The band released an EP, Rain in July, in September 2012, which gained the band even more attention from people. According to Barlow, "People took notice and demanded that we play shows." The band supported With the Punches and Me Vs Hero in the UK in December. 3 December date of tour was the band's live debut. At their second show the band signed with a manager. The band toured the UK supporting Hacktivist in February 2013. Also in February the band released the A History of Bad Decisions EP as a "pay what you want" download. The band and their tour manager went on a holiday to Florida. The group ended up playing two shows that were "crazy and sold out and packed", according to Thorpe-Evans. Videos of the shows ended up online, which were seen by Hopeless Records. Hopeless got in contact with the band's manager who put the label in contact with the band. The band signed to Hopeless in August 2013. Being signed to the label was "a dream come true" for the band.
The band released their debut album, Wishful Thinking, on 14 January 2014. Up until this point, the band was a "fun, part-time entity", according to Barlow. With the release of the album, the band became a full-time thing, according to Barlow: "Fuck it, let's do this properly". The success of the album resulted in Thorpe-Evans, West and Roberts quitting their jobs, Washington turning down a place at the Academy of Contemporary Music, and Barlow dropping out of university. Following the release of Wishful Thinking, Neck Deep began 2014 with a full UK headline tour and also toured the UK as the main support for We Are the in Crowd, before a headline tour covering the US with Knuckle Puck, Light Years and Misguided by Giants. The band were announced to perform on 2014 edition of Vans Warped Tour. The band's two EPs were remixed and remastered as part of the compilation Rain in July / A History of Bad Decisions, released on Hopeless on 17 June. It was released to capitalise on the band's popularity at the time. Barlow said that this compilation would be "definitive release of these songs". The band hoped that the new fans that enjoyed Wishful Thinking "will enjoy the chance to check these songs out now that we've had a chance to improve how they sound!"21 The band won the Kerrang! Award for Best British Newcomer 2014, beating nominees Blitz Kids, Bury Tomorrow, Lonely the Brave, and Decade. The band headlined the Intercontinental Championships Tour, along with Knuckle Puck (USA), Seaway (Canada) and Trophy Eyes (Australia), and touring the UK. The tour was set to start January 2015 and run through February.
On 27 April 2015 the band made a post on their Facebook page consisting of nothing more than "Can't Kick Up the Roots. 12.05.15". This post turned out to be a song and the release date of 12 May. A few days later on 4 May, the band made another Facebook post stating the name of their new album, Life's Not out to Get You. The release date of this album was 14 August. On 10 May, "Can't Kick Up the Roots" was premiered on UK radio station BBC Radio 1 and was met with lots of praise by fans, with the band then stating that the song's music video and pre-orders for the album would be available on 12 May. The band played all dates of the 2015 edition of Vans Warped Tour. On 19 July, "Gold Steps" was premiered live on Daniel P. Carter's BBC Radio 1 rock show. The album made No.10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales list, and the band made No. 67 on the Artist 100 list.
On 22 August 2015, allegations of sexual misconduct against guitarist Lloyd Roberts were made, in which Roberts was accused of sending inappropriate photos to an underage girl. Roberts denied these allegations. The band responded that they were aware of the situation and asked for "a moment to get to the bottom of this." One day later, they clarified that Roberts would be "stepping down" from his position in the band as he did not want to tarnish the band's reputation as a result of these allegations. He states, "I’m now looking to put this horrendous chapter in my life behind me as I instead look forward to the future. For me, that means doing the one thing I love the most – writing and recording music." On 13 October 2015, Roberts released a statement which explained that the police had cleared him of all charges, stating that they "found no case" to back up the allegations made against him. In the same statement, Roberts hinted that there are no plans for him to return to the band. On 17 December 2015, Sam Bowden, of Climates and Blood Youth, officially joined the band as their new lead guitarist.
On 27 June 2016, the band began writing new material for the band's third album. They began working on the album in the studio eight months after writing the band's new music on 21 February 2017. On 15 January 2017, the band's vocalist, Ben Barlow, stated that a band should always show progression in its music and they are certainly aware that is what they want to do in the band's third album. In an interview with the lead singer, Barlow explains how his father's passing influenced his motivation for writing Neck Deep's most recent album. Ben connects his father's death and the album by stating, "It's definitely opened my mind up creatively, it's gonna be a little ball of inspiration that I can kind of pick at, I guess." On 5 April 2017, the band finished the album and is set to release it on August 18 of the same year. On May 21st Neck Deep released two new songs along with music videos for them. "Where Do We Go When We Go" and "Happy Judgement Day". It was also announced the band worked with Neal Avron and Mike Green on their new album. The band's lead singer, Ben Barlow was quoted saying to Alternative Press "The Peace and the Panic is about how we’ve grown up and experienced life in the last couple of years.". He also commented on two of the new tracks on the album, including the track "Happy Judgement Day" of which Barlow commented, ".is on the panic side, and really, that song is a comment on the current social and political climate.". He also stated "Where Do We Go When We Go" is the last track on the record, and we feel it summarises our mood well. Very directly, the message is: “Fuck all this shit, fuck all the noise, let’s just make something of ourselves before our time is up.”
On 4 September 2018, bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans announced the departure from the band. He said that Neck Deep has been a dream coming true but he wanted to pursue his career as a producer.
On 10 September 2018 Neck Deep released a music video for the song "Torn". (Originally made famous by Natalie Imbruglia.) This was the lead single for the Hopeless Records charity compilation album for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, called "Songs That Saved My Life".
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Neck Deep - Orange County, California - 90’s Hardcore
“Neck Deep was an active hardcore band in the Orange County scene of the early ‘90’s. They played some shows with bands like Function, Blackspot and Outspoken. Recorded a 7” in 1992 that contained the tracks “Crossfire” and “Columbus Day” (both tracks can be downloaded free @ http://neckdeep.bandcamp.com/).
Members: ETHAN GUERAMI MATT LENNON CLAY GUCCIONE ALEX OUZONIAN RYAN KELLER CHRIS MITCHELL JASON HAMPTON KELLY NELMS
Label: STATIC/INSTA-NOISE
Sites: http://www.myspace.com/neckdeep1 | http://neckdeep.bandcamp.com/
Blank Pages
Neck Deep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But these nights are too long to shake off
My nerve to easy to break
A brave face is too hard to fake
Stressed out and I'm losing the will
I'm too hot but I'm feeling the chill of defeat
This happens every time
Push the boundaries till I tow the line
I'll find my feet
Save my skin and hopefully
Crush the doubt in my head
To work this out in the end
I've been crossing out the lines
And I've been wasting all my time
Questioning myself again
With ink that's trapped inside this pen
Ignore and push to the side
Plays on in the back of my mind
The right words are too hard to find
Keep cool and wait for a sign
No good, just good for nothing
This path must lead to something
Worth the doubt, the stress, the effort
I always knew I could never cut the pressure
Thinking back to the days when nobody knew my name
It was so easy to escape
My careless mind was a safer place
Always asking why can't bring myself to even try
Holding out till the end
Fake a smile and pretend
Oh, but there's still time to get these wounds to open wide
Spill my guts on this page
Breaking out of this cage
The song Blank Pages by Neck Deep is a poignant reflection on what it means to be a struggling artist. The lyrics touch on the themes of doubt, stress, and the pressure to succeed. The singer admits to feeling overwhelmed by the blank pages in front of him, unable to face the challenge of finding the right words. He admits to feeling stressed out and on the verge of defeat, but he refuses to give up. Despite his despair, he is determined to find his feet and work things out in the end.
One of the most striking lines in the song is, "Thinking back to the days when nobody knew my name." This suggests that the singer is struggling with the pressure of success and the fear of failure. He remembers a time when he was unknown and could work in relative anonymity, but now the spotlight is on him, and he feels exposed. The singer acknowledges that he often questions himself and is his own harshest critic. Despite this, he is determined to push through and break out of the cage that he feels himself trapped in.
Overall, Blank Pages is a reflective and introspective song that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with doubts and insecurities. It is a powerful reminder that the journey to success is never easy, but it is always worth it in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Blank pages keep me awake
Unable to sleep, I lie in bed with a mind full of blank pages, possibilities that I cannot stop considering.
But these nights are too long to shake off
The nights seem too long and unforgiving, making it harder for me to shake off my thoughts and drift off to sleep.
My nerve to easy to break
I am prone to breaking under stress, unable to control my nerves and anxiety.
A brave face is too hard to fake
I cannot put on a brave face, pretending that I am okay because it takes too much effort and energy to maintain the facade.
Stressed out and I'm losing the will
Stressed out and tired, I am losing my motivation and drive to push through my struggles.
I'm too hot but I'm feeling the chill of defeat
I am burning up with passion and determination, yet I feel the chill of defeat settling in as I struggle to succeed.
This happens every time
I experience this struggle and feeling of defeat every time I try to push myself and achieve something.
Push the boundaries till I tow the line
I push myself to the limit, testing my boundaries until I am able to find a path to follow.
I'll find my feet
I will regain my footing and find a way to move forward, even when it seems impossible.
Save my skin and hopefully
I will save myself from my struggles and come out stronger and more resilient in the end.
Crush the doubt in my head
I need to overcome the self-doubt and negative thoughts that are holding me back from achieving my goals.
To work this out in the end
In order to succeed and overcome my struggles, I need to work through my challenges and find a way to move forward.
I've been crossing out the lines
I've been second-guessing myself and crossing out my previous attempts, struggling to find the right path forward.
And I've been wasting all my time
I have been wasting time, unable to make progress or find a path forward.
Questioning myself again
I am constantly questioning myself and my abilities, struggling with self-doubt and negative thoughts.
With ink that's trapped inside this pen
I am struggling to express my thoughts and feelings, trapped by my own self-doubt and uncertainly.
Ignore and push to the side
I try to ignore my struggles and push them aside, but they continue to linger in the back of my mind and hold me back.
Plays on in the back of my mind
My struggles and doubts continue to play in my mind, making it difficult for me to focus on anything else.
The right words are too hard to find
I struggle to find the right words to express my thoughts and feelings, making it hard to articulate my struggles to others.
Keep cool and wait for a sign
I try to keep calm and wait for a sign or signal that will help me find a path forward.
No good, just good for nothing
I feel like I am not good enough and that I am a failure, constantly struggling to find a way forward.
This path must lead to something
Despite my struggles and doubts, I believe that this path will eventually lead to success and fulfillment.
Worth the doubt, the stress, the effort
I believe that the struggle and effort will be worth it in the end, leading to success and fulfillment.
I always knew I could never cut the pressure
I've always known that I cannot handle the pressure and stress of trying to succeed, yet I continue to strive for success despite the challenges.
Thinking back to the days when nobody knew my name
I think back to simpler times when I was unknown and had fewer struggles to face.
It was so easy to escape
It was easy to ignore my struggles and escape from my problems in those earlier times.
Always asking why can't bring myself to even try
I am constantly questioning why I struggle and why I cannot bring myself to even try to overcome my challenges.
Holding out till the end
Despite the challenges, I will hold out until I find a path forward and overcome my struggles.
Fake a smile and pretend
Even when I am struggling, I try to put on a brave face and pretend that everything is okay.
Oh, but there's still time to get these wounds to open wide
There is still time to grow and overcome my struggles, even if it means opening up emotional wounds and dealing with discomfort.
Spill my guts on this page
I will express my true feelings and emotions, even if it means being vulnerable and raw on the page.
Breaking out of this cage
I am breaking free from my struggles and moving forward, overcoming the obstacles that were holding me back.
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sam Rose
i literally cannot get over how incredible this album is. From start to finish.
MDGolfaddict
Only recently heard the full album and it is fantastic. Best Punk Rock album I have heard in a long time
asma khanam
Caloy Miralles some of their songs went punk and others went emo.
Tenkaichi Budokai Announcer
defs pop punk
felix kalscheur
This isn't really punk rock
felix kalscheur
It's more pop punk
Juan Carlos Miralles
this is pop punk not punk rock
Ollie John Hill
this song is so underrated! great song Neek Deep!
Bulfin Film Productions
Just named my new short film after this song, thanks for the inspiration Neck Deep! 🙌🏼
Aryssa Aida
I just bough their album! Loving it. x