The band played a series of gigs at Manchester's In The City festival. James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch the Stone Roses play at Spike Island. Matthews watched the Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield play bass and Matthews bought himself a bass guitar.[citation needed] The rest of the members followed suit and bought the necessary equipment to complete a band, although they had little to no musical experience or training.
Through much practice their music developed and they decided on the name Puressence, a name instantly identified by most Mancunians for the paper letters 'P'-'U'-'R'-'E'-'S'-'S'-'E'-'N'-'C'-'E', which were plastered around Manchester city centre, on derelict buildings, and on bridges (the most notable being the railway bridge opposite the Haçienda).Manchester independent record label 2 Damn Loud released two singles and there was a further single with Rough Trade Singles Club.
The big breakthrough came a couple of years later, when the band signed to Island Records.
In August 2003, after more than ten years with Puressence, guitarist and founder member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen, who is originally from the Isle of Man. He has played in other bands and left Manchester band Dry Riser to join Puressence.
In 2004, the band played at The Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne.
In 2006, the band released a single titled "Palisades" on new Manchester label Reaction, followed by an album, Don't Forget To Remember, in September 2007.
On 10 and 11 September 2008 Puressence played their first shows in the US. The first was at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. The next night they played the Apple Store in SoHo. The opening song at the Mercury Lounge was "I Suppose". They passed out free CD singles of "Don't Know Any Better" to many fans around the United States.
The band split in late 2013.
The band currently consisted of:
James Mudriczki: Vocals
Lowell Killen: Guitar
Kevin Matthews: Bass guitar
Tony Szuminski: Drums / percussion
Bitter Pill
Puressence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyday they make me swallow it down
And it's against my will
Well, I spend a lot of time
Just hanging round, waiting
In the broken down places
That you really wouldn't want to see
Just hanging round, hanging
On the broken down people
That you really wouldn't want to be
I need something to believe in
Someone to come in and feel it
All education's gone
Everyday I start off in the right
And drift into the wrong
Well, I spend a lot of time
Just hanging round, waiting
In the broken down places
That you really wouldn't want to see
Well, I spend a lot of time
Just hanging round, hanging
On the broken down people
That I really never want to be
I need something to believe in
Someone to come in and feel it
And I realize you .... ?
And the reason why's
The love that never showed up
I need something to believe in
Someone to come in and feel it
Tell me something I didn't know...
There must be some hidden feeling
Someone to help me to feel it
Tell me something I didn't know...
In Puressence's song "Bitter Pill," the singer is struggling with the reality of his life. He feels like he is forced to swallow a bitter pill every day, and it is against his will. He spends a lot of time just hanging around in broken down places and with broken down people, feeling lost and hopeless. He longs for something to believe in, someone to come in and make him feel alive again.
The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is disillusioned with life, who has lost his faith and hopes for a better future. He feels trapped and bogged down by the daily grind, with no end in sight. However, the chorus provides a glimmer of hope - someone to believe in, someone to help him feel alive again. The song ends on a note of uncertainty, with the singer asking for something he didn't know, something to lift him out of his current situation.
Overall, "Bitter Pill" is a powerful expression of the struggles that many people face in their daily lives. It speaks to the frustration and despair that can come from feeling trapped and helpless, but also to the need for hope and belief in something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a bitter pill
Having to deal with a difficult situation or experience that is unpleasant.
Everyday they make me swallow it down
Being forced to accept and deal with the unpleasant reality on a daily basis.
And it's against my will
Not wanting or choosing to deal with the unpleasant situation, but forced to do so anyway.
Well, I spend a lot of time
Just hanging round, waiting
In the broken down places
That you really wouldn't want to see
Well, I spend a lot of time
Just hanging round, hanging
On the broken down people
That you really wouldn't want to be
Frequenting places and being surrounded by people that are unpleasant and undesirable, which emphasizes the unwanted situation the person is in and how they have no choice but to deal with it.
All education's gone
Everyday I start off in the right
And drift into the wrong
Losing a sense of purpose and direction in life, as every day starts off with good intentions, but the reality of the situation takes over and leads to negative outcomes.
I need something to believe in
Someone to come in and feel it
Looking for hope or inspiration from an external source to help deal with the difficult situation and make it more bearable.
And I realize you .... ?
And the reason why's
The love that never showed up
Realizing that something important is missing in life that could have made the situation more tolerable, which is possibly the absence of love or support from significant others.
Tell me something I didn't know...
Looking for new insights or solutions to the difficult problem, as the current means of dealing with it are no longer effective.
There must be some hidden feeling
Someone to help me to feel it
Tell me something I didn't know...
Believing that there is a deeper emotional issue that needs to be addressed, and that finding someone who can help identify and resolve it would be beneficial.
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.