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".
VULTURES AND SHARKS
Oceans Ate Alaska Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To watch us suffer. Should of known what
Doesn't kill me, only makes us stronger
Some say we brought this upon ourselves
Overlooked the cracks. Never heard the cries
For help. I have no one to blame but myself.
Whispers in the wind, shared all our sins and secrets
Not for glory or a hero's return all they want
Is to watch us crash and burn
Vultures above and sharks below are waiting
For us to fall. In hope that they'll catch you and ruin it all
Circling us from head to toe. We're swimming
In the shallows arguing to and fro there's bad blood
In the air. This killer instincts the only thing we'll ever share.
We are the creators of our own demise
They took to the sea's. They took to the skies
Only had eyes for my prize possessions turned all my confessions into lies.
All they want is to watch us crash and burn.
This is what it feels like to be in the jaws of defeat
One thousand teeth. Slowly sinking in
Vultures above and sharks below are waiting
For us to fall. In hope that they'll catch you and ruin it all
Circling us from head to toe
We're swimming in the shallows arguing
To and fro. There's bad blood in the air
This killer instincts the only thing we'll ever share.
They came to conquer, all they wanted
Was to watch us suffer. Should of known
What doesn't kill me, only makes us stronger
The lyrics of Oceans Ate Alaska's "Vultures and Sharks" depicts the idea of being hunted down by both predators above and below, while one is in a state of chaos and disarray. The imagery of vultures and sharks waiting for the singer to give in and fail strengthens the idea of being preyed upon. It highlights how the main character feels like they brought this pain upon themselves and are faulting themselves for overlooking the warning signs. The repetition of the phrase "They came to conquer" emphasizes the cruelty of these predators and the hopelessness of their situation. The idea of sharing a killer instinct with the predators around them adds to the sinister atmosphere of the song. In the end, the lyrics suggest that despite what demons one might be facing, one might become stronger and more resilient as a result of surviving, as emphasized by the lyrics "What doesn't kill me, only makes us stronger."
Line by Line Meaning
They came to conquer, all they wanted was
The enemies arrived with the sole purpose of defeating and dominating us
To watch us suffer. Should of known what
They took pleasure in seeing us in pain and we should have been aware of the consequences
Doesn't kill me, only makes us stronger
We will become stronger and more resistant to future threats if we survive this attack
Some say we brought this upon ourselves
Some people believe that we are responsible for our current situation
Overlooked the cracks. Never heard the cries
We ignored the warning signs and pleas for help
For help. I have no one to blame but myself.
I am responsible for my own mistakes that led to this situation
Whispers in the wind, shared all our sins and secrets
Our hidden wrongdoings and secrets have been revealed and spread
Not for glory or a hero's return all they want
The enemies don't care about gaining honor or being seen as heroes. Their only motivation is our downfall
Is to watch us crash and burn
They desire to see us fail and suffer greatly
Vultures above and sharks below are waiting
Predators both in air and water are waiting for us to become vulnerable
For us to fall. In hope that they'll catch you and ruin it all
They want us to fail so they can take advantage of our weakness and destroy everything we have
Circling us from head to toe. We're swimming
We are surrounded and being closely watched
In the shallows arguing to and fro there's bad blood
We are in a shallow area and quarreling with each other while tension is high
In the air. This killer instincts the only thing we'll ever share.
There is a feeling of hostility and aggression in the atmosphere, and the only thing we have in common with the predators is our instinct to survive
We are the creators of our own demise
We are responsible for our own downfall
They took to the sea's. They took to the skies
The enemies went to great lengths to defeat us and are using different methods
Only had eyes for my prize possessions turned all my confessions into lies.
They only cared about taking my valuable possessions and made me lie about my secrets
This is what it feels like to be in the jaws of defeat
We feel trapped and hopeless
One thousand teeth. Slowly sinking in
The predators are attacking us with many sharp teeth and we feel as if we are slowly losing the battle
Contributed by Jordan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.