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
Don't Know Any Better
Puressence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a future missing plane
And there's water on the window
A message in the rain
Just when I thought all was lost
Nothing could describe it
If you' re fighting for a cause
Here's my excuse, here's my excuse
And I don't know any better
Who do you lose, who do you lose
When you don't know any better
Well I'm driving home again
Try to lose the pain she gain
And the radio explains
Someone else just took my place
Here's my excuse, here's my excuse
And I don't know any better
Falling for you, falling for you
Cause I don't know any better
You think we are all the same..
You think I'll never change..
The opening verse of Puressence's Don't Know Any Better describes the singer's return home, on a plane that seems to be missing a passenger from the future. As he looks out the window, he sees raindrops leaving messages, or maybe the water on the window is a metaphor for the tears he has shed during his time away from home. He reflects on how lost he felt, believing that nothing could describe the way he felt about his situation. However, he believes that if someone is fighting for a cause, they should not hide it. Whether this is a political or personal cause, it's not clear - but it's likely that the singer feels this way because he himself has been hiding something.
In the second verse, the singer is driving home, trying to soothe the pain that he gained away from home. The radio announces that someone else has taken his place, maybe in his relationship, job, or social circle. He realizes that he doesn't have a good reason for his absence, and the only excuse he has is that he doesn't know any better. He is falling for someone, maybe the person he left behind, and he doesn't know whether it's right or wrong. He feels like he's not in control of his emotions, or maybe he's not ready to take responsibility for them. The last lines of the song suggest that the singer is aware that others see him as unchanging or predictable, but he hopes that he can prove them wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm coming home again
I am returning home
On a future missing plane
On a plane that has lost its way in the future
And there's water on the window
The window has water on it
A message in the rain
There is a message being conveyed through the rain
Just when I thought all was lost
When I thought everything was hopeless
Nothing could describe it
It was indescribable
If you' re fighting for a cause
If you are fighting for a purpose
Nobody should hide it
No one should conceal it
Here's my excuse, here's my excuse
I am giving my reason, my reason
And I don't know any better
I am not aware of any better option
Who do you lose, who do you lose
Who do you forfeit, who do you forfeit
When you don't know any better
When you do not have enough knowledge
Well I'm driving home again
I am returning home by car
Try to lose the pain she gain
I am trying to forget the pain she caused me
And the radio explains
The radio is providing an explanation
Someone else just took my place
Someone has replaced me
Falling for you, falling for you
I am falling in love with you, falling in love with you
Cause I don't know any better
Because I am ignorant of any better course of action
You think we are all the same..
You believe we are identical..
You think I'll never change..
You believe I will never transform..
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JOAQUIM OLIVA I SALA
2008 : “ Estic tornant a casa un altre cop
En un avió desaparegut en el futur
No hi ha aigua a la finestra
Un missatge a la pluja
Just quan pensava que tot estava perdut
Res ho està
Quan lluites per una causa
Ningú ho podrà amagar
Aquesta és la meva excusa, la meva excusa
I no se m’acut res millor
I caic per tu, caic per tu
Perquè no se m’acut res millor
Estic conduint cap a casa una altra vegada
Intento apaivagar el dolor que ella em causà
I la radio diu
Que algú ha pres el meu lloc
Aquesta és la meva excusa, la meva excusa
I no se m’acut res millor
I caic per tu, caic per tu
Perquè no se m’acut res millor
Tu penses que tots som igual
I que jo no canviaré mai “
Andreas Ferentinos
Will always be my fav alternative rock band . Much love from Greece guys !
Μαρία Χατζησάββα
το αγαπημένο μου τραγούδι
Magda Dalla
Το αγαπημένο μου τραγούδι!!!😍
Jason Roswell
We all know Puressence are the best band to come out of England for the last 30 years. Is spiritual music. Island records signed Bob Marley and U2, both of whom make spiritual music also. Was not Puressence who failed to deliver but Island Records.
Steve Reid
I'm actually playing this song now !!
JOAQUIM OLIVA I SALA
2008 : “ Estic tornant a casa un altre cop
En un avió desaparegut en el futur
No hi ha aigua a la finestra
Un missatge a la pluja
Just quan pensava que tot estava perdut
Res ho està
Quan lluites per una causa
Ningú ho podrà amagar
Aquesta és la meva excusa, la meva excusa
I no se m’acut res millor
I caic per tu, caic per tu
Perquè no se m’acut res millor
Estic conduint cap a casa una altra vegada
Intento apaivagar el dolor que ella em causà
I la radio diu
Que algú ha pres el meu lloc
Aquesta és la meva excusa, la meva excusa
I no se m’acut res millor
I caic per tu, caic per tu
Perquè no se m’acut res millor
Tu penses que tots som igual
I que jo no canviaré mai “
hawkwind77
Great band should of been a massive band
hupdovody
❤ miluji
Michael Gilmour
Would be gd to see them agen
Ιωάννης Ελ
Reminds me August 2011 in Ios, Greece.....