A host of enthusiastic fans and critics have likened the band to Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Kayo Dot, Steven Wilson and King Crimson. Their debut EP, An Ocean Held Me, is founded on ideas of darkness, empathy and catharsis. These themes extend into their upcoming album, Hope For A Mourning, which capitalises on the diverse range of instruments mastered by the seven skilled musicians. This release also incorporates the extraordinary voices of a ten-piece choir, offering even more depth to this layered, emotive and resonant work.
Mice On Stilts formed predominantly through chance encounters – on buses, at parties and at open mic events. The core sentiment of the music, however, grew from the mental health challenges that songwriter Benjamin Morley was facing at the time. Together he and bassist Tim Burrows recorded a series of songs that attempted to make sense of a complex emotional landscape, and the product seemed to resonate with their community. After an overwhelmingly positive response, the band grew from strength to strength – both in size and in its ability to articulate the facets of grief and hope that Morley sought to explain.
Mice On Stilts has become a regular presence on Auckland’s alternative Karangahape Road, and the members have been lauded for their technical skill and stirring presence as a live band. Now, they are reaching beyond the confines of the live music scene to collaborate with local artists, photographers, writers and designers to create an art book to accompany their upcoming release. The work within was created by the contributors as a direct response to the lyrics in Hope For A Mourning, demonstrating the human connection and scope that Mice On Stilts offer.
The band’s achievements to date include touring North Island of New Zealand on the 2014 Love Tour, entering into the top ten albums of the year on progarchives, supporting Yes in Auckland’s landmark Aotea Center in the same year and playing a variety of venues and festivals across the country.
While the six members have only been together four years, their work resonates with a maturity that speaks to Morley’s harrowed past. As a unit they have created something at once visceral and other-worldly; a sound that slays and reincarnates the listener in equal measure.
Band Members:
Guy Harrison – Piano/Trumpet
Tim Burrows – Bass/Vocal FX
Charlie Isdale – Violin/Saxophone
Rob Sanders – Drums
Benjamin Morley – Guitars / Vocal
Sam Loveridge – Violin/Guitar
Funeral
Mice On Stilts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The room is going up in smoke
I'm chained down to my bed
Soon we will be laying next to bones
But you don't have a clue
You don't even know
In my head they lies an empire
When I look up at your face
I see the desert in your eyes
It brings me down so low
Are we going nowhere slowly dear?
Those wolves are howling out
Like a ghost in the night
Their sirens will never forgive me
That wooden box that holds the two
Open for the world to see
Gets lowered into the earth
See you at the funeral
In the mean time
I'll just keep on pretending that this is really who we are
Still, we march on as one
With our hearts sown in the soil
Towards a definite end
We'll see you at our funeral
As we exit this hold
I know in myself that I gave all I could
And endured my waking day
I hand my soul back to the maker
See at our funeral
The lyrics of Mice On Stilts's song "Funeral" describe a deep sense of despair and impending doom. The singer appears to be trapped in some sort of dire situation, possibly chained down to his bed, while a room around him fills up with smoke. Meanwhile, his loved one seems oblivious to his plight, and the wolves outside howl like ghosts in the night. The lyrics are suffused with a sense of loss and hopelessness.
The chorus "See you at the funeral" seems to suggest that the singer has resigned himself to his fate, but also that he holds some degree of hope that he and his loved one will be reunited in death. The lyrics also suggest an awareness of mortality, of the inevitability of death, and of the precariousness of life. The singer seems to be struggling with a sense of purposelessness in the face of this knowledge, but resolves to soldier on regardless. The song is a poignant exploration of themes of mortality, loss, and despair, set to haunting, atmospheric music.
Line by Line Meaning
The doors ten feet away
The escape route is within reach
The room is going up in smoke
The situation is going out of control
I'm chained down to my bed
I am trapped and helpless
Soon we will be laying next to bones
We are mortal and will also face death
But you don't have a clue
You are not aware of my struggles
You don't even know
You are oblivious to my pain
In my head they lies an empire
I have grand ideas and aspirations
That's shaking like a quake
But they are fragile and unstable
When I look up at your face
In your expression,
I see the desert in your eyes
I sense emptiness and desolation
It brings me down so low
It fills me with sadness and despair
Are we going nowhere slowly dear?
Are we stuck and not making any progress?
Those wolves are howling out
Danger and hostility are nearby
Like a ghost in the night
An unseen and haunting presence
Their sirens will never forgive me
Their warning signs are unforgiving
That wooden box that holds the two
The casket containing our remains
Open for the world to see
Exposed and vulnerable
Gets lowered into the earth
Our bodies return to the ground
See you at the funeral
Our final farewell
In the mean time
Until then,
I'll just keep on pretending that this is really who we are
I will continue to fake it and ignore reality
Still, we march on as one
Nevertheless, we continue together
With our hearts sown in the soil
Our love and passion deeply rooted
Towards a definite end
Moving towards a certain fate
We'll see you at our funeral
When it's our turn to go
As we exit this hold
When we escape this entrapment
I know in myself that I gave all I could
I did my best with what I had
And endured my waking day
Persisted through the challenges of life
I hand my soul back to the maker
I have faith in a higher power to guide me
See at our funeral
Until we meet again in the afterlife
Contributed by Aaliyah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.