Kuinka is an American folk-pop band based in Seattle.

The name Kuink… Read Full Bio ↴Kuinka is an American folk-pop band based in Seattle.

The name Kuinka comes from the Finnish for “how”; how does a band bristling with spirited creativity continue to evolve artistically and challenge themselves while staying true to their own roots? For Kuinka, the answer comes in the form of letting go: a joyful acquiescence to faith in their cumulative love of songwriting and shared experience, regardless of genre or instrumentation. Brothers Zach and Nathan Hamer, along with Miranda Zickler and Jillian Walker, came together in 2014 to form a unique breed of string band; one proudly defiant of preconceived notions of what fits under the label 'Americana'.

Their 2014 debut The Wild North, which propelled the band out of the woods and on to stages across the country, was followed by their 2016 breakout LP The Heartland. Both albums were recorded at the famed Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, WA (Fleet Foxes, Metric), and led to featured performances at dozens of festivals and several successful national headlining tours. Home from touring The Heartland, all four found themselves in the midst of major life changes both as people and as artists; moving out of the house they‘d shared for the previous two years to new cities and broadening the total palette from which they draw as musicians. After fleshing out new songs in rehearsal, the band headed to a studio near Portland, OR with the trusted ears of longtime producer Jerry Streeter (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers). The quartet was joined in the studio with their touring wizard of the woodwinds John Benefiel who handled clarinet and saxophone.
The songs on their forthcoming release Stay Up Late ring with the vibrancy of exploration and discovery. “We’ve spent our time as a band in pursuit of a unique sound that captures our energy and essence” says Zickler. “Once we came together and started work on the new singles, we knew it was time to redefine ourselves. We’d love for our music to be a soundtrack to adventure. The change represents finding your way, for both us and our listeners.”

Curious Hands
Kuinka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been out late
I've been trying to say all of the reasons I've failed to keep my
Head in one place
I built a home in the air and darling I'm well aware that there's a
Hitch in my gate
I've been afraid of the dark, I've been avoiding the place I made
When all the lights have burned down, at the end of the day
I'm so down, down, down

Maybe I'll go home up town
Or I'll stay and come around, around
And compensate for all my bad behavior and my

Curious hands (oh, oh, oh)
I get crippled and down all the days
[?] . and through my fingers I forgot all my plans
Pulling the layers and waves I can hold them up to keep them safe
In my hands

Oh, I've got a good spine
But I've come to find
No logic or love can keep me in line
And I've tried, oh I've tried
To take it down, down, down
In the quiet you can hear the sound
Of myyyy

Curious hands (oh, oh, oh)
I get crippled and down all the days
[?] ... and through my fingers I forgot all my plans
Pulling the layers and waves I can hold them up to keep them safe
In my hands

I don't wanna go to bed yet, I just wanna stay up late and watch the days change
I don't wanna go to bed yet, I just wanna stay up late and watch the days change

I don't wanna go to bed yet (I don't wanna go to bed yet), I just wanna stay up late and watch the days change (Watch the days change) x3
Stay up late and watch the days change

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kuinka's song "Curious Hands" convey the inner turmoil and restlessness of the singer. The first verse sets the stage by highlighting the singer's sense of failure and inability to keep their head in one place. They feel like they've built a home in the air, meaning that they've created a life for themselves that is not grounded in reality. The references to being afraid of the dark and avoiding a place they've made suggest a sense of unease and avoidance. The chorus talks about their curious hands, the thing that seems to get them in trouble, causing them to fall apart and forget their plans.

The second verse touches on the singer's awareness of their own tendencies - they have a good spine (meaning that they have backbone and strength), but they also know that no logic or love can keep them in line. They've tried to bring themselves down (again, grounding themselves in reality), but have been unsuccessful. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the theme of the curious hands and the singer's struggle to keep a handle on their life.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been out late
I have been out late, probably trying to distract myself from something that is causing me stress.

I've been trying to say all of the reasons I've failed to keep my
I have been trying to express the reasons why I have not been able to keep myself together.

Head in one place
I have been unable to focus or concentrate on one thing.

I built a home in the air and darling I'm well aware that there's a
I have built unrealistic expectations for myself, and I am aware that it will not end well.

Hitch in my gate
There is something that is blocking me from progressing forward in my life.

I've been afraid of the dark, I've been avoiding the place I made
There is a part of myself that I am afraid to face or confront, so I am avoiding that aspect of my life.

When all the lights have burned down, at the end of the day
When everything is said and done and it is the end of the day, I am left feeling exhausted and depleted.

I'm so down, down, down
I am feeling very low and possibly depressed.

Maybe I'll go home up town
I am considering going somewhere else, possibly to escape my current situation.

Or I'll stay and come around, around
Alternatively, I may stay and try to turn things around for myself.

And compensate for all my bad behavior and my
I want to make up for my past mistakes and misdeeds.

Curious hands (oh, oh, oh)
I have a tendency to explore or touch things, even when I know they may not be good for me.

I get crippled and down all the days
My curiosity can sometimes cause me distress and make it difficult for me to function.

[?] . and through my fingers I forgot all my plans
I may have let my curiosity get the best of me and forgotten my original goals or plans.

Pulling the layers and waves I can hold them up to keep them safe
Sometimes, my curiosity can help me uncover things that I can then protect or preserve.

In my hands
Whatever I discover or explore, I will hold onto it and protect it.

Oh, I've got a good spine
I am strong and resilient.

But I've come to find
However, I have realized something that challenges my strength or resilience.

No logic or love can keep me in line
Neither reason nor love can keep me on track or focused.

And I've tried, oh I've tried
I have put effort into trying to stay on track, but it has not been successful.

To take it down, down, down
I have tried to calm myself or my curiosity down, but it has not worked.

In the quiet you can hear the sound
When things are calm, you can hear something that is going on inside of me.

Of myyyy
Whatever is going on inside of me is strong and persistent.

I don't wanna go to bed yet, I just wanna stay up late and watch the days change
I do not want to go to sleep yet, I want to stay awake and observe the changes that occur during the night.

Stay up late and watch the days change
I want to witness the passage of time and see how things evolve and transform.

Contributed by Ryan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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