Operahouse released their debut album ‘Escape from the Sun’ via Marrakesh Records in April 2009 and split soon after that (officially in June 2009)
‘Escape from the Sun’ is a heroic, barnstorming entrance worthy of the Pyramid Stage on a Saturday night. Produced by Richard McNamara from those similarly minded peddlers of BIG anthems, Embrace, and mixed by magic-fingers himself, Dave Bascombe – a veteran of albums by Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel and Tears For Fears – the record was made with all the urgency, passion and craft of a band who know, says singer Johnny Lloyd, that “you just don’t get a second chance at this thing.
OPERAHOUSE
Given the opportunity to describe their own sound before that particular right is taken away from them by a swarm of hyperbole employing critics, Operahouse guitarist Alexander Kaines – who shares these duties with his fellow songwriter and lead singer, Johnny Lloyd – chooses to describe it thus: “A big, epic, sci-fi thing.”
Big and epic is about right. Released by Marrakesh Records (a label set up by the people responsible for unearthing The Killers), the band’s debut album ‘Escape from the Sun’, due out on April 6, is a heroic, barnstorming entrance worthy of the Pyramid Stage on a Saturday night. Produced by Richard McNamara from those similarly minded peddlers of BIG anthems, Embrace, and mixed by magic-fingers himself, Dave Bascombe – a veteran of albums by Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel and Tears For Fears – the record was made with all the urgency, passion and craft of a band who know, says Johnny, that “you just don’t get a second chance at this thing.”
Operahouse have built a sound that towers over their young Britrock peers just like Babel would’ve done over Eiffel – and if that sounds preposterous it’s just what Johnny and the band want. “It’s got to be fucking out there,” he says. Their educational building blocks were Radiohead (listen to the ‘No Surprises’ squiggles on ‘Machine Palace’), The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Blur (the lairy ‘Down in Electric’) and Velvet Underground. These foundations are strengthened by a rare kind of ambition and total, indefatigable belief in what they’re doing. It means that when the band are asked who they wouldn’t mind being compared to Johnny immediately fires out names such as Thom Yorke, John Lennon and David Bowie (“Just his greatest hits, mind”) without even a hint of sarcasm.
“If you don't have dreams and ambition,” he says, “what's the point of doing this? We could go and start another band tomorrow and not put the effort in, but only if we were happy gigging at The 333 every night. We’re realistic about where we are. We know we're not the biggest thing in the world. But we want to be.”
“There’s a lot of indie pop out there,” adds Alex, “like The Wombats and The Enemy, and it’s all, like, two-chord verse, four-chord chorus. We try and sculpt songs and make them more like a piece of work, more like a piece of modern music. Not just another indie pop song.”
Much less dramatic than their fizzing, euphoric rock would suggest is the band’s formation. The story goes like those of a hundred British bands before them: Johnny met Jimmy Cratchley (on bass) at school in Rugby before hopping on a train to London where he met Alex in a north London café and the three of them, now in their early twenties, set about following their dreams. Ben Niblett, only just out of his teens, was brought in to wield the sticks, while mutual friend and keyboardist Dan White was drafted in more recently.
They’ve already built an impressive live reputation, stealing the show when they toured with The Automatic at the end of 2008, and their early singles were hailed by Zane Lowe. But Operahouse are really only just arriving. After an initial burst of interest in early 2008 they took stock of things. Johnny and Alex realized that they didn’t want to be “just another indie rock band.” In fact, being called indie rock pains Johnny; it’s something he thinks has become a capture-all misnomer for any young band with a guitar, no matter how big their dreams.
Starting again, they hid away in McNamara’s Halifax studio and worked on a vision that’s got wider and more glorious, taking in the off-kilter punk-pop of the Pixies, Britpop sing-alongs, a cosmos exploring Klaxons, the swinging, angst-ridden anthems of Modest Mouse and Bright Eyes, and the ecstatic, soar-away songs of Arcade Fire. It’s a sound that has already had remixers Jagz Kooner, Sam Vandal and Filthy Dukes using its rich palette of possibilities.
But what did Alex mean by “sci-fi thing”? The clue is in ‘Change In Nature’, a song about both climate change and the first monkey to be sent into space. As you might expect from a band with such wild, untamed ambition, it’s not for them the confessional, kitchen sink drama.
“We love sci-fi films and books,” says Alex.
“With everything that’s going on in the news,” continues Johnny, “like global warming, Richard Branson trying to come up with a way to save the planet, it’s everywhere, man. We’re genuinely interested in it. It opens people’s minds. If you hear about a new topic on the news that might sound a bit sci-fi now, then the people watching will already be starting to think outside the box, which is only good for the future.”
Cue a photo shoot at Leicester Space Centre with Andy Wilsher, a video for their next single, ‘Genius Child’ (released March 30), that sees them getting knocked about the heads by pretty ladies dressed as Barbarella and, of course, a brand spanking new, fully interactive, futuristic website, www.escapefromthesun.com. Involved in its making, the site is cryptic and warped just like the band’s lyrics, comprised of games, sounds and images inspired by their songs. It’s an attempt, says Johnny, to offer a bit more.
“We want to offer people more than just the record. It’s not just about buying music anymore it’s about buying into the band in different ways,” says Johnny, who explains how the site works in lockstep with their music: “It offers escapism, sort of futuristic, looking for better and weirder things. The whole idea is to do something that holds your attention for more than five minutes – you get into the band and then there’ll be lots of different things for people to come across and experience.”
New experiences are coming thick and fast for both Operahouse and their legion of fans who are yet to see them play live. In February they make their US debut, playing shows in New York and Boston, then it’s SXSW in March, followed in April by the place Operahouse seem most excited about – a place that will suit their ridiculous aspirations well – Los Angeles.
And so, even in these grim times when every band and their dog are singing about deserted and violent British high streets or economic ruin Operahouse are heading in just one direction – upwards. They promise, says Johnny, to offer a diversion from the inescapable this year.
“We want to set ourselves apart from all these bands singing about recession. That’s just so depressing.” Thank goodness for that.
Diane
Operahouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And tied them to the chair again.
Bullying the new girl
Right in front of me
In real-life technicolour.
You pull the pin,
Her hair falls down to her knees.
Living on nothing,
My sugar-free sugarcube.
She took a stand that time.
She took a stand like little Miss Piggy.
She stood her ground that time.
She took a swing at little Miss Piggy.
And then she found her arms again.
What are you so scared of?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
What are you so scared of?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
She slips the queue
And, keeping her head down, gets away,
Hiding in the cinema aisles on her own
With legs like matchsticks.
She lifts her shirt and,
Bending over backwards,
Takes her time fixing her blue eyes for another day
Of stretched in elastic.
She took a stand that time.
She took a stand like little Miss Piggy.
She stood her ground that time.
She took a swing at little Miss Piggy.
And then she found her arms again.
What are you so scared of?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
What are you so scared of?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
Pull your face out the mirror.
Pull up those tights with those hands.
The pain in your liver,
The cuts on your knees you can't stand.
What are you so scared of?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
What are you so scared of?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
The lyrics of "Diane" by Operahouse are vivid, yet complex, describing the story of bullying and the consequent reactions of the singer, Diane. The first verse paints a violent and reckless portrait of the bully, tying her victim to a chair, while the singer helplessly watches. It is as if Diane is the only one who is sensitive to the situation, observing the scene in a "real-life technicolour". The words "pull the pin" create a vivid image of the aggressor abruptly tearing the hair of the victim, and this seemingly insignificant act is of great significance as it emphasizes the power dynamics of the situation.
In the following verses, we see a transformation in Diane's character. She is no longer a passive observer but an active agent, resisting the oppression of the bully, and reclaiming her agency. The lines, "She took a stand that time / She took a swing at little Miss Piggy" demonstrate this transformation very explicitly. The mention of the cinema aisle, the singer hiding and fixing her eyes in front of the mirror, and the pain in her liver, all evoke a sense of isolation, anxiety, and insecurity. The question, "What are you so scared of?" is repeated throughout the song, as if to encourage the singer to confront her fears and anxieties and take a stand.
Line by Line Meaning
She took her hands
She restrained herself and let others take control of the situation
And tied them to the chair again.
She felt powerless and was subjected to abuse once more
Bullying the new girl
She joined in with the bullying of a recent arrival
Right in front of me
She witnessed the bullying happen and did nothing to stop it
In real-life technicolour.
The scene appeared vivid and glaringly clear, making it hard to ignore
You pull the pin,
You ignite her anger and frustration
Her hair falls down to her knees.
She lets down her guard and shows her vulnerability
Living on nothing,
She is surviving on very little, both physically and emotionally
Fading away,
She is losing herself and her sense of identity
My sugar-free sugarcube.
She is seen as sweet and innocent, but is being deprived of happiness and fulfillment
She took a stand that time.
She finally stood up for herself and refused to be a victim anymore
She took a stand like little Miss Piggy.
She confronted her oppressor with strength and resilience
She stood her ground that time.
She asserted her rights and refused to be intimidated
She took a swing at little Miss Piggy.
She fought back against her tormentor with determination
And then she found her arms again.
She regained her sense of control over her life
What are you so scared of?
Why are you so afraid to face your problems and take action?
What are you so scared of, Diane?
Why are you so afraid to confront your own fears and insecurities?
She slips the queue
She breaks the rules and takes a shortcut
And, keeping her head down, gets away,
She tries to go unnoticed and escape attention
Hiding in the cinema aisles on her own
She seeks refuge in a dark, secluded space
With legs like matchsticks.
Her legs are thin and fragile, indicating her vulnerability
She lifts her shirt and,
She exposes her body and her innermost feelings
Bending over backwards,
She goes out of her way to make herself vulnerable and exposed
Takes her time fixing her blue eyes for another day
She takes a moment to compose herself and prepare for the future
Of stretched in elastic.
She is stretched thin and is barely holding herself together
Pull your face out the mirror.
Stop obsessing over your appearance and focus on what really matters
Pull up those tights with those hands.
Take control of your own life and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty
The pain in your liver,
The internal damage caused by your unhealthy lifestyle
The cuts on your knees you can't stand.
The physical evidence of your suffering that you can no longer ignore
Contributed by Lincoln D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@1991Boondox
The vengeance of Hell boils in my heart,
Death and despair flame about me!
If Sarastro does not through you feel
The pain of death,
Then you will be my daughter nevermore.
Disowned may you be forever,
Abandoned may you be forever,
Destroyed be forever
All the bonds of nature,
If not through you
Sarastro becomes pale!
Hear, Gods of Revenge,
Hear a mother's oath!
@DaviSilva-oc7iv
"Mom, don't be dramatic"
Mom:
@endaslife7996
Omg😅
@kasya5830
Oh, yes...)
@phillipwilson8973
Bruh ☠️☠️ 🤣🤣🤣
@missmeshapstarrynight6960
I died 😂
@adrianr.9167
Fax lmaoo
@mrrandom1265
Mozart: I've got a gig for ya.
Singer: I hope it's not too difficult.
Mozart:
@Lentedd
Actually he made it according to his sister in law' vocal register
@angelopueyygarcia43
Edd Ordoñez and it was known that he absolutely hated his sister in law. He specifically made this piece impossible for her to do and it was. She did this piece and she wasn’t able to do it.
@sofianatali85
Mozart: “hold my wig”