This Detroit, MI band recorded their first Tooth and Nail full-length, A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It, in St. Cloud, FL with James Paul Wisner, who has also produced Dashboard Confessional, Underoath, and The Academy Is. While making this CD, the band fought off small town cabin fever, was restricted to bicycle transportation, and even shared a lake with an alligator. But such ordeals are colorful stories for another time because these guys are simply thrilled (but not to death) with the finished product.
The track “To the Moon for All I Care” is one of the group’s favorite new tunes. On the surface, one might assume it is based around what Ralph Kramden always told his wife Alice on the old The Honeymooners show. But as drummer Adam McMillion explains it, this song goes far deeper than that.
“The song is about our favorite movie, Danny Deckchair, which is about this guy that’s kind of fed up with his girlfriend who is not very faithful. And his job is really boring, so he decides to attach these balloons to his fold-up deckchair and he flies away,” McMillion says. When he finally lands, he’s in a faraway town, miles from everything and everyone he knows. “He kind of gets to start his life over, and we always thought that’s just such a cool concept,” McMillion continues. In fact, this song’s main character demands at one point, “Tell me about my future ‘cause I already know my past.”
Another noteworthy song has the intriguing title of “Detroit Is Built on Secrets”. This one takes on some of the nasty rumors oftentimes spread about rock bands – even about nice guys like Search The City. “So this is what we’re up against in this city of secrets,” states its anti-gossip lyric. But even when confronted with obvious lies, this thoughtful band still finds room for a little self-examination. “In the bridge it says, “Oh my God, forgive me for who I’m not,”” McMillion elaborates. “All these rumors are going around,” he continues, “but we’re still not the people we want to be. We’re still not the people God wants us to be. It’s just a cry out; kind of a confession. We wanna be better. We realize that we’re not who we should be.”
These closely bonded band members, which also include Alex Sheldon (guitar), Jim Czech (guitar), and Josh Frost (vocals), draw artistic inspiration from many loud and noisy sources, then translate these harsher sounds into surprisingly melodic, highly emotional songs.
“We’re more influenced by hardcore music than anything else,” Frost says of Search The City’s sound. “It doesn’t show so much because we’re pretty pop-y in parts. But collectively, we all love bands like Jimmy Eat World and bands like that.” So how would they describe their unique style? “We’d probably say progressive rock or something like that,” answers Frost.
Although the group is proud of their new CD, this band is truly in their element in concert. “Live is definitely Search The City’s favorite thing to do,” McMillion says without any hesitation. “It’s a chance to release a lot of emotion. We all love what we do onstage where we’ll just look at each other and just start laughing and smiling because it’s so much fun. Playing live is definitely the best part about being in a band.”
Search The City’s original nucleus, Sheldon, Czech, and McMillion, came up with the band’s Mapquest-like moniker while seeking out other musicians to complete their final lineup. “They named it that because they were looking for all of the different members, all over different cities,” Frost explains. “That meant all over Michigan. And because I was living in Florida at the time, they just called it Search The City.”
No doubt, Search The City succeeded in getting all their geographic coordinates correct.
After the band went their separate ways and onto some side projects, Frost and Czech have announced via Facebook and AboslutePunk.com has reported that they are back together and writing a second full-length album that's due out in the spring of 2012.
The Rescue
Search The City Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said a lot of things I didn't really mean
You always wore your heart on the outside
'Cause this was just a mess we could never really hide
And now, I'm paying for all the mistakes that you've made
This is the rescue, the rescue
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
This is the rescue, the rescue
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
This is where we collide
And there you go again with
all the troubles That you get in
it's pins and needles
We'll start a fire so big the Heavens can see it
You keep going up in flames, such a good name
And now I'm paying for all the mistakes
that you've made
This is the rescue, the rescue
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
This is where we collide
This is the rescue, the rescue
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
This is where we collide
You'll soon become a voice On the other end of the phone
when I go, go, go
Wearing my heart on my sleeve has become
just a touch too messy for me
This is the rescue, the rescue
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
This is where we collide
This is the rescue, the rescue
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
This is where we collide
This is the rescue, the rescue
This is the rescue, the rescue
This is where we collide
"The Rescue" by Search The City is a song about a tumultuous relationship and the singer's realization that he needs to be rescued from the toxic cycle of the relationship. The lyrics start with an apology for losing one's temper and saying things that were not meant in a heated argument. The singer acknowledges that his partner was always more upfront about their emotions, whereas they chose to hide their feelings. However, as the mistakes of the partner accumulate, the singer feels like they are paying for them.
The chorus emphasizes the need for a rescue and how this relationship has been affecting them every night. The two collide in this relationship, although it is unclear why the relationship is worth rescuing. The second verse has the singer calling out how their partner seems to be constantly creating drama and getting into trouble, leaving them to deal with the consequences. The relationship has become so messy that wearing one's heart on the sleeve is untenable. The bridge sings about the inevitability of separation, which will lead to the partner becoming just a voice on the phone. The song ends with a final repetition of the chorus and the message that it is time for a rescue.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry for the temper I let get away from me
I apologize for losing control of my emotions.
I said a lot of things I didn't really mean
I spoke without thinking and didn't intend to say those words.
You always wore your heart on the outside
You never hid your feelings and were always transparent.
'Cause this was just a mess we could never really hide
Our problems were too big to keep hidden from others.
And now, I'm paying for all the mistakes that you've made
I am suffering the consequences of errors that were not entirely my own.
This is the rescue, the rescue
This is the pivotal moment where we are saved from our troubles.
The reason I've been holding my breath every night
I've been anxiously awaiting this moment that could change everything.
This is where we collide
This is where our problems intersect and must be resolved together.
And there you go again with all the troubles
You are once again getting into difficulties.
That you get in, it's pins and needles
Your behavior is unpredictable and makes me nervous.
We'll start a fire so big the Heavens can see it
We will take bold actions that will have significant consequences.
You keep going up in flames, such a good name
You often make mistakes, but it is not representative of your character.
You'll soon become a voice on the other end of the phone
We will no longer speak face-to-face, and communication will be distant.
When I go, go, go
When I inevitably leave or move on.
Wearing my heart on my sleeve has become just a touch too messy for me
Being vulnerable and open about my emotions is becoming too overwhelming for me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Adam Joel Mcmillion, Alexander Joseph Sheldon, James William Czech, Joshua Robert Frost
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind