The band is described, along with Low and American Music Club, as one of the linchpins of the slowcore movement, a subgenre of Indie Rock characterized by downbeat melodies, slow tempos, and often minimalist arrangements. The genre was shaped by musical influences like Folk Rock, Contemporary Folk, and later on, Indie Folk, creating a subdued atmosphere that clashed against most of the comparatively brash Alternative Rock that was popular at the time. Kozelek used this group primarily as a vehicle for his very personal and emotional songs of despair, pain and suffering.
While in Atlanta, Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, adding guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel to complete the line-up for Red House Painters. After forming, the group played the San Francisco scene extensively, and recorded demos from 1989 to 1992, building up an impressive amount of material. Once they were signed to 4AD Records in 1992, they put out five-and-a-half LPs worth of material in two-and-a-half years--between September 1992 and March 1995, they released three LPs, one double LP, and one EP on 4AD.
Their first 4AD release was an album made up of select demos titled Down Colorful Hill. It was a compilation of haunting melodies complemented by Kozelek's eerie yet rich and emotional vocals. In 1993, the group came out with two self-titled records (now commonly referred to as "Red House Painters I" or "Rollercoaster" and "Red House Painters II" or "Bridge" (based on their cover artwork), solidifying Kozelek's reputation as a talented songwriter with their harrowing autobiographical tales of his troubled life and errant living with no punches being pulled. The music, which ran the gamut from beautiful acoustic folk-rock to intense, dissonant, lengthy soundscapes, effectively conveyed the sadness of the lyrics.
In 1994, they released an EP entitled Shock Me and in 1995, the introspective Ocean Beach, which saw Kozelek's songs becoming more acoustic-based and folk influenced, and featured far less of the lengthy, dreamlike epics of the group's first two albums. His lyrics also showed a considerable shift in tone, as he increasingly began to write about the power of memory and the significance of geography, a subject that would become an obsession in his subsequent recordings.
While Kozelek was beginning work on a solo project, he parted ways with 4AD Records after a somewhat tumultuous relationship. Entitled Songs for a Blue Guitar, which was released on Island Records subsidiary Supreme Recordings in 1996. It was more of a guitar-driven rock album that they released under the Red House Painters name to give the album more publicity. A year later, they came up with Old Ramon, arguably their most accessible, optimistic recording to date. However, major label mergers during the late 90's would leave them without a record label, and it wasn't until 2001 that they were able to release the album on Sub Pop.
Prior to the release of Old Ramon, Kozelek released a solo six-song EP entitled Rock 'n' Roll Singer in 2000. The record was comprised of three original acoustic compositions with minor full-band arrangements and three covers: two AC/DC covers from the Bon Scott era and one John Denver cover. Following the release of the first solo EP, Kozelek released his first solo album six months later. The record, entitled What's Next to the Moon, was released in January of 2001, but would greatly surprise fans. What's Next to the Moon was comprised entirely of shimmering, melancholy acoustic AC/DC covers from the Bon Scott era. The record was also greatly uncharacteristic of Kozelek (though he was prone to enjoy covering songs by his favorite artists) in that it is the shortest full length to date clocking in at just over thirty minutes. Even the first Red House Painters album with only six tracks was more than 45 minutes in length. Both solo albums were released by Badman Records.
4AD would release the best-of package, "Retrospective", on a double-disc in 1999. Kozelek subsequently organized and appeared on a John Denver tribute album, played a part in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous and also appeared as a rock musician in the Steve Martin vehicle Shopgirl. He contributed to both a benefit album for AIDS and an album of classic rock covers.
In 2003 Kozelek and Koutsos, along with Geoff Stanfield and Tim Mooney, reformed as Sun Kil Moon, releasing the acclaimed album Ghosts of the Great Highway on Jetset Records. In a 2005 interview with The Onion's AV Club, Kozelek confirmed that he considers Sun Kil Moon essentially the Red House Painters, but that he changed the band name to grab the interest of critics who had gotten bored with, or stopped paying attention to, the Painters. The move was successful, as Ghosts of the Great Highway would be his best-selling album yet, while garnering extremely positive reviews.
Grace Cathedral Park
Red House Painters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There with you I fear the time, when air gets dark
You know I don't spend days like this
Caught up in lost times of youth that I miss
Can almost hear roller coasters, see sailboats in the sea
Hear noise and screaming
Weaving in and out of happy music box sounds
Time turned older now
We walked down the hill, I feel the coming on of the fading sun
And I know for sure that you'll never be the one
It's the forbidden moment that we live that fires our sad escape
And holds passion more than words can say
Tell me why are you like this? Are you the same with anyone?
Save me from my sickness and tell me why do you treat me like this?
Tell me why are you like this? Are you the same with anyone?
Save me from my sickness and tell me why are you like this?
Why are you like this?
The lyrics to Red House Painters' song "Grace Cathedral Park" can be interpreted as a reflection on nostalgia and lost time. The first verse sets the scene of a sunny day in the park, with the singer expressing a fear of the darkness that will inevitably come. The second verse describes the sounds and sensations of the park, with the singer acknowledging the impossibility of recapturing the joyful memories of youth. The third verse takes a darker turn, with the singer questioning the behavior of a particular person and seeking answers to their own inner turmoil.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of longing for something that cannot be regained, whether it be the innocence of youth or a lost love. The park serves as a symbol of this longing, with its roller coasters and sailboats representing the carefree days of the past. However, the reality of the present is much harsher, with the singer feeling isolated and disconnected from the happiness around them.
In the final lines, the singer pleads for understanding and salvation from their emotional pain. The repeated question "why are you like this?" suggests a frustration with the inaccessibility of true love and a desire for the other person to open up and provide answers. Ultimately, the song captures the bittersweet nature of memory and the inevitability of change.
Line by Line Meaning
A rare and blistering sun shines down on Grace Cathedral Park
The intensity of the sunlight illuminates Grace Cathedral Park in a way that is uncommon but also painful for the singer.
There with you I fear the time, when air gets dark
Being with the other person, the singer worries about the darkness that sets in one's mind when things don't go as planned.
You know I don't spend days like this
The singer doesn't enjoy spending time feeling emotionally lost and uncertain.
Caught up in lost times of youth that I miss
The artist is nostalgic for the past and longs for the simplicity and happiness of childhood days.
Can almost hear roller coasters, see sailboats in the sea
The sounds and sights of amusement parks and seashores almost seem real to the artist, as if they're transported to those places.
Hear noise and screaming
The sounds of people enjoying themselves, screaming atop coasters, can be heard by the singer.
Weaving in and out of happy music box sounds
The singer is transported to childhood days where there were sounds of music boxes that made people happy.
But here on the ground we're so far away from that
Despite the feelings the artist experiences, they understand that the present reality is far different from their desires.
Time turned older now
The artist realizes that time has moved forward which has changed their nostalgia and desires.
We walked down the hill, I feel the coming on of the fading sun
The artist and their partner begin to descend a hill as the sun sets.
And I know for sure that you'll never be the one
The singer comes to terms with the fact that their partner is not their soulmate and never will be.
It's the forbidden moment that we live that fires our sad escape
The guilty and forbidden nature of their relationship is what fuels the sadness that pushes them to escape.
And holds passion more than words can say
Despite the sadness and guilt, the passion between the two transcends words.
Tell me why are you like this? Are you the same with anyone?
The singer questions why their partner is treating them in a particular way and wonders if they act similarly with others.
Save me from my sickness and tell me why do you treat me like this?
The singer feels that they are sick in their heart and need help, asking their partner to tell them why they're behaving a certain way towards them.
Why are you like this?
The artist repeats their question, still looking for answers to why their partner carries themselves in a particular way.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mark Edward Kozelek
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind