Galia Durant’s story began in a household running amok with records, art and books. Galia’s mum collected protest songs while her dad is a professorial art historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian classical music. Galia “loved it all,” finding no real distinction between Woody Guthrie peacenik anthems, Sarangi etudes and her elder brother’s acid jazz albums. After struggling to learn violin and piano (she preferred her 1988 vintage Casio SK-8 sampling keyboard, which the band still use), at 8, Galia graduated from a more-ideas-than-action ‘band’, “GO”, formed with her brother.
Carim Clasmann’s musical youth was spent in German recording studios learning the alchemical business of faders, compressors and microphones. A self-professed failure at the school recorder and a frustrated guitarist, he dabbled in music-making while cutting demos for other people. Quickly rising through the Cologne studio ranks, Carim learned his chops recording bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Toten Hosen and even worked at Can’s famous Inner Space studio, always dallying with music of his own on the side. He moved to London at the close of the ‘90s, working and then taking up residence at the King’s Cross studio/house he and Psapp currently call home.
Carim met Galia through mutual, musically-inclined friends who would often gather at the studio. For a year or so the duo experimented, united by an eclectic taste for Tom Waits, the Cure, Erik Satie, Duke Ellington and “anything that’s silly and uses stupid noises.” Their own ‘silly noises’ married to Galia’s sultry vocals and perspicacious lyrics produced recordings of shimmering originality and nascent charm - an opinion shared by the handful of labels to which Psapp, as they’d by now christened themselves, sent demos toward the end of 2002. A litany of recordings duly followed. Early 2003’s debut EP for Melodic called, instructively, Do Something Wrong was followed by a single, "Difficult Key", the following Autumn. After seeing a live show by Morr Music electronicists ISAN and befriending the band’s Robin Saville, Psapp’s next recordings would appear on Saville’s own Arable imprint, with Winter ‘04’s Buttons And War EP attracting rave notices.
Around this time several Psapp tracks found their way to US music consultants who were universally wowed by the band’s evocative charms. The duo’s music seemed to chime with the TV zeitgeist and their music started to seep into primetime dramas (not to mention a very high profile Volkswagen advert), culminating in the track Cosy In The Rocket being chosen as the theme music to hit ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which premiered in March 2005. At a stroke, burgeoning inquisitiveness about Psapp turned into an eager US fanbase. Meanwhile, in King’s Cross, dust wasn’t being allowed to settle. A Japanese EP, Northdown appeared in March 2004, swiftly followed by a vinyl-only 4-track nugget, Rear Moth for the discreet Wiaiwya imprint – some tracks from which would appear on the band’s debut album for Arable (also licensed to Leaf for the US and Canada, Third Ear in Japan and Gronland for much of Europe). Released in February 2005, Tiger, My Friend consolidated the burgeoning interest in all things Psapp. MOJO magazine’s four star review – “Arresting, childlike pop confections… effortlessly carved pop sophistication…” was typically hyperbolic. With Psapp duly rising, the major labels soon came a-courting but by autumn 2005 Psapp had spurned their fevered advances, preferring to ink a deal with Domino.
Toward the close of ’05 Psapp embarked on their first live ventures. Translating their records’ layered complexity to the stage was never going to be easy, but with the multi-instrumental Galia and Carim joined by Gwen Cheeseman (violin, floatation toys), Eshan Khadaroo (drums, lumps of wood), and Jim Whelan (bass, keyboards, ashtrays etc), (joined in 2008 by Matt Jones (keyboardist, Ultrasound, Minuteman)), Psapp took to the road around the UK and Europe, eventually honing an exhilarating, ‘in the flesh’ version of their incomparable recorded sound. Initial touring forays successfully completed, Psapp set about buffing their second album to lustrous perfection, pausing only to head down to the Dorchester Hotel to pick up the BMI Award for 2005’s Best TV Theme Tune for ‘Cosy In The Rocket’.
Psapp are known for their humour on stage, throwing cats (hand-made by the band) into the audience and their highly eclectic music videos.
In my head
Psapp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One stretch is out of hand
Some walk just beside me
Some already dead
I fumble in time
Keep walking just beside me
I want to watch the tread
Always in my head
Always in my head
Pace quickens now to breaking point
I sprint to cross and - hear me out
I'm running up and still I tip over
Watch our fortune cross
You're always in my head
Always in my head
Always in my head
So step just behind me
You're stretching out of hand
We walked just beside and
We're already dead
I'm dancing in the limelight and still I tip over
Watch our fortune roll
Youre always in my head
Always in my head
Always in my head
The lyrics to Psapp's song "Always in My Head" seems to be about the idea of companionship and the power of memories. The singer speaks about the people in their life who have been alongside them, whether in a literal or metaphorical sense. They mention those who have already passed away, those who are still with them and those who they are still trying to catch up to. The singer even admits to struggling to keep up with time itself. Despite this, the one thing they hold onto is the power of memories. The person they're referring to is always in their head, a constant presence in their thoughts that helps them cling onto their shared past experiences. The song talks about the journey through life, how it can be hard and challenging, but with the right people by your side, it can also be filled with joy and hope.
Beyond the lyrics, "Always in My Head" is arranged with layered synths that blend perfectly with the electro-pop melody. Its simplicity is memorable, and the lyrics are catchy, managing to bring the feelings of nostalgia, comfort and hope. The song's climax is when the pace of the rhythm quickens, giving energy to the words spoken.
Line by Line Meaning
One step just behind me
Someone or something is following the singer closely.
One stretch is out of hand
There is a problem or issue that is difficult to control.
Some walk just beside me
There are people walking alongside the singer.
Some already dead
Some of the people around the artist have died.
I fumble in time
The artist is struggling to keep pace with events happening around them.
Keep walking just beside me
The singer wants others to continue walking with them.
I want to watch the tread
The singer wants to observe the footsteps of those walking with them.
You're always in my head
The artist is thinking constantly about a specific person.
Pace quickens now to breaking point
Things are speeding up and becoming more intense.
I sprint to cross and - hear me out
The artist is rushing to get across something and wants others to listen to what they have to say.
I'm running up and still I tip over
The singer is pushing themselves too hard and stumbling as a result.
Watch our fortune cross
The artist is anticipating something important happening soon.
So step just behind me
The singer is inviting someone to follow them closely.
You're stretching out of hand
Something is becoming difficult to control or reach for.
We walked just beside and
The singer and others were walking together.
We're already dead
The artist and some of the people they were walking with have died.
I'm dancing in the limelight and still I tip over
The artist is enjoying a moment of success, but it is short-lived and they stumble.
Watch our fortune roll
The singer is waiting to see what will happen next in their life.
You're always in my head
The same person is still constantly on the singer's mind.
Contributed by Kaylee E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.