The group came into being in 2003 when Bjarnson, who had already worked with Kaskade, met Williams and the three of them began recording as Late Night Alumni. In 2004, the Hed Kandi label made an offer to release a full-length Late Night Alumni album. “At that point,” Bjarnson says, “I knew the band was not ready. We were missing an element.” The missing element turned out to be John Hancock, a talented local producer with whom Bjarnson had been trying to “find an excuse” to work with for years. The band was complete and began mixing electronic and organic elements for a unique brand of chill that is easily distinguishable in today’s electronic music scene.
The band’s first single, “Empty Streets” received massive support in both the clubs and on the radio getting Top Ten Radio Play in the UK and US, and reaching #1 in Spain. “Empty Streets” has also been licensed to commercials including a spot for the Toyota IQ. Plus, more than a dozen of the world’s biggest dance compilations have licensed the track, and it remains the most popular and downloaded song on Tiesto’s In Search Of Sunrise compilation.
Late Night Alumni’s newest album Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies, etc. was recorded in various studios between Park City, Utah and San Francisco, California. The first two singles “You Can Be The One” and “Finally Found” feature remixes by top producers including Sultan & Ned Shepard, Max Vangelli and DJ Eco. A video for the single “Finally Found” is due for release later this month.
Late Night Alumni’s Ryan Raddon (aka Kaskade) is also a world-renowned producer and DJ who has remixed such artists as Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Seal. Kaskade: “Contrary to what some bloggers might think, Late Night Alumni is not just me. But don’t get me wrong… this is my band. But it’s also Becky, John and Finn’s band. Becky’s voice is the reason we do what we do. Her style and character make Late Night Alumni possible.”
Finally, four years later, Late Night Alumni is releasing its sophomore album Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies, etc., which picks up where Empty Streets left off. Signed to Ultra Records, Late Night Alumni is poised to get its music out to a larger audience and to reconnect with those who have already fallen in love with their ethereal brand of music.
latenightalumni.com
myspace.com/latenightalumni
ultrarecords.com
Rainy Days
Late Night Alumni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day is cold and dark and dreary.
And it rains.
And the wind is never weary.
Ivy still clings to the wall.
At every gust the dead leaves fall.
And the day is dark.
And the day is dark and dreary.
Be still sad heart.
Oh be still and cease repining.
Behind the clouds
Is the sun still shining.
Thy fate is the fate of all.
Into life some rain must fall.
Some days must be dark
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Behind the clouds
Is the sun still shining.
The lyrics to Rainy Days by Late Night Alumni encapsulate the feeling of dreariness and hopelessness that can come during a rainy day. The repetition of "And the day is cold and dark and dreary" highlights the despair that can come with those types of days, and the use of third-person language ("Ivy still clings to the wall") adds to the sense of detachment and sadness. However, the song offers a glimmer of hope with the stanza "Be still sad heart, / Oh be still and cease repining. / Behind the clouds / Is the sun still shining." This message encourages the listener to hold on through the hard times and reminds them that brighter days are ahead.
The final stanza, "Thy fate is the fate of all. / Into life some rain must fall. / Some days must be dark / Some days must be dark and dreary. / Behind the clouds / Is the sun still shining," drives home the overall message of the song. It acknowledges that everyone experiences hardship and that it's natural for some days to be tough. However, this stanza also reminds the listener that even on dark days, there is still light to be found. The repetition of "Behind the clouds / Is the sun still shining" leaves the listener with a sense of possibility and hope, even as the rain continues to fall.
Line by Line Meaning
The day is cold.
The current state of the day is that it is cold.
And it rains.
Furthermore, it is raining.
Ivy still clings to the wall.
Despite the inclement weather, some plants are still clinging to their support structures.
And the day is dark.
The day is not just cold and rainy, but also dark, with low visibility.
Be still sad heart.
A voice is addressing a heart that is feeling sad and asking it to calm down.
Oh be still and cease repining.
The voice continues to urge the heart to stop complaining and causing unrest.
Behind the clouds
The voice then introduces a metaphorical concept of 'behind the clouds'.
Is the sun still shining.
This is to show that despite the current unpleasantness, there are still better things waiting to emerge later.
Thy fate is the fate of all.
This is a consolatory line conveying that everyone goes through difficult times, so the heart is not alone in this.
Into life some rain must fall.
A metaphor again, meant to say that just as life cannot exist without some amount of rain, similarly some unpleasant experiences are natural in life.
Some days must be dark
This line echoes what was said earlier and adds to it - that not only is temporary darkness inevitable, but some days will be completely dark.
Some days must be dark and dreary.
This line concludes the song by repeating a sentiment that has been established throughout - that some days are just bad, but better days still lie ahead.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Anna Spencer, KATHRYN WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Minh Phuong
The day is cold.
The day is cold and dark and dreary.
And it rains.
And the wind is never weary.
Ivy still clings to the wall.
At every gust the dead leaves fall.
And the day is dark.
And the day is dark and dreary.
Be still sad heart.
Oh be still and cease repining.
Behind the clouds
Is the sun still shining.
Thy fate is the fate of all.
Into life some rain must fall.
Some days must be dark
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Behind the clouds
Is the sun still shining.
lyn almaquer
This is a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I have heard of this song years back and just today, I discovered that it is a Longfellow poem. So amazing! 😀
【II】
This song was beautifully composed, I've been addicted ever since discovering this song! Also the atmosphere of the vocals in this song bears a striking resemblance to Duffy and Lana Del Rey.
Sturge18T
I prefer "Lana & Duffy bear the striking resemblance". Becky Jean Williams made this sound first. And now its blown up to various artists alike with her trademarkable light, angelic & plucky vocal presence.
Blu Patches
a huge LDR fan here! sending love xx
whutzat
This song has an almost sinister undertone to it. Complicated and lovely.
Rigel Valdehueza
Warm tub bath+Lavender scented candles+ Rainy days song on a rainy evening = Bliss on Earth!
elfed joseph
Such a beautiful and intelligent piece of music! An example of tierce de Picardie, the minor key is made major by sharpening the third at key points in the song. What is really sweet is the way it matches the lyrics. For example, " behind the clouds" is in a minor key and "the sun is shining" becomes major so the idea is perfectly matched in the music. It is wonderful, Becky's singing and the jazz trumpet are awesome !!
Ginny D
I learned more from this comment than I ever did taking 3 years of piano
SouthernIowaLady
You guys deserve way more views. Fell in love with this song several years back.
Mei
Always get goosebumps whenever i listen to this.. Love this song! :)