2012 has started at the same amazing pace as 2011 for Scala & Kolacny Brothers, with a tour of Northern Spain, dates in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Ireland, an upcoming trip to Korea as well as TV appearances at ITV's Dancing On Ice (UK) and at the famous San Remo Festival... But 2011 was the breakout year for Scala & Kolacny Brothers as they conquered the United States and Canada with a major tour, in support of their first North American CD release, including headlining stages at SXSW and Coachella. This success was immediately followed by a first record release in the U.K., a sold out show at London's Union Chapel in June and a triumphant “special guest” performance at the Latitude Festival, where they played the prestigious Sunday noon slot. In June the group headlined at the Heineken Dia De La Musica in Madrid, in November the album ‘Scala & Kolacny Brothers’ was released in Italy, where it immediately hit the top 10 (!) and in December the group returned to 4 sold out shows in Berlin, as well as a Radio Eins very special-alternative-Christmas-songs special. 2011 has brought Scala & Kolacny Brothers the status of international phenomenon and it all seemed to start with a simple email.
When the email arrived in May 2010, the Kolacny brothers thought it was some kind of joke. “Yeah”, the brothers thought, “right.” But the request was genuine. And the film turned out to be The Social Network. It transpired that the director, David Fincher, is a huge fan.
The song in question is a hauntingly beautiful acoustic reworking of Radiohead¹s Creep. In July 2010, two months after the brothers received the email, the Social Network trailer was released. The powerful music was center stage, heightening a growing sense of unease like a chorus of fallen angels.
Like the film itself, the trailer has been a huge global hit more than 250m people have seen in the Cinema, on TV or online. Thanks in part to the subsequent buzz on social media, traffic to the brothers’ website went through the roof: their interpretation of Creep is an internet phenomenon, watched in various forms well over 25m times.
A record-label bidding war erupted in America but the brothers chose to sign with Atco, a subsidiary of Warner, with whom they had been negotiating. They released an eponymous album in in the US in March in the US and in the UK and most of the rest of Europe - 6 June 2011 (on Wall Of Sound). Italy followed in November of this year and the album was re-released in December in the UK, with two additional titles. In 2011 Scala & Kolacny Brothers also released 2 acclaimed video clips, for their versions of Use Somebody (directed by Inti Calfat) and Everlong (directed by Mark Woollen, who also directed the The Social Network trailer).
In September Scala & Kolacny Brother’s version of U2’s With Or Without You, was featured in the trailer for Season 2 of the British hit drama series Downton Abbey (broadcast in the USA on PBS where Scala & Kolacny Brothers also have their new special ‘Live From Bruges’ airing from December). And in December Scala’s version of Last Christmas was used in the trailer for the Downton Abbey Christmas special, while the group performed at Downton Abbey’s VIP Christmas special launch party in London.
But even with numerous TV shows (including 'the Simpsons'!) using Scala & Kolacny Brother’s music in 2011, it was the Social Network trailer which shone a spotlight on the unique musical project that is Scala & Kolacny Brothers an indie-rock choir, comprising of the two Kolacny brothers, Steven and Stijn, and Scala, their all-girl choir. Steven plays the piano, Stijn conducts the choir. The brothers usually work with 20-30 singers, aged 16-26, at a time, but these days have more than 200 girls on their books, ensuring plenty of cover for their increasingly busy schedule.
Scala & Kolacny Brothers take rock and indie songs and reinvent them as elegiac hymns to breathtaking effect with the piano often the sole accompaniment to the voices. On occasion they also use drum machines, sequencers and synthesizers, and also often perform with a full rock band.
The new album includes versions of Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana), Champagne Supernova (Oasis), With or Without You (U2), Use Somebody (Kings of Leon), Everlong (Foo Fighters) and more. Creep also features, as do three original compositions Seashell, Masquerade and Our Last Fight.
Rock and indie music works best because “the beating heart of the songs is often very black and very emotional, and the female voices of the choir add a certain melancholic touch”, says Stijn. “Sometimes they bring out whole new dimensions in the songs our version of Nothing Else Matters could be
classical music; its sound is nothing to do with Metallica anymore.” Other influences range from Sigur Ros to Nirvana and include the dark electro-pop of Goldfrapp and Depeche Mode, and the brooding mini-symphonies of Massive Attack.
Heroes
Scala & Kolacny Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day
We can be Heroes, just for one day
I, I would be queen
Though nothing will drive us away
We can be Heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day
I, I can remember
Standing, standing by the wall
And the guns shot above our heads
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall
And the shame was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one day
The lyrics to "Heroes" by Scala & Kolacny Brothers tell a story of hope and bravery in the face of danger. The opening lines express a desire to be able to swim like dolphins, and while seemingly unrelated to the rest of the song, this sentiment sets the tone for the entire piece. The repeated phrase "we can be heroes, just for one day" speaks to the idea that ordinary people can rise to greatness in extraordinary circumstances.
The second stanza depicts a fantasy world where the singer imagines themselves as a queen and their loved one as a king, creating a sense of regality and grandeur. This grandeur is contrasted with the danger and violence described in the third stanza, where the singer remembers standing by a wall and hearing gunshots. Even in this moment of darkness, the singer finds hope in the memory of kissing their loved one as though nothing could fall. The final repetition of the chorus suggests that even though the moment of heroism may be fleeting, it is worth striving for.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I wish I could swim
I desire the ability to move like a dolphin in water.
Like dolphins, like dolphins can swim
In the same way that dolphins swim, I wish to move gracefully in water.
Though nothing, will keep us together
No obstacle or challenge will prevent us from remaining together.
We can beat them, for ever and ever
We can triumph over any opposition indefinitely.
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day
Even if just for a brief time, we can be remarkable and admired figures.
I, I would be queen
If given the choice, I would want to be queen.
And you, you would be king
If given the choice, you would want to be king.
Though nothing will drive us away
We will remain committed to each other through anything.
We can be Heroes, just for one day
We have the capacity to be exceptional, even if just for a short time.
We can be us, just for one day
We can follow our own path and be our true selves, at least for a brief moment.
I, I can remember
I have a clear memory.
Standing, standing by the wall
I recall being near a wall.
And the guns shot above our heads
We were in the midst of gunfire.
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall
Despite the chaos around us, we shared an intimate moment filled with hope.
And the shame was on the other side
Our adversaries were the ones who should feel disgrace or remorse.
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day
If we continue to persevere and overcome our obstacles, we can be exceptional, even if briefly.
Then we can be Heroes
We have the strength and capabilities to become outstanding figures.
Just for one day
For a brief time, we have the potential to stand out and be heroes.
Writer(s): David Bowie, Brian Eno
Contributed by Sebastian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.