chris cunningham: guitar, piano, bass, violin, mandolin, x… Read Full Bio ↴Band Members:
chris cunningham: guitar, piano, bass, violin, mandolin, xylophone, paranoid words, intrusive gestures.
brantley duke: singing, xylophone, percussion, looking good
matt badger: Lt. Commander of percussion
Bio:
After teaching overseas in the Marshall Islands, Chris Cunningham returned to Seattle in 2008 and met Brantley Duke, a local record engineer and musician. Within two months of their introduction, the pair began writing and playing music together. They shared a common interest in darker sounding melodies combined with intricate vocal harmonies.
In the spring of 2009, a talented Seattle drummer by the name of Matt Badger was introduced to Chris at a show. After a 5 minute conversation, Matt was invited to join the project.
The trio spent the summer of β09 practicing and writing together, then began recording what would become their first full-length, a 14 track album titled βDemons and Lakes.β
Since the albumβs release in January 2010, Ravenna Woods has been enjoying a large amount of local support, consistent airplay on Seattleβs KEXP 90.3, and very favorable press (local and international).
Ravenna Woods was awarded the title of βBest Acoustic Indie Band of 2010β by Seattle Magazine, and got voted into KEXPs top 90 albums of 2010.
Ravenna is currently wrapping up their upcoming effort β βValley of the Headless Men.β
The sound can best be described as innovative acoustic indie music that weaves together haunting vocal harmonies, complex finger picking, and unconventional percussion into complex song structures.
West
Ravenna Woods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While you sleep and dream of all the things that you will lose... Every waking day...
Flames ignite - turn your house into a funeral pyre.
You awake - try to scream but choke until you're blue.
So you run... oh you run...
Because every waking day you will rise
And every waking day you will fight.
Now they're gone, with the break of dawn they left wakes of ash.
Every waking day you will rise
And every waking day you will fight.
The lyrics of Ravenna Woodsβs song West seem to be about the devastation and loss caused by a fire that destroyed the singerβs home. The first lines describe someone pouring gasoline into the holes shot in their room while they are sleeping, without their knowledge. As they dream of everything that they might lose, their house is set on fire, turning it into a funeral pyre. The singer suddenly wakes up and tries to scream, but is choking on the smoke, causing them to turn blue. They then run away.
The chorus β βEvery waking day you will rise / And every waking day you will fightβ β suggests that the person has been able to survive this traumatic event and is determined to keep moving forward. They are using the fire as an impetus to become stronger and fight against whatever other obstacles they may face in life. The lines βNow they're gone, with the break of dawn they left wakes of ash / You will track all of their footsteps headed westβ further emphasize this idea of rising and fighting. The singer is following the footsteps of those who caused the fire and heading west, towards the unknown.
Overall, the lyrics of West seem to suggest that even when faced with devastating loss and trauma, there is always a way to keep moving forward and becoming stronger.
Line by Line Meaning
Gasoline - poured through the holes shot in your room
Someone has maliciously poured gasoline into the room by shooting holes in the walls.
While you sleep and dream of all the things that you will lose... Every waking day...
The person who sleeps in this room is haunted by the thought of losing things every day and even dreams about it.
Flames ignite - turn your house into a funeral pyre.
The gasoline has ignited, and the entire house is now engulfed in flames.
You awake - try to scream but choke until you're blue.
The person is struggling to breathe due to the smoke and gases from the burning house, causing them to choke.
So you run... oh you run...
The person realizes that they have to escape from the burning house and starts running away.
Because every waking day you will rise
The person has a fighting spirit and will never give up, no matter what challenges they face.
And every waking day you will fight.
The person is determined to keep fighting to overcome any obstacles in their way.
Now they're gone, with the break of dawn they left wakes of ash.
The people who did this have disappeared, and in their wake, there are only ashes left behind.
You will track all of their footsteps headed west.
The person is determined to track down those who caused this and is willing to go as far as the west to find them.
Every waking day you will rise
The person is reminding themselves that they will always rise every day, no matter what.
And every waking day you will fight.
The person is determined to keep fighting and never give up until they find those responsible.
Contributed by Chloe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
patrickd cunningham
this doesn't work. NOW i had to watch out of sequence. THANKS(caps imply sarcasm) that song at the end was beautiful.