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
Awaydays
Lovebugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never loved companion
Solitary swimming against the tide
Uh uh uh
You never left your neighbourhood
But always dreamt of hollywood
Now you feel that empty hole inside
On awayayaydays
A stranger lost in paradise
On awaydays ohohoh
On awayayaydays
You're dancing on the drifting ice
On awaydays
On awaydays
It's only when you're far away
That you remember why you stayed
It's only when you're lost you truly find
Uh uh uh
It's only when you taste success
You notice that your life's a mess
All the wealth and fame was in your mind
How could you be so blind?
On awayayaydays
A stranger lost in paradise
On awaydays ohohoh
On awayayaydays
Pleasure is a lonely vice
On awaydays
On awaydays
Instrumental
Everything is slipping
Out of mind and out of hand
And there's something lost and missing
And you just can't understand
Oh you'll never understand
The Lovebugs song Awaydays is a contemplative piece about the feelings of loneliness that come with living a life in solitude. The first verse talks about the singer, who has always been independent and never needed anyone, feeling lost and unfulfilled. He has always swum "against the tide," perhaps in a metaphorical sense, indicating that he has always been different from those around him.
The second verse then reveals that this person has always had big dreams, perhaps of Hollywood or achieving great success, but has never left his own neighbourhood. He feels an "empty hole inside" and "nowhere [he] can hide." This verse explores the theme of loneliness and how even dreams and aspirations cannot fill the void.
The chorus of "On awayayaydays" then talks about this person being lost in paradise, dancing on the drifting ice where pleasure is a lonely vice. It seems as though this person has achieved some semblance of success but in doing so, has lost sight of what truly matters in life. The instrumental section further explores this feeling of loss and confusion, finishing with the poignant lines "And there's something lost and missing, And you just can't understand, Oh, you'll never understand."
Overall, the song Awaydays is a meditation on finding meaning in a life lived alone, and the feelings of emptiness that can come with achieving one's dreams but realizing they're nothing like you thought they'd be.
Line by Line Meaning
You never needed anyone
You were comfortable being alone and independent.
You never loved companion
You were not interested in having a romantic partner or friends.
Solitary swimming against the tide
You were going against the norm and doing things your own way.
Uh uh uh
Repeating the sound of being lost or unsure.
You never left your neighbourhood
You stayed in your comfort zone and didn't venture out much.
But always dreamt of hollywood
You had aspirations for fame and success.
Now you feel that empty hole inside
You are experiencing a sense of dissatisfaction or a lack of fulfillment.
And nowhere you can hide
You can't escape or avoid these feelings.
It's only when you're far away
Being away from your routine and environment helps you gain clarity.
That you remember why you stayed
Being away helps you appreciate the reasons for your choices.
It's only when you're lost you truly find
Getting lost or uncertain can lead to deeper self-discovery.
All the wealth and fame was in your mind
Your ideas of success were based on superficial measures.
How could you be so blind?
You regret not seeing this earlier.
On awayayaydays
Repeating the idea of being away from home or your comfort zone.
A stranger lost in paradise
Feeling disconnected or out of place in a beautiful or ideal situation.
Pleasure is a lonely vice
Indulging in pleasures or desires can lead to feeling isolated.
Instrumental
No lyrics, just music.
Everything is slipping
You feel like you're losing control or things are falling apart.
Out of mind and out of hand
These issues are affecting your thoughts and actions.
And there's something lost and missing
You feel like there's something important that you can't find or get back.
And you just can't understand
You are struggling to comprehend why you feel this way.
Oh you'll never understand
You doubt that you will ever fully figure this out.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADRIAN SIEBER, SEBASTIAN HAUSMANN, SIMON RAMSEIER, STEFAN WAGNER, THOMAS RECHBERGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind