Drummer Kenneth Kapstad joined Motorpsycho as a full member late in 2007.
Their new double-CD "Black Hole / Blank Canvas" was released 17th/20th march 2006 in Europe. The album has been getting generally positive reviews, proving the skills of the arguably most innovative Norwegian band of the last decade. Bent Sæther plays drums on this record, except on the track "You Loose", which is played by Jacco van Rooij who also played drums for the band on a short tour in spring 2006.
In activity since 1990, Motorpsycho have released 10 full length albums, as well as a number of EPs, a couple of live albums, and some side-project releases. Over the years, they moved from their initial mixture of metal, grunge and hardcore music, playing almost any kind of musical genre: indie, pop, psych rock, lo-fi, stoner, avantgarde, classic hard rock, acoustic, fusion, jazz rock and country rock as part of the The International Tussler Society.
2008 saw the release of the album, "Little Lucid Moments", containing 4 songs lasting between 11-21 minutes. The release was followed by a European tour in April and May 2008.
Early 2009, Motorpsycho recorded the Patrik Fitzgerald cover Punch with Jello Biafra from Dead Kennedys on vocals. Jello Biafra have, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK been a fan of Motorpsycho for 16-17 years.
In the autumn of 2009 they released a vinyl-only record, Child of the Future and in January 2010 they released Heavy Metal Fruit, their first album with an outside producer.
On May 23 2016 it was announced on the band's website that Kenneth Kapstad will be leaving Motorpsycho after nine years with the band. The band did not announce a replacement, with supposed upcoming gigs in Brazil and a 40 show stint as the houseband in writer Carl Frode Tiller's play "Begynnelser" at Trøndelag Teater in Trondheim from September 2 2016.
However, on the second day of 2017 the fans could greet the long-awaited news of a replacement with delight. Swedish Trondheim resident Tomas Järmyr who has also played in acts such as Zu, Yodok, Yodok lll, Sunswitch and with Aidan Baker. He also studies at the music conservatory at NTNU – like Kapstad, Ståle Storløkken, Ola Kvernberg, Ketil Møster "and just about every decent musician we’ve worked with over the last decade before him" (quote Bent Sæther, January 2 2017). This piece of news was also supplemented with hints of an upcoming album in the fall of 2017. The album, titled "The Tower" was released on September 8th 2017.
Birds
Motorpsycho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we lost it on the way.
Don't know what it could've been,
But it's not here today.
This whole thing's got me shaking like a leaf
Down in the dregs of relief
Sometimes I'm such a coward
I keep lying to myself
And put it on the shelf
This whole thing's............etc
Why would you wanna
Why would you wanna listen to me
Why would you listen now? (x4)
I see it in your face
And I can hear it in your voice
This time just I think that we
Don't even have a choise
This whole thing's...........etc
Why would you wanna .........etc
If I knew just how to tell you,
I don't think you'd hate me anymore
The lyrics of Motorpsycho's song "Birds" seem to be about regret and missed opportunities. The singer laments that something important was lost along the way, though they're not sure what it is. They're shaking with relief - perhaps relieved that they don't have to confront what was lost head-on? The singer admits to being a coward, lying to themselves and wishing they had the courage to face their truth. They seem to want to share whatever it is that they've been keeping inside, but they're afraid of how it will be received. The repeated chorus of "Why would you wanna listen to me / Why would you listen now?" speaks to this fear of vulnerability - if they haven't been truthful before, why should anyone believe them now?
In the second verse, the singer is talking to someone specific ("I see it in your face / And I can hear it in your voice"). This person seems to be important to the singer, and perhaps they've been hurt by the singer's lack of honesty. The singer acknowledges that they don't have a choice but to face this person and whatever it is they need to confront. They repeat the chorus, suggesting that they're still afraid of being vulnerable and unsure of whether they'll be able to communicate effectively. The final line, "If I knew just how to tell you, / I don't think you'd hate me anymore," suggests that the singer has done something that has caused this person to dislike them. They wish they could explain themselves and make things better.
Line by Line Meaning
It must've been important,
Something significant happened in the past, but it got lost or forgotten along the way.
But we lost it on the way.
The singer and whoever else was involved in the event they mentioned were unable to keep track of it for some reason.
Don't know what it could've been,
Despite the possible importance of the event, the singer is uncertain of what it actually was.
But it's not here today.
Whatever the important event was, it is no longer present or relevant to the artist's life today.
This whole thing's got me shaking like a leaf
The situation surrounding this event has made the artist incredibly anxious and nervous.
Down in the dregs of relief
Despite feeling relief, the singer feels as though they are at the lowest point in their current emotional state.
Sometimes I'm such a coward
The singer is occasionally too afraid to face situations or confront their problems head on.
I keep lying to myself
The artist is in denial about certain aspects related to the event and their feelings about it.
I wish I had the guts to tell it
The artist wishes they had the courage to speak honestly and openly about the event and their emotions surrounding it.
And put it on the shelf
The artist hopes that by confronting this event, they will finally be able to move on and put it behind them.
Why would you wanna
The singer is questioning why someone would want to hear their story or opinion on the matter.
Why would you wanna listen to me
The artist is wondering why someone would choose to pay attention to their thoughts and feelings.
Why would you listen now?
The singer is curious as to why the person they are addressing would suddenly show interest in this issue after all this time.
I see it in your face
The singer can tell that the person they are speaking to is curious or concerned about the situation as well.
And I can hear it in your voice
The singer can detect a change in tone or inflection in the person's voice that indicates their interest or concern.
This time I just think that we
The artist believes that both they and the person they are addressing are affected by this event in some way.
Don't even have a choice
The artist feels as though they are obligated to confront this issue despite their reluctance.
If I knew just how to tell you,
The singer wishes they knew how to properly explain the situation or their feelings about it to the person they are addressing.
I don't think you'd hate me anymore
The singer believes that if they were able to properly explain things, the person they are speaking to would no longer hold any negative feelings towards them.
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.