Their official biography reads as follows: Our story begins – as many of these stories do – with a TDK 60 minute cassette. It's back in 1992 and Kurt Cobain with Smells Like Teen Spirit is playing himself into the nirvana of rock'n'roll and hitting us in the gut. Wow! At roughly the same time, Adrian packs in his drummer job with The Bash — freeing his hands to do the old Fender Strat thing and, in fact, record on to that TDK 60. He calls his one-man band "Lovebugs", enters the cassette for a Band Contest in Basle ... and ends up being invited to take part in the final round.
So he finds Sebastian on bass and Julie on drums – more for their charming personalities than for instrumental virtuosity. And then it all happens pretty dammed quick. First gig, the final, victory, thank you!
Adrian and Sebastian then record their first album Fluff in all of five days in league with 17-year-old temp drummer Simon who has been a permanent fixture since then, irreplaceable actually, because not only is he an amazing drummer but also an amazing cook. We play a few gigs and Adrian wants to pack it in again. Making music is OK, he says, but being the frontman is a pain. Well, we persuade him to stay on and, before long, we have played countless gigs in small clubs. And, between all that, recorded our second album: Tart.
The third album appears in 1996: Lovebugs. Recorded in London, produced by George Shilling and Tony Harris. We storm the Top 40 and our single Fantastic is what you might call our minor breakthrough on the Swiss music wallpaper scene. We sign major recording contacts in Germany, feel pretty fantastic, immortal at least. Just the right mood for getting on to the TourBus for a few months.
Thomas also gets on: live, we need extra guitar; he needs a good band. And the tours go on — with Marc Owen, Republica, Vivid and Ocean Color Scene. We become addicted to life on tour. We hang on to Thomas because, apart from making the right noises with the guitar, he's cool with studio buttons and, in the morning, he looks so grotty.
In 1999, BMG/RCA prescribe us a recording producer who – from the very start – we don't hit it off with. The proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. After a really vicious battle with the record company (all that small-print crap) we record an album under the name of The Symbol. No, not really, we sign a deal with Warner Music Switzerland and, at long last, in 2000, bring out Transatlantic Flight. All that turbulence seems to have paid off. The album sells in 13 countries and represents now our ultimate breakthrough. The concerts are sold out. We shoot a video in LA and give loads of interviews from Moscow through Niederbipp to Helsinki …
While Sebastian publishes his glam rock project Fucking Beautiful, we work on our fifth studio album Awaydays. Wanting to go new places, we record the album in the rehearsal room (with Thomas as producer) and bring in a string orchestra. Adrian starts to think of packing it in again but eventually gives up smoking instead. At about the same time, Awaydays gets to the number one spot in the Swiss charts and Sebastian announces his departure from the band. We play one last tour with him and wonder about how things should continue.
Come autumn 2002, we retreat to the heel of the Italian boot – Apulia – to work on 13 Songs With A View. There are now five of us and we're searching for a new Lovebugs sound. Bass player Florian is more than a mere substitute for emigrant Sebastian: he brings a new earthy edge to the band and raises the average IQ by 35%. The same tidal wave also dumps Stefan on board MS Lovebugs. In an official capacity, that is. For almost three years, he's been pounding away on the keyboards for us — both on stage and in the studio. 13 Songs With A View is, in a word, a bitch, and gives us a really hard time. Yup, the search for our joint roots is difficult, taking 13 long months in the studio. An eternal labyrinth. But also a welding torch for the new line-up. The result is rawer and harder than previous albums. A true milestone, we reckon. Whereas the Swiss radio stations reckon that our sound is too noisy. TV gets cold feet as well and even drops us from a programme at literally the last second. They are worried that our music might hit the viewers in the gut (hmm, sounds familiar). Whatever. A short time later, to kick off our tour, we play Letzigrund Stadium with the legendary Stones to a crowd of 40,000 before, at long last, setting off on an extended club and festival tour again.
December 2003. We've done some 1,000 gigs (I think) and recorded seven albums. Tired? No way! But where can we now sail to without going round in circles? One thing is clear: we need a producer who will accompany us, give us feedback and be in on the songs as they emerge so that we don't drift into studio quicksands again. Someone who can stand up to the Lovebugs steamroller. Adrian has the shocking idea of having a go with that swine Chris von Rohr. In fact, the chemistry works at the very first meeting and soon we have a veritable swimming pool full of creativity — not to mention a genuine friendship.
Together we work on the eighth CD. It's to be an unplugged album, recorded live and featuring the best from 11 years of Lovebugs. Old hits are re-arranged, stripped down to the bare essentials. We want it to be intimate and direct. After nine months of preparation, we perform Naked (!) on stage in Basle ... and, well, it's one of our best concerts ever. Included on the album version are five new songs, some really moving moments and acres of goose pimples.
For six months or so, the subsequent Naked Tour takes us though old theatre prosceniums and cinema halls. Backed by mood and guest musicians, we play unplugged into the summer. It's during the festival season of 2005 that – in parallel and in secret – we start plugging our cables in at the rehearsal room again. We hunger for electricity and sounds but first Adrian has to have on operation on his respiratory system while the rest of us send postcards from our holiday resorts. Each taking a creative breather, so to speak.
In autumn 2005 – by which time we're up to our knees in new material – a Taiwanese record company calls up suddenly and invites us to hold a series of interviews and concerts in Asia. We leave the freshly served Creative Soup on the counter and fly "naked" to the land of the permanent sushi enthusiasts where we (a) score something of a success and (b) get to know something about chopsticks, isolation and sleeping tablets. Then, in the middle of a snowstorm and an infinitely long winter, we eventually realise where we are going and who we wish to take along with us. Things are going to be epic and huge and also deep enough to drown in, a unified whole indeed. So, after a three-year absence from the studio, In Every Waking Moment will not be a stroll through the park, more like an intense midnight ramble J
To read the map and shine the torch, we hire Roman Camenzind. The man who never sleeps and who always has a good idea just when one is needed.
In February and March of 2006, we record In Every Waking Moment at locomotive speed and, only one week after Switzerland gets kicked out of the last 16 of the Football World Cup, a Lovebugs CD soars to Number One on the Swiss album charts … again.
Discography
IN EVERY WAKING MOMENT (2006)
NAKED (2005)
13 SONGS WITH A VIEW (2003)
AWAYDAYS (2001)
TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT (2000)
LIVE VIA SATELLITE (1999)
LOVEBUGS intl. version (1998)
LOVEBUGS (1996)
TART (1995)
FLUFF (1994)
Group Members
Adrian Sieber: vocals, guitar
Thomas Rechberger: guitar, vocals
Stefan Wagner: piano, synthesizers, vocals
Florian Senn: bass
Simon Ramseier: drums
Website
http://www.lovebugs.com
A Wonderful Thing
Lovebugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song "A Wonderful Thing" by Lovebugs is a poignant reflection on the journey of life and the inevitability of loneliness. The lyrics describe the ups and downs of life, from the darkest hour to the sunniest day, and how we all end up back where we started. Despite our attempts to find shelter and safety, we can never escape the fact that we are all just islands in the sea, alone in our own existence. The song suggests that instead of fighting this loneliness, we should embrace it as a wonderful thing and allow it to shape who we are.
The song touches on the universal theme of human connection and how we can feel close to others but still be isolated in our own experience. The lyrics describe the different stages of life, from a lovers' morning to the afterplay, and how we all share those moments in our own way. However, the message of the song is not a pessimistic one, but rather a call to embrace our shared experience of loneliness as a wonderful thing. The singer encourages us to let our guard down and jump right into the open sea.
In conclusion, "A Wonderful Thing" is a beautiful and introspective song that reminds us that even in times of loneliness, we are not alone in our experience. Instead, we should embrace our solitude as a wonderful thing and use it to shape our lives in a positive way.
Line by Line Meaning
From the darkest hour
Even in the toughest times we face, we are still moving forward.
To the sunniest day
Our journey takes us from darkness to light, through joy and sorrow.
We walk the same distance
No matter our differences, we are all walking the same path in life.
We take the same way
Our paths may differ, but our destination is the same - back where we started.
Back to where we all started
Our journey takes us full circle, returning us to the beginning.
From the wedding party
Our journey starts with celebration and joy, at a wedding ceremony.
To the family grave
Our journey ends with grief and loss, at a family member's final resting place.
We're looking for shelter
Throughout our journey, we seek safety and security.
We just wanna be safe
Above all else, we want to protect ourselves and those we love.
And hope, we're never parted
We fear losing the ones we care about and hope to stay together always.
We're as close as we can be
Despite our close relationships, we are still individuals.
But still we're islands in the sea
Even when surrounded by others, we can still feel alone and disconnected.
And there's nothing, don't you see,
Despite our desires, we cannot control everything in life.
We can do about it...
We must accept our limitations and find peace in that acceptance.
Don't fight your loneliness
We should not resist feelings of loneliness or sadness as they are natural and necessary emotions.
It's a wonderful thing
Embracing and experiencing all of our emotions, including loneliness, can be a beautiful part of life.
Let it come over you
We should allow ourselves to fully feel our emotions, rather than suppressing them or pretending they don't exist.
Get under its wing
We can find comfort in our emotions, even when they are difficult to face.
From a lovers' morning
The journey of life can be experienced in a deeply intimate way through a romantic relationship.
To the afterplay
But even in a romantic relationship, we experience both joy and sorrow.
We're sharing each moment
In a close relationship, we share our lives and experiences with one another.
There's no other way
The intimacy and connection we experience with others is essential to our existence.
Not to get broken-hearted
But even with love and connection, we will experience heartbreak and pain.
Just like the open sea
Our emotions and experiences are vast and unpredictable, like the vast ocean.
You gotta jump right in
We must be willing to dive into our emotions, even when they are uncertain or scary.
It's a wonderful thing to me
Overall, our journey through life, accompanied by all of our emotions, is a truly wonderful thing.
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.