Chronicles of train terrorism, space expeditions, criminal infamy, and mons… Read Full Bio ↴Chronicles of train terrorism, space expeditions, criminal infamy, and monsters under the bed are just a few of the themes you’ll hear on Loquat’s third full-length album, We Could Be Arsonists. Recorded at Fantasy Studios (David Bowie, U2, The Pretenders) in Berkeley, Calif. while singer/guitarist Kylee Swenson Gordon was pregnant with her now 1-year-old son Braxton (with bass player Anthony Gordon), We Could Be Arsonists is Loquat’s strongest stand.

Through dangerously evocative lyrics and ultra-melodic songs, the San Francisco/Bay Area’s Loquat has captivated fans from as far as Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, and Kraków, and has infiltrated electromagnetic waves through shows such as MTV’s “Teen Mom,” “P. Diddy’s Making His Band,” and CW’s “One Tree Hill.” The band has played SXSW, CMJ, Noise Pop, and Treasure Island Music Festival, and has shared the stage with the likes of Goldfrapp, Miike Snow, TV on the Radio, The Cardigans, and Liz Phair.

While Loquat tells intricate stories, musically, the band blends the familiar with the uncharted—mixing modern twists of new wave, psychedelic rock, indie electronic, and jangle-y pop. We Could Be Arsonists was co-produced by the Rondo Brothers (Foster the People, Deltron 3030, Handsome Boy Modeling School); mixed by a diverse crew that includes Dave Pensado (Mary J Blige, Beyoncé), Count (DJ Shadow), Glenn Rosenstein (Madonna, Talking Heads), and Ben Ellman (Galactic); and mastered by Dave Cooley (M83, Silversun Pickups).

Swenson and her band have also collaborated with such innovative artists as Nortec Collective (for their Grammy-nominated track, “I Count the Ways”), Dan Sena and Del the Funky Homosapien, Junior Sanchez, Amp Live (Zion-I), and From Monument to Masses.

Meanwhile, Loquat continues to blaze its own trail. With a new lineup (guitarist/singer Chip Cosby, keyboardist Christopher Cooper, and drummer Jon Langmead) and a batch of brand-new songs, the band is set to light the match with We Could Be Arsonists.

Time Bending
Loquat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can’t see it midday. It all comes at night. If you’re lucky to see it—all the glittering light—you’ll know there’s something else to it. There are millions more, not just gas and core. It’s the distance from suns, and there’s more than just one. There’s so many of them, and they’re so far away. We can’t bend time to get there, and can barely even see. The pictures they take give us clues, yet each one is from the past. I don’t know my purpose in this, but it’s obvious it’s minuscule at best. Other oceans in space, busy with life: They are parallel places, unreachable sights. It’s strange, but there’s something else to it. There are millions more, not just gas and core. There’s so many of them, and they’re so far away. We can’t bend time to get there, and can barely even see. The pictures they take give us clues, yet each one is from the past. I don’t know my purpose in this, but it’s obvious it’s minuscule at best. You see the lights ahead, as they’re flying in?
Will they find us first, or will we find them? If we could make the trip, it’d be a giant risk. What if we never find our way back to our little atmosphere again? There’s so many of them, and they’re so far away. We can’t bend time to get there, and can barely even see. The pictures they take give us clues, yet each one is from the past. I don’t know my purpose in this, but it’s obvious it’s minuscule at best.

Overall Meaning

Loquat's song "Time Bending" is a reflection on the vastness of the universe, and our place in it. The opening lines suggest that the full magnitude of the universe can only be appreciated at night, when the stars glitter and illuminate the sky. However, even if we are lucky enough to witness this spectacle, the universe holds much more than just the gas and core of stars.

The lyrics go on to describe the vast size of the universe, pointing out that there are many more stars and galaxies than we can even comprehend. The distances between them are so great that we cannot bend time to get there, and can only observe them from afar. The pictures we have are just a glimpse of what is out there, and they are all from the past.

The final verse contemplates the possibility of encountering other life in the universe. While the idea of finding life on other planets is exciting, it also presents a huge risk. The idea of venturing far from our own atmosphere is terrifying, and we may never find our way back. The song ends on a humbling note, acknowledging that our place in the universe is small and insignificant.

Overall, "Time Bending" is a reflection on the vastness of the universe, and how limited we are in our ability to understand it. The lyrics encourage us to appreciate the beauty of the universe, while also acknowledging our own smallness in comparison.

Line by Line Meaning

Can’t see it midday. It all comes at night.
The beauty of the universe is not visible during the day and only appears at night.

If you’re lucky to see it—all the glittering light—you’ll know there’s something else to it.
If fortunate enough to witness the glistening light of the universe, it becomes apparent that there is more to it than meets the eye.

There are millions more, not just gas and core. It’s the distance from suns, and there’s more than just one.
The universe is comprised of countless celestial bodies beyond gas and core, and it is not just the distance from a single sun but many.

There’s so many of them, and they’re so far away. We can’t bend time to get there, and can barely even see. The pictures they take give us clues, yet each one is from the past.
The vastness of the heavens is beyond our reach and we are incapable of bending time to explore it, and the images we receive are always from the past.

I don’t know my purpose in this, but it’s obvious it’s minuscule at best.
The artist acknowledges that their existence and purpose in relation to the universe is incredibly insignificant.

Other oceans in space, busy with life: They are parallel places, unreachable sights.
Other galaxies, flourishing with life, exist as parallel dimensions that we are unable to reach.

You see the lights ahead, as they’re flying in? Will they find us first, or will we find them?
The singer ponders the possibility of extraterrestrial life and wonders who will discover whom first.

If we could make the trip, it’d be a giant risk. What if we never find our way back to our little atmosphere again?
The prospect of exploring the vastness of space is a daunting risk, with the possibility of never returning.

Contributed by Skyler C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

FiveofDave

3y↑3

Beautiful message and scene for a gorgeous song. This album has kicked in again for a second love affair- peace guys!

Swann

4y↑5

Amazing band and some of the nicest people I've ever met. SF misses you. :)

Vinicius Moreto

12y

SHOW DE MAIS ESSE MUSICA

Henry Lowery

12y↑5

I like the vibe from this video, just cool!

FiveofDave

This video, from an outsider perspective, conveys the entirity of what I want to hear in the Bay. The depth of style and positive energy is so so good!