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
Slip Away
Lycia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then I breathe in this air and I slide
Why does it always end up like this?
And what is the meaning of my decline?
I drift out and I drift out far, and I surmise...
That just everything that I've felt has declined
Why did you leave me adrift like this?
I could have had it all
But I let it slip away
The lyrics to Lycia's song Slip Away convey a sense of loss and regret. The singer begins by describing how they crawl out in the morning feeling fine, but then as they breathe in the air, they slide and feel their own decline. The singer seems to wonder why things always end up like this and what the meaning of their decline is. As the song progresses, the singer drifts further away and realizes that everything they've felt has declined. They address the person who left them adrift and wonder about the meaning of their decline together.
The chorus of the song is particularly impactful as it expresses the singer's regret. They state, "I could have had it all, but I let it slip away." This line suggests that the singer had a chance at something great, but they let it go and now they are left with nothing. Overall, the song conveys a sense of melancholy and loss, but also a recognition that the singer may have had some control over their situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I crawl out in the morning time and I am fine
Every morning, I start my day feeling okay
And then I breathe in this air and I slide
But as I continue on with my day, I start to feel worse
Why does it always end up like this?
I'm frustrated that my days always seem to turn out this way
And what is the meaning of my decline?
I'm questioning why I seem to be declining in my mental and emotional state
I drift out and I drift out far, and I surmise...
I start to detach from reality and begin to analyze my thoughts and feelings
That just everything that I've felt has declined
I'm realizing that all of my emotions and experiences have worsened over time
Why did you leave me adrift like this?
I'm questioning why someone important to me let me feel so lost and alone
And what is the meaning of our decline?
I'm also questioning why our relationship or connection has deteriorated
I could have had it all
I had the potential to achieve greatness
But I let it slip away
But due to my own choices or circumstances, I've missed out on those opportunities
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KASSON DANIEL, II HARTWELL, BRANDON PAUL KRUEGER-BROWN, JEFFREY ADAM GUTT, JUDD BARON GRUENBAUM, JEFF BLUE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind