koji’s spring tour, followed by Some Small Way - Koji’s first full band release. In October, No Sleep Records released a full-length 12” vinyl split with Chicago’s Into It. Over It., entitled IIOI/KOJI, which was lauded by the Associated Press as one of 2010’s Most Overlooked Albums, alongside artists like Mumford and Sons, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Gucci Mane.
Koji was named one of Alternative Press magazine’s “100 Bands To Know in 2011“. He released a 12" vinyl-only split with long time friends, La Dispute, entitled Never Come Undone, which came out via No Sleep Records. The record was released amidst Koji's "Resolve Tour," where he performed in addition to sharing video and photography, collecting petition signatures and letters to congress seeking funding for the endangered LRA Strategy (it was eventually funded because of the youth advocacy community), and conducting community round table discussions to drive further into the issue of the LRA in central Africa, America's role in creating peace, and the power of an individual's voice to make change on this and any issue. His side of Never Come Undone features the song "Peacemaker" as well as Koji's take on Ted Leo's Biomusicology and was dedicated to fellow activist, Nate Henn, who was killed in 2010's World Cup bombing in Uganda.
He released "Matters" EP in 2013, and "Fury" EP in 2015.
Matches
Koji Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The opening lyrics of Koji's song "Matches" seem to be referencing a past event, possibly a fight or argument, that became destructive and had lasting consequences. The lines "Crashed the truck, burnt the house down. You set the fire" imply that the argument escalated to physical destruction, possibly with one person intentionally causing harm to the other person's property. However, despite the damage, there is a sense that things could have been worse; the line "I mean nobody died but the lies make the liar" suggests that there were untruths involved in the situation, but at least no one lost their life.
The next section of the song includes the poignant line "some children stay children and for that oh the child had to pay." This could be referencing the idea that sometimes adults act immaturely and recklessly, leading to negative consequences for themselves and those around them. The imagery of a "friction surface" setting a flame and gravity pulling on its weight speaks to the idea that destructive actions can have a natural momentum that is difficult to stop once it starts.
Overall, the lyrics of "Matches" seem to be conveying a sense of regret and reflection on past actions that had negative consequences. There is a sense of wondering if things could have been different if different choices had been made, such as the question "if you could, would you then take it back?"
Line by Line Meaning
It's not the same.
Things have changed from how they used to be.
Crashed the truck, burnt the house down.
There was a catastrophic event that destroyed both the truck and the house.
You set the fire.
You are responsible for the fire that caused the destruction.
Some things do remain.
There are still some things left that survived the destruction.
I mean nobody died but the lies make the liar.
Although nobody was physically harmed, the deceitful actions of the person responsible make them a liar.
Somebody's gonna say "some children stay children and for that oh the child had to pay."
There will be someone who will argue that sometimes children are punished for simply remaining childish.
Just like the friction surface sets a flame and gravity starts pullin on it's weight.
Similar to how friction can cause a spark and gravity can pull on an object's weight, some actions can lead to destructive consequences.
It makes no sense to me.
The situation is confusing and difficult for me to understand.
It didn't have to be.
The destruction could have been avoided if certain actions were not taken.
I mean if you could, would you then take it back?
If you had the ability, would you undo the actions that caused the destruction?
Take it back.
Undo the actions that caused the destruction.
Contributed by Alice P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.