Revealing a sharp songwriting instinct and unfolding a distinct indie rock influence, the Secret Machines unveil singular scenarios and refined tunes within the alternative pop/rock scene. Guitarist Benjamin Curtis, Drummer Josh Garza, and Brandon Curtis (vocals, bass, keys) formed the Secret Machines in the midst of summer of 2000, in Dallas, TX. The trio swiftly managed to create its own sounding marks, mostly due to a common musical and band experience. Before forming the Machines, the Curtis brothers played with the punk rock squad Ufofu; in addition, Brandon’s also a regular headliner of the Dallas underground music scene, namely through his active participation in projects such as captain audio alongside Garza. After several months of rehearsals and recording sessions in Chicago with engineer Brian Deck, the Machines offered their debut disc, the EP September 000, in March of 2002. After touring throughout much of 2002, the band returned to their adopted hometown of New York City and began recording the debut full-length for Reprise with producer Jeff Blenkinsopp. The album Now Here is Nowhere was released in May of 2004. This was then followed up by their second full length album Ten Silver Drops, released in April 2006 to mixed critical responses.
While working on their third album, Benjamin left the band to continue his work with School of Seven Bells, a new project with members of the disbanded On!Air!Library!. Josh and Brandon have been joined by guitarist and vocalist Phil Karnats, restoring the band to a three-piece.
The Secret Machines are featured on the soundtrack for Universal’s movie musical, “Across the Universe”.
In 2008, the Secret Machines joined the ranks of other iconic artists such as NIN, Radiohead, and Pearl jam, who are putting their music out without the support of a major label. Having recently parted ways with Warner Brothers, their follow up album to 2006’s Ten Silver Drops will be self-released on TSM Recordings on October 14, and features 8 new tracks: ‘Atomic Heels’, ‘Last Believer’, ‘Drop Dead’, ‘Have I Run Out’, ‘Underneath The Concrete’, ‘Now You’re Gone’, ‘The Walls Are Starting to Crack’, ‘I Never Thought To Ask’ and ‘The Fire Is Waiti
After much press speculation and heresy, er...hearsay... here's the REAL story, as only the band can tell it. As they prepare for their upcoming UK/EU tour and to celebrate the release of their third album, Secret Machines (featuring 2 bonus tracks), in the UK - the band have spoken publicly for the first time since the departure of former guitarist Benjamin Curtis.
"Secret Machines is supposed to be a vehicle for us to be ourselves and play and do what we wanted to do, and that's why Ben left." - Brandon Curtis
"I wouldn't have joined them if they hadn't been open-minded in that way." - Phil Karnats
"We wanted someone who could just grab it. We're really tough musicians, if you can play, cool - if not, get the hell outta here. Phil can hang." - Josh Garza
Released today on the band's social network www.thesecretmachines.com, the uncensored video clip of Brandon, Josh and Phil - who speaks out for the first time on camera - reveals what really happened, why Benjamin left, and how they rose above uncertainty to continue the musical revolution known as The Secret Machines.
Check out the never-before-seen-footage , Part 1 in a series. Shot in hi-def by Susan Stahman and Howard Berger, courtesy of PalmDoorFilms.
https://secretmachines.lnk.to/awake
Nowhere Again
Secret Machines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
been sleeping the day off
watching the night fall
covering nowhere
filling my time share
there's a woman in the mirror in a firey state
as she motions to me I start turning away
trying to keep up
oh you'd be surprised
how we race
while our lives
erased
another alone on an everyday night
thinking the morning looking for alright
warming the blood flow
with poison I dont know why
maybe the rain stops following me
dripping the colors
running the daylight
over the cloud burst
hoping they don't burst
right before my eyes
erased
our lives
erased
we know we're lost we're lost we're nowhere now
we know we're lost we're lost we're nowhere now
now we know we're lost and nowhere now
maybe the rain will stop following me
with millions of colors reflected in daylight
right on the kickdrum
turning the sound up
another alone on an everyday night
I think in the morning I think I'll be alright
watching the blood flow
no wonder I dont know why
theres a woman in the mirror in a firey state
she motions to me I start pulling away
she's lifting her dress up
all the way up
oh don't look surprised
erased
our lives
erased
our lives
erased
The song Nowhere Again by Secret Machines is a poignant reflection on the feeling of being lost and searching for direction. The opening lyrics, “cellophane flowers never happened for me” suggest a lack of magic or enchantment in the world that the singer inhabits. This is reinforced by the mention of “nowhere” in the first verse and the repetition of the word “lost.” The image of “watching the night fall” and “covering nowhere” conjure a sense of aimlessness or even despair.
The second verse introduces the character of a woman in a fiery state, who is lifting her dress up and trying to keep up. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for temptation or a desire for something more exciting or dangerous than the mundane routine of everyday life. The lines “oh you’d be surprised how we race / while our lives erased” capture the feeling of living fast and recklessly, without considering the consequences.
The chorus emphasizes the sense of being lost and nowhere, and the repetition of the line “maybe the rain will stop following me” suggests that the singer is hoping for a change or a break from the bleakness of their existence. Overall, the lyrics of Nowhere Again convey a sense of longing and disillusionment, with a hint of hope for a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
cellophane flowers never happened for me
I have never experienced anything exceptionally beautiful or unique
been sleeping the day off
I've been wasting my days, sleeping and avoiding reality
watching the night fall
As I waste my days, I see the inevitable darkness approach
covering nowhere
My aimless existence is going nowhere
filling my time share
I'm simply occupying my useless days with something
there's a woman in the mirror in a fiery state
When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a troubled and tormented version of myself
as she motions to me I start turning away
The troubled version of myself tries to communicate with me, but I choose to ignore it
she's lifting her dress up, trying to keep up
The troubled version of me is struggling to keep up with the facade of normalcy that I present to the world
oh you'd be surprised how we race
We try to keep up with the fast pace of life, even though it's meaningless and exhausting
while our lives erased
Despite our attempts, our lives are ultimately erased and forgotten
another alone on an everyday night
Another aimless person alone, wasting time on a mundane night
thinking the morning looking for alright
I'm hoping for some sense of satisfaction or happiness in the morning
warming the blood flow with poison I dont know why
I'm self-medicating with harmful substances, without really knowing why
maybe the rain stops following me
I hope that the metaphorical 'rain' of negativity stops following me and hindering my life
dripping the colors, running the daylight
If the rain does stop, maybe I'll be able to enjoy and appreciate the small moments of beauty in life
over the cloud burst, hoping they don't burst
Despite my hopes, I'm afraid that any moments of joy will be quickly replaced by more negativity
right before my eyes, erased
Life passes by so quickly, sometimes it feels like it's being erased right before my eyes
we know we're lost we're lost we're nowhere now
We are aware that we are directionless and aimless
now we know we're lost and nowhere now
We are slowly realizing that our current existence is devoid of purpose or meaning
maybe the rain will stop following me
Once again, I hope that my life will stop being plagued by negativity
with millions of colors reflected in daylight
If that happens, maybe I'll be able to see the beauty in the world
right on the kickdrum, turning the sound up
I'm trying to lose myself in music and drown out the negativity and aimlessness
I think in the morning I think I'll be alright
Despite my struggles, I'm trying to stay optimistic about finding happiness in the future
watching the blood flow, no wonder I dont know why
I'm still self-medicating, even though I don't know why I do it
she motions to me I start pulling away
Once again, the troubled version of myself is trying to communicate with me and I'm avoiding it
she's lifting her dress up, all the way up
The troubled version of myself is revealing something deep and troubling, but I'm still avoiding it
oh don't look surprised, erased
Even though I've been ignoring it, my life is still being erased and I shouldn't be surprised
our lives erased
Our lives are ultimately fleeting and impermanent, no matter how much we try to ignore it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michel G
I literally just spent two hours of my life trying to remember the name of this band. Haven’t listened to them since 2009. I knew it had “machine” in it and it the first word started with an “S” but I couldn’t figure the name out. I gave up. I even looked up “white album covers” because I vaguely remembered the album cover. I really did, then out of “nowhere” I got “secret” in my head and now I’m here!!!
Jonny 5ive
I could not remember either, so I searched the term: "millions of colors reflected right off the kick drum"
Mario
I spent 20 minutes trying to remember it myself
Mnd0vrMnky
New album a few months ago, this is their best album for me though.
Has an energy the others don't. They never re captured it.
Ryan V
Always will be one of my favorite songs. This band is so underrated and one of the few cd's I ever went out and bought.
William Henneberger
Secretly one of the greatest songs ever.
Eric Quitugua
Still gutted Ben Curtis is gone. These dudes meant mountains to me in high school.
Matthew Edward Snyder
Oh yeah me too
Kevin Perry
No shit first heard them trippin on lsd good friend turned me onto this lab I cried to.. It was beautiful music makes Awesome visuals
Vida Atomica
I discovered this badass track a few weeks ago and now I'm so deeply hooked to this entire album. Can't believe it was released many years ago and without hearing a bleep about it. This has to be one of the best records out yet all I heard was crappy music all around.