The band has 11 releases through Fat Wreck Chords: eight studio albums, one EP, one live album and a collection of B-sides, compilation tracks and demos. Lagwagon has never had, nor have they seemed to pursue, strong mainstream success, but they do have a devoted underground following in North America, Europe and Asia. Their moderate success reflected a growing interest in punk rock during the 1990s, along with fellow California bands Rancid, Green Day and The Offspring. Their song 'May 16' was also featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.
The story about the name Lagwagon is that Joey’s mom was often late picking him and his brother up from school. She drove a station wagon, which his brother dubbed the "lagwagon". After signing to Fat Mike's label Fat Wreck Chords, Lagwagon released their debut album for the label, Duh, in 1992. Frontman Joey Cape commented on how the album was made, "Back then, we were inexperienced in the studio. It was less about the recording process and more about rehearsing. We recorded and mixed Duh in 4 days. There's something to be said for a budget. You have to have your shit together before you go into the studio and the end result is a record that better reflects the band's sound at the time." Two years later, Lagwagon released Trashed, their second record on Fat, which turned out to be highly successful, leading to the eventual production of a video for "Island of Shame." During this time, a number of punk bands, such as Green Day, The Offspring and Rancid, had hit the mainstream and Lagwagon turned down offers to join several major labels. Hoss, the third Lagwagon album, was released on November 21, 1995. After the release of that album and an extensive tour in Europe, Australia, and Japan, both guitarist Shawn Dewey and drummer Derrick Plourde would leave the band and be replaced temporarily by Ken Stringfellow (The Posies) on guitar, and permanently by Dave Raun (RKL) on drums. Shawn Dewey, already in the side project band Buck Wild on Lobster Records would go on to release two full-length LPs Beat Me Silly and Full Metal Overdrive and do two European tours with Good Riddance and Ten Foot Pole.
After two more albums, Double Plaidinum and Let's Talk About Feelings, the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2000, due to all members working on side projects. Lagwagon resurfaced in 2002, and released their sixth album Blaze the following year. In 2004, frontman Joey Cape released a split album with No Use for a Name vocalist Tony Sly featuring acoustic versions of songs by both bands. On November 1, 2005, Lagwagon released Resolve, which is a homage to the life of Derrick Plourde, original drummer for Lagwagon and Bad Astronaut.
In 2008, Lagwagon released an EP titled I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon. Despite earlier reports that the band would begin recording their next full-length studio album by 2009, Lagwagon had gone on hiatus from touring and writing again, due to Cape launching a solo career, releasing Bridge in 2008 and Doesn't Play Well with Others in 2010.
In January 2010, Joey Cape announced during an interview with Canada's Exclaim! magazine[4] that Jesse Buglione had left Lagwagon, having been with the band since its foundation in 1990. However, Cape dismissed rumors of Lagwagon breaking up. While he was not sure if Lagwagon would record a new album or embark on another full-scale tour, he said that he was open to playing shows and possibly recording and releasing new Lagwagon songs sporadically. Jesse Buglione confirmed his departure on Lagwagon's official message board himself, as reported by sputnikmusic.com and punknews.org. Lagwagon toured with No Use for a Name that summer. In an interview with fasterlouder.com.au Joey Cape, revealed former RKL bassist Joe Raposo is Lagwagon's new bassist. In a June 2011 interview with ExploreMusic however, Joey Cape said that things didn't work out with Raposo, and the band is testing a new bassist. After first announcing Patrick Solem as the new bass player in August 2011, the band decided that Raposo would remain in the band permanently.
On September 22, 2011, Fat Wreck announced they would be re-issuing expanded editions of the first 5 albums on CD, vinyl, and digital download. The albums were available both separately and in a box set titled Putting Music In Its Place. The reissues were released November 22, 2011, with a short line-up of concerts in the USA played in December and January, and a European tour following in April 2012. As of October 2012, Lagwagon is headlining a full U.S. tour titled The Fat Tour 2012, with Dead To Me, The Flatliners, and Useless ID as support.
In October 2012, Joey Cape stated that there will be a new Lagwagon album, which will be their first since 2005's Resolve. While details and release dates are not yet known, the band announced on its Twitter feed that songs are being written for a new album. The September 22 Tweet reads, "Writing, writing, writing. New album... It's gonna happen!"
The band recorded their eighth album, Hang, with Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room, Ft Collins, CO. The album was released on October 28, 2014, and debuted at #95 on the Billboard 200.
On October 4, 2019, the band released their ninth studio album Railer.
Resolve
Lagwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The walls are closing in
This is the space I used to say
The line is drawn for you each day
But every day you show
With sound of caving walls
And I'll cave alone
But there we are
Waiting for your answer
Your arms speeded elation
Beating out your salvation
But when the tape stopped you were gone
A half measure from home
This week I recreate
Edit you back into
The blare that could define you
Coveted by few who knew
The phone rings without pause
This grief wills everyone
All I have is our shitty song
How could it ever be enough?
Here we are in our final accord
A mortician and his tools
Sonically bury you
You could have chose another chord to resolve on
The lyrics of Lagwagon's song "Resolve" express the feeling of being trapped in a room as the walls around you keep closing in. The singer asks to not be left in this confined space and refers to it as the "space I used to say." It's unclear what the singer is referring to, but it suggests a place of safety, familiarity, and expression that has now turned into a prison. The line, "The line is drawn for you each day, but every day you show," could mean that the singer has set boundaries for themselves and others, but they keep getting violated. They are constantly surrounded by the sound of caving walls and the feeling of being suffocated.
The song then shifts to a different perspective, possibly addressing someone specific, who is being called upon to respond to something. The person's arms are characterized as "speeded elation" beating out their salvation. But when the tape stops, this person is gone, leaving the singer alone. The line "This week I recreate, edit you back into the blare that could define you," speaks to a sense of loss, grief, and a desire to hold onto the memory of who is gone. They are trying to recreate something that was once there by editing what they have into a representation of what was. The grief is universal too as "the phone rings without pause, and this grief wills everyone." The song ends with a sombre note, highlighting the transience of life and the fact that we always have a choice in deciding how we resolve our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't leave me in this room
The singer is afraid and begs for companionship.
The walls are closing in
The singer feels trapped and claustrophobic.
This is the space I used to say
The space the singer is in holds memories of happier times.
The line is drawn for you each day
There are expectations and boundaries set for the listener on a daily basis.
But every day you show
The listener consistently proves these expectations wrong.
With sound of caving walls
The pressure and anxiety of these expectations is building up.
Some day this song will have no pulse
The inspiration and passion for this song will eventually fade away.
And I'll cave alone
The artist will be left by themselves, potentially losing their drive for creativity.
But there we are
Despite this, the listener and speaker are still together in this moment.
Waiting for your answer
The artist is waiting for the listener's response.
Your arms speeded elation
The listener's embrace brings joy and happiness to the singer.
Beating out your salvation
The listener's love is what keeps the artist going.
But when the tape stopped you were gone
When the good times passed, the listener left.
A half measure from home
The listener was nearly there, but gave up before reaching the end.
This week I recreate
The singer starts over again this week.
Edit you back into
The artist tries to remember and recreate the happy times with the listener.
The blare that could define you
The artist recalls the music that was unique to the listener.
Coveted by few who knew
The music was special, only known by a select few.
The phone rings without pause
The singer receives a lot of phone calls.
This grief wills everyone
The artist is battling their own grief, which affects those around them.
All I have is our shitty song
The only thing the artist has left is their song with the listener.
How could it ever be enough?
The artist questions whether their song could have sustained their relationship.
Here we are in our final accord
The listener and speaker meet in their final moments.
A mortician and his tools
The listener and speaker, in their final moments, symbolize a mortician and their tools.
Sonically bury you
The singer's music becomes the burial ground for their memories with the listener.
You could have chose another chord to resolve on
The listener could have chosen a different path to resolve their relationship, but it ended this way.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BETH GIBBONS, PAUL DAVID WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ovidio
on Never Stops
twin towers coming down