Oceans Ate Alaska signed to Density Records in 2012, two years after their formation in 2010. They released two EPs with the label. In 2014, the band signed to Fearless Records. The band was featured on Fearless Records' compilation album 'Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6', covering "Drunk in Love" by Beyoncé.
The band released their debut album 'Lost Isles' on February 24, 2015 and the next year played the entire 2016 Vans Warped Tour.
On December 16, 2016, the band announced on their Facebook that they were going into the studio to record their second album. They also announced that they had parted ways with vocalist James Harrison. On February 1, 2017 the band officially announced their new lead vocalist, Jake Noakes.
On May 25, 2017, the band released "Covert", the first single with Noakes performing vocals. On June 8, 2017 they released a new single titled "Escapist". On July 28, 2017, the band released their album Hikari' as well as a music video for the song "Hansha".
Covert
Oceans Ate Alaska Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I'm wasting every minute, every hour that I'm living here
I won't ask for sympathy
Just the understanding that I can't change that part of me
I'm just so scared to admit, act like I don't give a shit
Hide behind this masquerade
Hide behind this masquerade
Trapped in this ignorant bliss
The very fabric of my being
Is fucking torn
You know I have this unrelenting fear
That I'm fighting the days, but I'm losing the years
It's calling my name
Every day is the same
Except this voice in my head
Is merely fuelling the flames
It's calling my name
Just show me what it means for me to feel again
It's calling my name
So take me away
From this godforsaken place
These empty eyes and fake smiles made me believe
I am defective, my own worst enemy
Put up these walls to hide my secret
My deepest 'cus I know you won't believe it
You won't believe
I'm just so scared to admit, act like I don't give a shit
Hide behind this masquerade
Hide behind this masquerade
So sick of feeling like this
Trapped in this ignorant bliss
To live to like this
Trapped in this ignorant bliss
The opening lines of Oceans Ate Alaska's song "Covert" reveal the singer's deep-seated fear of wasting their life. Despite not requesting pity, they long for understanding, desiring to be accepted for who they are. However, they are too scared to be themselves, masking their true feelings and emotions. The masquerade they wear is an attempt to avoid being seen as ignorant or flawed. They feel trapped, unable to escape a life that seems to be going nowhere.
The singer feels as though they are fighting against time, but time always seems to be winning. Every day is the same, and they feel stuck. There's a voice inside their head, urging them to change, to do something different, but it's not enough. They want to feel something again, but they don't know how. The walls they've built around themselves are there to protect them, but they also keep others out, unable to see the real them. They feel defective, like their own worst enemy, and can't bring themselves to confess their deepest secrets because they don't believe anyone will understand.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I have this unrelenting fear
The author has an intense and persistent anxiety.
That I'm wasting every minute, every hour that I'm living here
The author worries that they are not making the most of their time.
I won't ask for sympathy
The author does not want pity.
Just the understanding that I can't change that part of me
The author seeks empathy and acceptance for their tendencies.
I'm just so scared to admit, act like I don't give a shit
The author is too afraid to confess their true feelings and pretends not to care.
Hide behind this masquerade
The author put on a facade to conceal their emotions.
So sick of being like this
The author is tired of their current state of mind.
Trapped in this ignorant bliss
The author is confined to a state of pleasurable unawareness.
The very fabric of my being
The essence of the author is in question.
Is fucking torn
The author is experiencing internal disarray.
That I'm fighting the days, but I'm losing the years
The author tries to resist time's effects but feels like they are wasting their life.
It's calling my name
The author hears an alluring and ominous voice within their mind.
Every day is the same
The author feels trapped in a cycle of monotony.
Except this voice in my head
The voice in the author's head is the only thing that distinguishes their days from one another.
Is merely fuelling the flames
The voice is exacerbating the author's fear and anxiety.
Just show me what it means for me to feel again
The author seeks a way to break out of their emotional numbness.
So take me away
The author desires to be removed from their current situation.
From this godforsaken place
The author feels like they are in a hopeless and forsaken environment.
These empty eyes and fake smiles made me believe
The author used to believe in the authenticity of their surroundings but became disillusioned.
I am defective, my own worst enemy
The author feels like they are flawed and blames themselves for their problems.
Put up these walls to hide my secret
The author has erected barriers to shield their vulnerability and conceal the truth about themselves.
My deepest 'cus I know you won't believe it
The author feels like they cannot confide in anyone about their true self because they fear not being understood.
To live to like this
The author does not want to endure living with their current mindset.
Trapped in this ignorant bliss
The author is stuck in a comfortable yet unsatisfactory state of unawareness.
Writer(s): Christopher Turner, Jacob David Noakes, James Kennedy, Michael Stanton
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ryan O'Reilly
The visuals, the silhouette of a man trapped within an opium poppy as it blooms and becomes ripe for harvest. I have never seen a lyric video as appropriate for the subject of the song ever. Definitely getting a tattoo based off the concept crammed in somewhere. 12 years of my life was wasted on heroin all told, my God, the lyrics, the music, the sweet release instrumental at the end. Either someone in the band lived the struggle or someone they cared deeply about did. Its just too accurate and close to someone trapped in opiate addiction while holding on to their good heart. OAA crafted a masterpiece giving voice to a very misunderstood and despised segment of our society with this piece. Absolutely stunning guys.
Patryk Michalik
Great if somebody from the band could answer
danUFCscape
1:13 - 1:28 .... cant stop replaying this part. unbelievably perfect
Diastizar
His clean vocals so harmonic...
PTRGrin
I got chills too :'v
snowblindvox
I'm missing James Harrison's highs but holy fuck this is sick! Welcome to OAA Jake Noakes!
Michael Meyers
@Razor Edge Yep he is.
Razor Edge
@Michael Meyers he is not
Michael Meyers
Actibg like Jake Noakes is not the best voice in metal 🤷🏻♂️
RandomShxt
He's back now guys