Puressence were a British rock band from Failsworth, Greater Manchester, En… Read Full Bio ↴Puressence were a British rock band from Failsworth, Greater Manchester, England, formed in May 1992 and disbanded in 2013.

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

Palisades
Puressence Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I just got back from Palisades.
Tried so hard to stop these shakes.
Felt so out of sight, out of my mind.

We all go smacked thru a ferret hole.
And when I start to lose control
Lazy shiver sparkle intertwined.

Worlds collide I'm walking thru palisade
Really feels like a dream
As she's towering over me.

We all set sail on a ship of fools.
New York fire, Liverpool.
Meant said so computer so divine

We can gun hop with a heavy soul
But don't stop now on a roll
(something)…. Beseachmed to recline
I don't know what it is
Too many frequencies.

Worlds collide I'm walking thru palisade
Really feels like a dream
As she's towering over me.

Over me. Over me. Over me.
You'll be alright. You're walking thru palisade.

Really feels like a dream
Really feels like a dream
Really feels like a dream
Really feels like a dream
Really feels like a dream

Really feels like a dream
Really feels like a dream

Overall Meaning

The song "Palisades" by Puressence is a psychedelic and dream-like melody that evokes a sense of disorientation and confusion. The lyrics describe the aftermath of a wild party or a drug-induced trip, where the singer returns from Palisades, a place that is not explicitly mentioned, but seems to be a metaphor for a state of mind. The singer struggles to control their "shakes" and is "out of sight, out of mind", indicating a disconnect from reality. The use of surreal and abstract imagery serves to further emphasize this feeling of disorientation.

The phrase "Worlds collide" is repeated throughout the song, which can be interpreted in different ways. One is that the singer feels like they are simultaneously existing in different dimensions, with Palisades being the intersection between them. Another is that different parts or aspects of the singer's personality are coming together, causing a sense of internal turmoil. The repeated line at the end, "You'll be alright. You're walking through palisade," can be seen as a reassuring message, with the singer telling themselves that they will be okay and that their disorienting experience is just a temporary part of their journey.

Line by Line Meaning

I just got back from Palisades.
The singer has just returned from Palisades.

Tried so hard to stop these shakes.
The singer was trying to stop feeling nervous or anxious.

Felt so out of sight, out of my mind.
The singer felt like they were losing touch with reality.

We all go smacked thru a ferret hole.
The artist and their group experienced something unexpected.

And when I start to lose control Lazy shiver sparkle intertwined.
The artist becomes nervous or anxious and their thoughts become jumbled.

Worlds collide I'm walking thru palisade
The experience feels surreal and dreamlike to the singer.

Really feels like a dream As she's towering over me.
The singer is overwhelmed by a powerful presence.

We all set sail on a ship of fools.
The artist and their group embarked on a journey that was foolish or ill-advised.

New York fire, Liverpool.
The artist visited both New York and Liverpool.

Meant said so computer so divine
This line is difficult to understand and may be intentionally vague.

We can gun hop with a heavy soul But don't stop now on a roll (something)…. Beseachmed to recline
The singer can keep moving forward even when they feel weighed down, but they should not stop now that they have momentum. The last part of this line is also unclear.

I don't know what it is Too many frequencies.
The artist is overwhelmed by too many different things happening at once.

Over me. Over me. Over me.
This line repeats the idea of feeling overwhelmed.

You'll be alright. You're walking thru palisade.
Someone is reassuring the singer that they will be okay as they navigate through this difficult experience.

Really feels like a dream Really feels like a dream Really feels like a dream Really feels like a dream Really feels like a dream Really feels like a dream Really feels like a dream
This line repeats the idea that the experience feels surreal and dreamlike to the singer.

Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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