Michael Borja - Bass & Vocals
Bil… Read Full Bio ↴Rob Benedict - Lead Vocals & Guitar
Michael Borja - Bass & Vocals
Billy Moran - Guitars & Vocals
Stephen Norton - Drums & Vocals
LOUDEN SWAIN
By Nick DeRiso
Fronted by lead singer and actor Rob Benedict, Louden Swain also includes bassist Mike Borja, lead guitarist Billy Moran and drummer Stephen Norton. The band has just released its fourth full-length recording – Eskimo, on their own 3 Car Wreckords label.
This fizzy amalgam of sound ties together a wide array of influences. Benedict and Borja, who formed the band in the late 90s, shared a background of indie/college rock legends like R.E.M., the Pixies, Pavement and the Replacements. The addition of Moran completed the band’s sound, as he and Norton brought in early musical influences from the hard rock/metal world – notably Kiss and Gun ’n Roses. The quartet’s common ground, early on, could be found in classic rock icons like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Who – and that provided additional spices in their melting pot of musical textures.
Louden Swain’s first album with Moran, 2009’s A Brand New Hurt, reflected the earliest flowerings of the band’s current sound, and began to rapidly expand its fanbase. In addition, Benedict’s connections to the acting world – he’s appeared on TV’s “Felicity,” “Alias” and “Supernatural” and films like “Waiting” have also attracted attention for the band. Recently they penned the tune “Help You” which was placed in the Jenna Fischer movie “A Little Help,” in which Benedict co-starred. A 2011 successful tour of Europe through England, Germany and Austria also brought Louden Swain to new audiences.
Louden Swain now aims to build on their already considerable momentum with the forthcoming Eskimo, which features 13 of their most polished songs to date. This time through they enlisted the help of several industry veterens--the album was mixed by Joe McGrath (Ryan Adams, Green Day, B.B. King), Mike Farrell (Morrissey, Macy Gray) guested on keyboards, and the finishing touches on the album were provided by the Grammy winning mastering of Gavin Lurssen.
For more information on Louden Swain, go to http://www.LoudenSwain.com.
Big One
Louden Swain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes are painted shut
The culprit is the glossy wand
You used when you made up
That pretty face,
replaced something
Knuckles buried deep within
The ice reminds you of the very urge your pushing back
There's a burning but you need it so
There's a raincloud and its heading back my way
There's a valley where they're giving out heartbreak
I'm on high ground but I tell you I'm sliding down
And here I am just watching all
The walkers and their dogs
Hiding in plain sight like a good sentry of the smog
Invisible to only those who see, me
There's a raincloud and its heading back my way
There's a valley where they're giving out heartbreak
Intoxicated, cause I'm thinking about her face
And its quiet when the big one starts to quake
And its quiet, when the big one starts to shake
Its all quiet when the big one starts to shake
The lyrics to Louden Swain's song "Big One" are infused with vivid and poignant imagery, and the message behind the words seems to be an introspection on various themes such as alcoholism, beauty standards, isolation, and impending disaster. The verses delve into a narrative that begins by addressing a "debutante" who has obscured her true self and has become a victim of society's unrealistic beauty standards. The line "your eyes are painted shut" highlights the idea that the woman has closed herself off from reality and has become blind to her own identity, and the "glossy wand" symbolizes the tools she has used to conform to the beauty industry's norms. The next verse paints a picture of someone who is drowning their sorrows in alcohol and is struggling to keep their impulses under control. The reference to the "urge" shows that the person is aware of the harm they are doing to themselves, but they are unable to stop.
Moving on, the next part of the song shifts to a different perspective, with the singer observing the world from a high vantage point as if watching from the sidelines. They observe "the walkers and their dogs," feeling a sense of detachment from reality and aligning themselves with the "sentry of the smog," suggesting that they are accustomed to the pollution and chaos of everyday life. The line "invisible to only those who see me" suggests that the singer is present but ignored, highlighting a sense of isolation or loneliness. The final lines of the song, "And its quiet, when the big one starts to shake, its all quiet when the big one starts to shake," imply that amidst all the chaos and noise, there is a looming sense of disaster or destruction that is waiting to happen.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have you been debutante?
Asking where the person has been and why they have been away for so long.
Your eyes are painted shut
The person is trying to hide their true emotions behind a facade.
The culprit is the glossy wand
The cause of the fake appearance is due to the use of makeup.
You used when you made up
The person used the makeup to make themselves appear prettier.
That pretty face, replaced something
The person's pretty face is just a mask that is hiding their true self.
Knuckles buried deep within
The person is holding onto something tightly.
The grip of a six pack
The person is holding onto a six-pack of drinks tightly.
The ice reminds you of the very urge your pushing back
The ice in the drinks is a reminder of the person's urge to drink more and push back their feelings.
There's a burning but you need it so
The person feels a burning desire to keep drinking.
There's a raincloud and its heading back my way
The person feels a sense of impending doom or bad luck.
There's a valley where they're giving out heartbreak
There is a place where people are getting their hearts broken.
I'm on high ground but I tell you I'm sliding down
The person is supposed to be in a good place but they feel themselves slipping down into a negative place.
And here I am just watching all
The person is observing everything around them.
The walkers and their dogs
The person is watching people walking with their dogs.
Hiding in plain sight like a good sentry of the smog
The person is blending in and hiding in plain sight like a good soldier in a smog-filled environment.
Invisible to only those who see, me
The person is invisible to those who are only looking superficially, but they can see themselves.
Intoxicated, cause I'm thinking about her face
The person is drunk and thinking about the face of someone they desire.
And its quiet when the big one starts to quake
The person is calm when something big happens, whether it be an earthquake or a significant event.
Its all quiet when the big one starts to shake
The person is calm and quiet when something significant happens, such as an earthquake.
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.