Griffith and bassist Jake Brown first met in the late 1990s, when the two musicians played in a couple of North Florida punk combos. Griffith eventually moved north to Boston, but they maintained their friendship via e-mail and late night phone calls. In 2001, Brown issued a disc of Griffith's demos, called The Purple Magnolia, through his "really, really, really indie" label, Computer Club Records. When Griffith returned to Florida the following year, it seemed obvious that the two friends should team up in a band. They enlisted guitarist/keyboardist Justin Etheridge and drummer Brandon Cook to fill out the line-up. Taking their moniker from a lyric by Fugazi precursor Rites of Spring, Moments In Grace was born. They quickly began playing live gigs, but most of their time was spent holed up at Griffith's rented rehearsal space - dubbed "the Factory" - writing songs and refining their sonic approach.
In June 02, Moments In Grace supported Liars Academy at a show near Birmingham, Alabama, and the two like-minded outfits became fast friends. Later that year, Liars Academy was recording tracks with renowned indie producer/engineer McTernan at his Salad Days Studio in scenic Beltsville, Maryland. During a break between sessions, McTernan overheard the band's guitarist listening to Moments in Grace's early demo CD.
"I was like, Holy shit, who is that?'" McTernan recalls. "Jeremy's voice was unbelievable. I just couldn't stop listening to it."
Impressed and moved by what he'd heard, McTernan reached out to the young band, with an eye towards signing them to his new Salad Days imprint. He flew down to St. Augustine, Florida to see them play live, and while he was intrigued with their provocative sound, it was clear Moments in Grace was still in its embryonic stage. It wasn't until drummer Tim Kirkpatrick (formerly of prominent hardcore outfit As Friends Rust) was drafted into the fold that the band began to truly gel into something special.
The four musicians knew they had found their fire after penning the yearning, anthemic "Stratus." "It really set the tone for what we wanted to do with the band," says Griffith. "Recording it was awesome as well. We rented a Hammond B3 organ, which is really cool to get to play. We also brought in a string section, which took the song to a whole other place."
On April 18th 2006, the band posted a blog on their Myspace page saying that they "had decided, after extensive touring and promotion for our album "Moonlight Survived", to take a rest from the band. Did we break up? Not officially, there's always a chance that Jeremy, Tim and I will write music together again (touring? no.). However, we're all very much wrapped up in our own separate lives at this point."
As of 2009: Tim is currently living in Hollywood, CA and recently played drums for an As Friends Rust reunion tour in Europe. Jeremy lives in Atlanta, GA and records all sorts of great bands. Jake lives in St. Augustine, FL and is currently playing bass for Frodus, and singing/playing guitar in The Eastern Wave.
Curtain Call
Moments In Grace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breathing slows...no oxygen
The first time seems timeless
Forever follows,
The brave seem weaker than before
Correct my words
These words mean war
Sequence fails me again
I'm not sure if all of this exists,
Sometimes it's hard to admit
Becomes a part of me
More than just a memory
No one knows what lies ahead
All things failed and never said
We're passing to poetry
For every moment, for everything
The song "Curtain Call" by Moments In Grace is a melancholic tune that discusses the painful experiences of being unheard and ignored. The first few lines of the song, "Drown me out with silence, breathing slows...no oxygen" signify the feeling of being suffocated by the lack of attention and recognition from others. The pain of the singer is enhanced by the following lyric "The first time seems timeless, Forever follows," which highlights how the experience of being unheard can feel like it will last forever.
The singer then goes on to express his frustration with the situation, stating "The brave seem weaker than before, correct my words, these words mean war." Here, the singer is trying to convey how he feels that he is not being heard or understood, despite his attempts at communication. He then feels as if he is starting to lose his grip on reality, stating "I'm not sure if all of this exists, sometimes it's hard to admit." The chorus of the song, "We're passing to poetry, for every moment, for everything" means that in their pain, they have found solace in writing about it and perhaps turning their pain into art.
Overall, "Curtain Call" explores the theme of the feeling of being unheard and ignored, and how it can lead to a feeling of hopelessness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Drown me out with silence
Overwhelm me with nothingness
Breathing slows...no oxygen
Gasping for air, suffocating
The first time seems timeless
Initial experience feels eternal
Forever follows,
Eternity ensues
The brave seem weaker than before
Being courageous leads to vulnerability
Correct my words
Rectify my utterances
These words mean war
These expressions signify conflict
Sequence fails me again
Pattern abandons me once more
With my lines ignored
When my words are disregarded
I'm not sure if all of this exists,
I'm uncertain if any of this is real
Sometimes it's hard to admit
Occasionally it's difficult to concede
Becomes a part of me
It integrates into who I am
More than just a memory
More than a recollection
No one knows what lies ahead
Future is unknown to all
All things failed and never said
Every failed thing left unsaid
We're passing to poetry
We express ourselves through verse
For every moment, for everything
For every instant, for all
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN WARBECK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind