Lycia is an ethereal wave band from Tempe, Arizona, United States. Lycia's … Read Full Bio ↴Lycia is an ethereal wave band from Tempe, Arizona, United States. Lycia's music is characterized by rich soundscapes and layers of echoed guitars, ethereal keyboards and doomy drum machine beats.

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

Not Here Not Anywhere
Lycia Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This place is just nothing
it's just like every place
it feels like nothing
I don't fit in
so on to another place
it's just like the last place
I just feel nothing
I can't fit in

not here, not anywhere
...on to a new place
this day is just nothing
it's just like every day
it feels like nothing
I don't fit in
so on to another day
it's just like the last day
I just feel nothing
I can't fit in
not here, not anywhere

...in to a new day
one, two, three, four...

Overall Meaning

Lycia's song Not Here Not Anywhere describes the feeling of displacement and alienation. The lyrics express a lack of connection with one's surroundings, a feeling of not fitting in, and an urge to move on to another place or day. The use of repetition emphasizes the cycle of feeling unfulfilled and searching for something more. The counting of "one, two, three, four" feels like a countdown to a new beginning, perhaps highlighting the hope of finding a place or day where one truly belongs.

The lines "not here, not anywhere" suggest a deep sense of despair and hopelessness. The feeling of not belonging is not limited to a particular place or time, but rather a pervasive sense of isolation. The repetition of "it's just like" emphasizes the monotony of the singer's experience, as every place and day feels the same. The use of the word "nothing" suggests a lack of purpose or meaning in the singer's life.

Overall, the song captures the emotional struggle of feeling disconnected from one's surroundings and searching for a sense of belonging. The counting at the end provides a glimmer of hope that another day or place could be the one where the singer finally finds their place in the world.

Line by Line Meaning

This place is just nothing
The current location holds no value or significance

it's just like every place
The current location is very similar to all other locations

it feels like nothing
Being here invokes no emotional response

I don't fit in
I don't feel like I belong here

so on to another place
I must find a new location

it's just like the last place
The new location will likely be very similar to this one

I just feel nothing
I am emotionally detached from my surroundings

I can't fit in
No matter where I go, I will likely not feel like I belong

not here, not anywhere
I will never feel like I belong in any location

...on to a new place
I must continue searching for a place to belong

This day is just nothing
Today is not special or meaningful