The band operates independently and initiated their musical journey with the self-release of their debut 7" single "Renee/Tonka Time" on December 1, 2013, via Bandcamp. Following this, their debut EP emerged in September 2014, with their inaugural album following suit in April 2016.
The formation of SALES occurred in Orlando, Florida, where long-standing friends Morgan and Shih had been collaboratively recording music over the years. Their present project, SALES, accentuates vocal and instrumental improvisation, as well as the incorporation of sampling.
One of their notable singles, "Chinese New Year," was introduced on January 31, 2014, coinciding with the Chinese New Year. This track garnered favorable attention from music blogs such as CMJ, Stereogum, and Pigeons and Planes. Described by CMJ as a "...sandy, sashaying tune with singer Lauren Morgan's slightly cooing vocals skipping over upbeat guitars and a little synthy buzz. At least the Year of the Horse is sounding pretty good so far."
In July 2014, SALES was identified as "Ones to Watch" for the latter half of 2014 by The Hype Machine, underscoring the band's prolific blog presence.
The release of their debut EP was announced on September 16, 2014, complemented by a remix from fellow Orlando artist XXYYXX. The EP's unveiling, along with the track "Getting It On," occurred on September 22, 2014.
A significant event took place on April 12, 2016, when the band conducted a live Twitch stream and listening session, previewing tracks from their forthcoming eponymous debut. The subsequent album, titled "Sales LP," emerged on April 20, 2016, and received positive feedback. The album was praised for its blend of shyness and directness.
The band expanded in August 2016, welcoming drummer Joy Cyr to their lineup for the 2016 touring season. By April 2017, Malcolm Martin succeeded Cyr as the touring drummer, a role he continues to occupy.
SALES released the single "Talk a Lot" in September 2017, followed by "Off and On" in February 2018 and "White Jeans" in May 2018. In July 2018, the band unveiled their second album, "Forever & Ever," featuring cover photography by Malcolm Martin.
As of April 26, 2020, SALES boasts 3,647,906 monthly listeners on Spotify. The band embarked on a tour across the southern United States from March 28 to May 5, 2019. In 2020, two of their tracks, "Renee" and "Chinese New Year," achieved virality on TikTok. Additionally, the band's song "Pope Is a Rockstar" became a TikTok sensation in December 2021.
Ivy
SALES Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you're so insecure:
taking back your words.
Oh, lover—
loveless—
take me, take me by my hair;
take me to your lair.
Oh, ivy— sweetheart—
daydream—
speechless ain't your thing;
tell me what you need.
hey-hey ivy— honey—
daydream—
fill me with your needs;
I don't need to breathe.
Oh, I understand, always understand.
What's the problem?
Oh, I understand, always understand.
What's the problem?
Hold-up,
I get it.
I know that you meant it.
The distance between us,
the size of a planet.
It could have been nothing—
slow motion discussion.
I wake up with nothing.
(i wanna)
(i gotta)
(get away).
The song "ivy" by SALES explores the dynamics of a troubled relationship. The lyrics reveal the singer's partner as someone who is deeply insecure and prone to retracting their words. The singer, however, remains understanding and patient, willing to be taken by the hair and led to the partner's lair. The partner is described as someone who daydreams and struggles with articulating their thoughts and feelings. The singer encourages them to speak up and express their needs, offering to fulfill them without the need to breathe. The chorus suggests that the singer is always willing to understand and solve any problems that arise between them. The bridge acknowledges the distance that has grown between them, suggesting that their discussions have become increasingly slow, and the singer feels like they wake up with nothing. The concluding line hints at a desire to escape from the relationship, indicating that even the singer has a breaking point.
Overall, the song "ivy" portrays the complexities of a relationship that's struggling with communication and trust. The singer's patience and understanding come across as genuinely caring, but there's an underlying sense of exhaustion, suggesting that the efforts have started taking a serious toll. The metaphor of "ivy" could be interpreted as a reference to something that's beautiful but also dangerous and can quickly become overgrown and suffocating. The singer seems aware of the potential dangers, yet they still feel drawn to the partner's allure.
Line by Line Meaning
Ivy— baby—sweetheart—
you're so insecure:
taking back your words.
The singer addresses Ivy, his insecure love interest, who frequently takes back her words in conversation.
Oh, lover—
loveless—
take me, take me by my hair;
take me to your lair.
The singer refers to himself as a lover without love and asks Ivy to take him by his hair to her secret place.
Oh, ivy— sweetheart—
daydream—
speechless ain't your thing;
tell me what you need.
The singer calls Ivy his sweetheart and encourages her to share what she desires, despite her shyness.
hey-hey ivy— honey—
daydream—
fill me with your needs;
I don't need to breathe.
The artist refers to Ivy as his honey and offers himself as a vessel for her needs, saying he does not need to breathe.
Oh, I understand, always understand.
What's the problem?
The artist expresses that he always understands Ivy and her problems, and is open to discussing them.
Hold-up,
I get it.
I know that you meant it.
The singer assures Ivy that he understands her intentions and the meaning behind her actions.
The distance between us,
the size of a planet.
It could have been nothing—
slow motion discussion.
I wake up with nothing.
The singer acknowledges the vast distance between himself and Ivy and laments their slow-moving discussions, ultimately feeling unfulfilled in their relationship.
(i wanna)
(i gotta)
(get away).
The artist ends the song with a repeated refrain expressing his desire to get away from his unsatisfying relationship with Ivy.
Contributed by Abigail Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@teddybear4255
Ivy, baby
Sweetheart
You're so insecure
Taking back your words
Oh, lover
Loveless
Take me, take me by my hair
Take me to your lair
Oh, ivy
Sweetheart
Daydream
Speechless ain't your thing
Tell me what you need
Hey, hey Ivy
Honey
Daydream
Fill me with your needs
I don't need to breathe
Oh, I understand, always understand
What's the problem?
Oh, I understand, always understand
What's the problem?
Hold-up
I get it
I know that you meant it
The distance between us
The size of a planet
It could have been nothing
Slow motion discussion
I wake up with nothing
I wanna, I gotta
Get away, get away
@trento12
Ivy— baby—
Sweetheart—
You’re so insecure:
Taking back your words
Oh, lover—
Loveless—
Take me, take me by my hair;
Take me to your lair
Oh, ivy— sweetheart—
Daydream—
Speechless ain’t your thing;
Tell me what you need
Hey-hey ivy— honey—
Daydream—
Fill me with your needs;
I don’t need to breathe
Oh, I understand, always understand
What’s the problem?
Oh, I understand, always understand
What’s the problem?
Hold-up
I get it
I know that you meant it
The distance between us
The size of a planet
It could have been nothing—
Slow motion discussion
I wake up with nothing
(i wanna)
(i gotta)
(get away)
@woof2527
TW: mentions of abuse(emotional) and abusive relationships
I feel like this song is about an emotionally abusive relationship.
Ivy is the “abuser” abusing the person by suffocating them with their emotional problems and not letting them express their own troubles which makes the relationship one-sided and toxic.
(hence why it said “baby, sweetheart, you’re so insecure” meaning they have heavy insecurity issues) along with the lines “fill me with your need; I don’t need to breathe” which is referencing (for me) all the emotionally draining problems Ivy(abuser) throws on to the person and doesn’t let them “breathe”(express how they feel also)
The lines: oh I understand, always understand. What’s the problem? Is them asking what’s wrong with Ivy and Ivy expresses they aren’t there enough emotionally. Which in fact is wrong since it’s an emotionally abusive relationship. So the person cuts the relationship off due to the tension between them and Ivy since Ivy no longer sees them as help to their huge insecure and emotional issues.
But that’s just what I think it’s about, it may be really wrong but that’s how I interpret this song. 💜
@sleepyfleecy9975
If you've gotten into this side of YouTube, you're never leaving and that's ok
@BIGMFMIGI
don't even wanna leave tbh
@heloanebentes1318
I'm fine here <3
@martinusdaniel3531
count me in
@amandine9065
we are officially a family now
@bunnypink7374
I'm happy here tbh
@SomeoneCalledDana
There isn't a single SALES song that I even remotely dislike
@jujubee2147
SomeoneCalledDana maybe Mondays is mi least fav.
@charleslux6583
SomeoneCalledDana True
@nonspecificnonsense6780
same