Years before, when he started what became Mother Falcon, it never crossed cellist Nick Gregg’s mind that his goal to make playing cello as cool as playing quarterback at his football obsessed high school (alma mater of Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees) would get anywhere. Jamming on original material after school with fellow orchestra students at Westlake High was fun, but not radical and certainly not goal oriented. Yet, over months, word of this orchestra jam session spread and the group, now named Mother Falcon after a misheard TV overdub from Die Hard (“Yippee-ki-ay Mother Falcon!), began to include people from McCallum High as well. Before any of its members had graduated, Mother Falcon was featured on the cover of the Austin Chronicle and was playing gigs all over town. While most of them were still teens, Mother Falcon, now numbering up to twenty two players, had become one of Austin’s most popular and beloved “bands” with the release of Still Life, their debut EP of classical-crossover pop songs, and another Austin Chronicle cover story. The next year their first full length, Alhambra, saw major local airplay and a series of sold out local shows. Somehow, while its members were focused on being college sophomores, this wild idea of being as cool as a quarterback had made Nick Gregg the founder of one of the coolest bands in one of the world’s coolest music cities. Yet, as Mother Falcon won multiple Austin Music Awards, collaborated with Austin legends like Alejandro Escovedo and Christopher Cross and ventured to Houston and Denton, it still didn’t seem plausible that such a huge ensemble could make an impact outside of Austin.
With the bulk of the collective’s musicians set to graduate college in 2013, this unlikely indie orchestra was at a cross roads. With the need for employment looming, perhaps the easiest choice would be to backburner the band, maybe keep playing around Austin until everyone spun off on their own: grad school, jobs, other bands. Mother Falcon, by now a community with deep ties (among them two pairs of siblings and several relationships begun in childhood) made a tougher choice, committing to a new album and an unusual strategy of moving to other cities for a month at a time to cut costs of touring such a large group. After making a huge splash at SXSW 2013, second album You Knew dropped in May 2013, strongly impacted national radio and gained major support from NPR. June residencies at Joe’s Pub in New York and Littlefield in Brooklyn were followed by residencies at The Echo in Los Angeles and Soda Bar in San Diego. Subsequent national tours found Mother Falcon unexpectedly selling out small clubs all over the country within months of their first tentative steps outside of Austin. Nick Gregg was now undeniably as cool as a quarterback.
Two years later, Mother Falcon return with their third full-length album Good Luck Have Fun, slated for release August 14th on BitCandy. Seven years, two albums and hundreds of shows on from Westlake High, this unlikely indie orchestra takes a leap into the unknown, blowing up their usual way of composing and recording together in a conscious effort to push themselves into new stylistic and sonic realms.
As such, Good Luck Have Fun doubles down on both sides of Mother Falcon. The adventurousness is more adventurous, with fully half the album comprised of experimental instrumental soundscapes composed as the score to an upcoming documentary about competitive gaming. Inspired by Bowie’s Low, 60s improv iconoclasts AAM, Koji Kondo’s score for Majora’s Mask and the psychedelic drone of Fuck Buttons, the instrumental pieces ebb and flow in tension between unresolved crescendos and throbbing, jagged minimalism. Conversely, the rest of the album may be Mother Falcon’s most accessible music ever, with a stronger emphasis on rhythm, concise arrangements that move the vocals to the fore, lyrics grounded in universal themes and a wealth of hooks, upon hooks, upon hooks.
Lead single “Kid” sets the bar high with instrumental layers progressively piling up those hooks behind a shimmering vocal from Claire Puckett. “Quiet Mind” gradually builds from stark violin pizzicatos to jazzy horn blasts as Tamir Kalifa’s choirboy voice soars above lush swells of strings with the emotionalism that has always characterized the Mother Falcon “sound.” Taking a sharp turn from that maximalist approach, “You Are” sees founder Nick Gregg almost whispering in vulnerable intimacy amid softly fingerpicked guitar, a dark cello line and a fluttering violin. “Water,” a reworking of the dreamy final track from their previous album, is cathartically transformed into something startlingly different with relentless Latin rhythms, dissonant strings, jittery funk guitar and swirling horns, all pointing toward a more aggressive approach in the future. Most closely connected to the sound of previous releases, “Naked & Alive” places a lyric of melancholy reminiscence against gang vocals, multiple interlocking horn sections and classical guitar.
Lyrically, Good Luck Have Fun explores a complicated stew of regret, betrayal, yearning and nostalgia for childhood, set among some of the most ambitious music of Mother Falcon's burgeoning career. With an insistent focus on trying new methods of creation, this young collective has delivered a third album that defies expectations but stays rooted in their desire to be simultaneously adventurous and accessible. Pressing forward toward fresh and innovative ground, Good Luck Have Fun shows Mother Falcon, never afraid of long odds, continuing to take risks in search of something radiant and new.
Fireflies
Mother Falcon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreams in our heart
Let 'em live, let 'em die, let 'em laugh, let 'em cry
Trace the depths of golden fireflies
Sinking madly side by side
Through this evening summer sky, behind all ears and eyes as we scream:
"Come out, like a way, we can see the hole in our dreams
I believe there can be fewer souls come radiantly
Felt no fear
Everything we always, which was real, was here
Call to the dark
The lantern that delivered us here from the start
Take every stride with a soft wind if you
You lend your lights that had watched us living
Take every stride with a soft wind if we
(Felt no fear)
You lend your lights that had watched us living
Everything we'd always, which was real, was here
The things that I know and the things that I feel are gone
The things that I know and the things that I feel are gone
The things that I know and the things that I feel are gone
The things that I know and the things that I feel are gone
The drum of my flow
The tightened cage of light explodes
Fireflies make skies explode
The Mother Falcon's song Fireflies is a poignant and thought-provoking piece about the power of dreams and the beautiful transience of life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a group of people observing a beautiful summer sky filled with fireflies, tracing their movements and sinking madly side by side. The singers encourage each other to let their dreams live, die, laugh, and cry, and acknowledge that their bodies may fade away, but they will always believe in fewer souls coming radiantly. They scream to come out, like a way, to see the hole in their dreams.
The group feels no fear and everything they always knew was real is here. They call to the dark and the lantern that delivered them here from the start. They take every stride with a soft wind if they lend their lights that had watched them living. The things that they know and feel are gone, but the drum of their flow and the tightened cage of light explodes. Fireflies make skies explode.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Expression of excitement and anticipation.
Dreams in our heart
The aspirations and desires that drive us.
Let 'em live, let 'em die, let 'em laugh, let 'em cry
Allowing our dreams to take different paths and emotions.
Trace the depths of golden fireflies
Exploring the mysteries of life and nature.
Sinking madly side by side
Experiencing life's ups and downs together.
Through this evening summer sky, behind all ears and eyes as we scream
Expressing our shared experience with enthusiasm and joy.
"Come out, like a way, we can see the hole in our dreams
Asking for clarity and understanding of our aspirations.
I believe there can be fewer souls come radiantly
Believing in the power of individuality and uniqueness.
Though we may stay, though our bodies may fade away.
Acknowledging the impermanence of life but holding onto the essence of ourselves.
Felt no fear
Being courageous and unafraid.
Everything we always, which was real, was here
Recognizing the importance of the present moment and being present.
Call to the dark
Embracing the unknown and the uncertain.
The lantern that delivered us here from the start
Being guided by our inner light and intuition.
Take every stride with a soft wind if you
Moving forward with ease and grace.
You lend your lights that had watched us living
Being supported by the light and energy of others.
Take every stride with a soft wind if we
Encouraging others to also move forward with ease and grace.
You lend your lights that had watched us living
Being grateful for the support and energy of others.
Everything we'd always, which was real, was here
Affirming the importance of the present moment and being present.
The things that I know and the things that I feel are gone
Letting go of past thoughts and emotions.
The drum of my flow
The rhythm and energy of our being.
The tightened cage of light explodes
Breaking free from past limitations and opening up to new possibilities.
Fireflies make skies explode
Nature's wonders have the power to inspire and awe us.
Contributed by Cole I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.