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
Wandering Soul
Lycia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and I think about the day, that we...
might finally be together
oh, I need to know, yes, I need to know
hope sinks low on this lonely day
I wander around and get in my car and drive
worked so hard, worked for everything
but now I'm alone, so I'll just drive and drive
just trying to forget...this all
and...all these things I only dream of
and...all the things I'll never have...never
The lyrics to Lycia’s song Wandering Soul depict a sense of desperation and a feeling of being lost. The opening lines of “Then every single thing fades” suggest a fading away of something significant in the singer’s life. As a result, they long for a day when they can finally be with someone, as they are left feeling alone and filled with uncertainty in the present. The repetition of “yes, I need to know” emphasizes the singer’s desperation for answers and their inability to find them.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is dealing with feelings of hopelessness and despair. They wander aimlessly and seek solace in driving, just to escape the reality of their situation. The line “worked so hard, worked for everything, but now I’m alone” alludes to the idea that despite their best efforts, they feel like they have nothing to show for it. The song concludes with the singer acknowledging the things they dream of but know they will never have.
Overall, Wandering Soul is a melancholic song about a narrator who feels lost and alone, seeking escape from their problems.
Line by Line Meaning
Then every single thing fades
As time passes, everything seems to lose its significance
and I think about the day, that we...
During a quiet moment, she thinks about the day she can be with the person she longs for
might finally be together
They hope to be together someday
oh, I need to know, yes, I need to know
She yearns to know if their love is real and if they will be able to be together someday
hope sinks low on this lonely day
Feeling alone and inadequately supported, she loses hope
I wander around and get in my car and drive
To escape her solitude, she drives aimlessly
worked so hard, worked for everything
She has strived for and earned everything herself
but now I'm alone, so I'll just drive and drive
Despite working hard and earning everything she has, she now finds herself alone and just driving without any particular destination
I'll just drift from here to there
She drifts around without any sense of direction or purpose
just trying to forget...this all
She is trying to forget her loneliness and her unrequited love
and...all these things I only dream of
She only dreams of being with the person she loves
and...all the things I'll never have...never
Sadly, she knows that some things will always be out of reach for her, including her love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind