The group was founded in May 1988 by Mike Van Portfleet, in the summer of that year Will Welch joined the project. In November, Welch was replaced by John Fair. In 1989, "Wake" was recorded, defining their droning ethereal guitar sound.
John Fair left Lycia in 1990, and Will Welch returned. In the same year Lycia signed to Projekt Records and released "Ionia" in late 1991 after aborting the original first release, titled "Byzantine". They became one of the cornerstones of the Projekt label for over a decade, and one of the most influential bands in the American darkwave scene in the 1990s. They forged a relentlessly dark and driving sound with a wall of shimmery guitars and keyboards, pounding drums, overlaid by Van Portfleet's unmistakable whispered vocals.
1992 saw the release of "A Day in the Stark Corner" and Lycia began its first live appearances. In 1993 David Galas became a permanent member, and their sound evolved with a more mature and polished depth.
In 1994 Tara Vanflower, being a huge fan of the band, decided to meet Mike, and joined as backing vocalist contributing vocals on a couple of songs that were supposed to be for compilation appearances, but ended up on "The Burning Circle and Then Dust" (1995). Tara Vanflower and Mike VanPortfleet married two years later.
The band's sound became comparatively less dark, especially on their final two albums, "Tripping Back Into the Broken Days" and "Empty Space", mostly due to Vanflower's influence. This shift away from their original sound alienated some long-time fans and eventually Lycia broke up in 2003, with Van Portfleet pursuing a solo career.
Lycia reformed in August of 2006 with Mike Vanportfleet, Tara VanFlower and David Galas. "We’ve been slowly working on new material. This time, what we are doing is each of us are bringing in our own songs and then expanding from the initial ideas".
On December 2012, Lycia announced a new release, "Quiet Moments", through their Facebook page. It was released in August 2013.
Discography:
1989 - Wake
1991 - Ionia
1993 - A Day in the Stark Corner
1995 - Live
1995 - The Burning Circle and Then Dust
1997 - Cold
1998 - Estrella
2000 - The Time Has Come and Gone (originally released as under the name Estraya)
2001 - Compilation Appearances, Vol. 1
2001 - Compilation Appearances, Vol. 2
2002 - Tripping Back into the Broken Days
2004 - Empty Spaces
2010 - Fifth Sun (EP)
2013 - Quiet Moments
2015 - A Line That Connects
2018 - In Flickers
Side projects
Bleak - Vane (1994) really just Lycia recording under a different name and exploring a "harsher" sound.
Estraya - The Time Has Come and Gone (2000) accoustic side project with Van Portfleet and Vanflower
Everything Is Cold
Lycia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must not run, must not fight, we must stay here forever
Everything is cold, everything is cold
I am such a child, just let me take this away again
Everyday I pray for love of
Life, everyday I pray for love of
Life is so bare, life is so, so bare
Everything is cold, everything is cold
I am such a liar, just let me throw this away again
The lyrics to Lycia's "Everything Is Cold" is a melancholic expression of despair and hopelessness. The singer begins by stating that life is bare and that they can no longer fight or run from it but must simply stagnate in its misery forever. The repetition of the phrase "everything is cold" reinforces the feeling of numbness and detachment from the world around them. The singer then reveals their vulnerability by stating that they are childlike in their desire to escape the pain of reality.
The second verse continues in the same vein, with the singer expressing their prayer for love and to find some meaning in life. However, the sense of helplessness and despair is heightened as they state that they don't think they can endure this pain again. The line "I am such a liar, just let me throw this away again" suggests that they have tried to escape their pain before but have failed.
Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of the struggle with depression and hopelessness. It is an intense emotional expression of pain and suffering that resonates with anyone who has gone through a similar experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is so bare, life is so, so bare
Life seems dull and empty, lacking in any sense of purpose or excitement.
We must not run, must not fight, we must stay here forever
We feel trapped, unable to escape our current situation or make any significant change in our lives.
Everything is cold, everything is cold
We are surrounded by a pervasive sense of emotional emptiness, as if all feeling and connection to the world has been drained away.
I am such a child, just let me take this away again
We feel helpless and vulnerable, as if we are unable to cope with the challenges of adulthood and are seeking refuge in childish behaviors.
Everyday I pray for love of life
Despite our feelings of despair and hopelessness, we continue to hold onto a sense of hope and a desire for something better.
I don't think that I can take this again
We are overwhelmed by the challenges of life and feel as though we are close to breaking point.
I am such a liar, just let me throw this away again
We are struggling with feelings of guilt and shame, as if we are failing to live up to our own expectations and are engaging in destructive behaviors.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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