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
Casting Lazy Shadows
Puressence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see a thin glow,
I don't get depressed though,
I'm casting lazy shadows,
It's all I need to stop me thinking,
Every single day though,
I throw myself away though,
Get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get it straight,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
You take it all back, take it back, take your money back,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
All I need's to stop me thinking,
Looking through this window,
I need a change of view though,
Looking through last year though,
But all I saw was you, though,
You're all I need to stop me thinking,
Get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get it straight,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
You take it all back, take it back, take your money back,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
All I wanted was to chicken out,
And simmer down,
You've got your head gear on again,
And you feel like you've been left out,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't you ever, don't you,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't you ever, don't you,
I've gotta get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get it straight,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't you never, don't, let go,
And that is all right,
Get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get my head,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
And that is all right,
Get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get my head,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
And that is all right,
You take it all back, take it back, take your money back,
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
All it need's to stop me thinking.
The lyrics of Puressence's song "Casting Lazy Shadows" address the desire to escape from the pressures of the world and the mind. The singer mentions looking through a window and seeing a thin glow, which could represent a small glimmer of hope or inspiration. However, instead of becoming despondent or overwhelmed, the singer decides to cast "lazy shadows" in order to stop themselves from overthinking. They mention throwing themselves away every day and needing someone (likely a romantic interest) to distract them from their own thoughts.
Throughout the song, the singer urges themselves to "get [their] head-straight" and not let go of what they desire or need, whether it be love, money, or simply peace of mind. They acknowledge that sometimes they want to "chicken out" and avoid facing realities, but ultimately decide to stay strong and persevere. The repetition of phrases like "don't you ever let go" and "all I need's to stop me thinking" emphasize the importance of finding ways to cope and keep moving forward, even when it feels like everything is falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking through my window,
Observing my surroundings from my window
I can see a thin glow,
There is a faint light visible from my window
I don't get depressed though,
I am not feeling sad despite my current situation
I'm casting lazy shadows,
I am being inactive and unproductive
It's all I need to stop me thinking,
Being inactive is helping me to avoid overthinking
Every single day though,
On a daily basis
I throw myself away though,
I waste my time or effort
Get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get it straight,
I need to clear my thoughts and focus
Don't you ever, don't you, don't, don't you ever let go,
Don't lose control or give up
You take it all back, take it back, take your money back,
Recover what was lost
Looking through this window,
Observing again from my window
I need a change of view though,
I require a different perspective
Looking through last year though,
Reflecting on the past
But all I saw was you, though,
You were the only thing I noticed
All I wanted was to chicken out,
I just wanted to avoid facing my problems
And simmer down,
And relax
You've got your head gear on again,
You are focusing intently on something
And you feel like you've been left out,
And you sense exclusion or neglect
I've gotta get my head-straight, get my head-straight, get it straight,
I need to refocus my thoughts and clear my mind
Don't you ever, don't you, don't you never, don't, let go,
Don't ever give up control or lose sight of your goals
All it need's to stop me thinking.
Being inactive is enough to stop me from overthinking
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Anthony Szuminski, James Mudriczki, Kevin Matthews, Neil Mcdonald
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Vagel714
One of the best voices, one of their most melodic songs.Greece loves you..Keep it going ..
@MrVassilis74
Αγαπημένο μου κομμάτι , μου θυμίζει τα χρόνια που σπούδαζα και νοσταλγω την εποχή εκείνη ...... ήμουν 22 χρονών. Να ειναι καλά ο φίλος μου ο Λεωνίδας που μου τους έμαθε τότε. Θυμαμαι που τους ειδα και στο πρώτο rockwave που είχε γίνει στην Φρυάτιδα στο μικρολίμανο το 1997. Κορυφαίοι!!!!
@SimonB198207
id forgotten what this sounded like - it's sublime... chuffin' marvellous
@alouritos
favorite song!!!great band!!!!
@dunkindoughnuts1
I totally agree with you, seen 'em few times, kick ass live. ^_^
@theladyamouthia
One of my favourites, if not my favourite songs ever...but i say that about most of theirs 😂❤
@SimonB198207
it's music like this that makes me miss the 90s...
@Eirene30
Πρώτη φορά τους είδα support σε συναυλία των Depeche Mode…Τι εποχές ρε παιδιά…😳
@julzh303
so glad i found these tracks, wz given a tape of them by an ex and played it to death, now i can listen forever, thanx darxx
@CHRISDALDON
το καλυτερο κ με διαφορα .ΤΕΛΟΣ!!