The name Silversun Pickups refers to a liquor store across the road L.A. rock-scene hang Silverlake Lounge. One of the band’s friends would often arrive at the store late at night to buy liquor, and would be as such making the "Silversun Pickup".
The band is signed to Dangerbird Records. They released their debut EP "Pikul" in July of 2005. The band has released four albums, 2006's "Carnavas", 2009's "Swoon", 2012's "Neck of the Woods" and 2015's "Better Nature". The band managed two Top 10 singles on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2007: "Lazy Eye" (#5) and "Well Thought Out Twinkles" (#9). In 2009, they managed their third top 10 on the chart, "Panic Switch" (#1) and a fourth song "Substitution" was also on that chart (#23).
Silversun Pickups have been compared to The Smashing Pumpkins (possibly due in part to Brian Aubert's vocal style) and 90's shoegazing bands like My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride, and Slowdive. Silversun Pickups claim they have been heavily influenced by Modest Mouse and The Velvet Underground as well as other lesser-known acts.
Their first break came when a friend mailed a boombox demo to CMJ and they were accepted. They got their start in many of the most important L.A. clubs and began to draw a strong following upon the release of the Pikul EP. This culminated in frequent touring, including a co-headlining stint with Viva Voce.
The band finished a three-week tour opening for Australian rockers Wolfmother on December 9, 2006, and have toured with OK Go and Snow Patrol on their U.S. spring tour, which ended on April 10, 2007. The Pickups played at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on April 27, 2007.
The band supported Foo Fighters, along with Nine Inch Nails on August 21st 2007 as part of the 'T on the Fringe' music festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, and then on the 22nd in Marley Park, Dublin, Ireland. They also performed at the Carling Reading and Leeds festivals on the 25th/26th August 2007 and supported Kaiser Chiefs on their Autumn European tour and Snow Patrol on their tour of Australia (with Paolo from Snow Patrol joining them regularly to play guitar on Lazy Eye and Nikki guesting on vocals for Snow Patrol's Set The Fire To The Third Bar onstage). On some of these dates the band have been covering Joy Division's Shadowplay and Bjork's Big Time Sensuality, both of which have been recorded for web or radio sessions.
The second full studio album, entitled "Swoon", was released 14th April 2009 in both the US and UK.
The band was also part of Lollapalooza 2009 in Chicago, IL, Voodoo Fest 2009 and 2012 in New Orleans, and the 2009 Sasquatch! Festival.
In early 2010, they supported the UK anthem-rock superstars Muse for several of their North American dates for The Resistance tour.
Songbirds
Silversun Pickups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slip into the comfort of your mind
Can I take a feather from your wing?
And it means everything, I'll keep it close to me
Mood swings are such pretty things
I've gotta ask why do you cage them inside? Why?
Do you think there's something up my sleeve?
Or are these just my wings? Such dirty wings
Follow me, we'll all take flight
Shadowing who's left behind
As we watch the sunrise creeping in
Songbirds with folded arms
Waiting for your deep alarm
Can we hear your true voice growing in?
When you sing, there's no misery
You better check your tone, they're only lullabies
Why?
Do you see there's something up my sleeve?
These are just my wings, such pretty things
Follow me, we'll all take flight
Shadowing who's left behind
As we watch the sunrise creeping in
Songbirds with folded arms
Waiting for your deep alarm
Can we hear your true voice growing in?
I'll walk alone, I'll grow only on my own
So far below, we know all there is to know
Are you okay? Are you okay now?
Follow me, we'll all take flight
Shadowing who's left behind
As we watch the sunrise creeping in
Songbirds with folded arms
Waiting for your deep alarm
Can we hear your true voice growing in?
It's growing in
It's growing in
We hear it growing in
The lyrics to Silversun Pickups' "Songbirds" are open to interpretation, but they seem to focus on the idea of inner strength and finding one's own voice. The singer seems to admire someone who is able to retreat into their mind and find comfort there. They ask if they can take a feather from this person's wing - perhaps as a symbol of their strength and resilience. The singer then reflects on their own struggles with mood swings, wondering why they are unable to cage them inside like the other person does. The lyrics continue on to talk about the power of song and finding one's true voice. The songbirds in the lyrics are waiting for their "deep alarm" - perhaps a reference to the moment when they finally find their strength and their voice. The singer encourages the listener to follow them and take flight into this new chapter of their lives.
Overall, the lyrics seem to point towards the idea that inner strength is something that can be cultivated and developed. The singer seems to have admiration for those who are able to tap into their own inner reserves, but also acknowledges their own struggles with this. The song encourages the listener to take flight and find their own voice, perhaps leaving behind the doubts and fears that held them back before.
Line by Line Meaning
I see how you easily
I observe how you effortlessly escape to your thoughts
Slip into the comfort of your mind
You seek refuge in your own mind and thoughts
Can I take a feather from your wing?
Can I take a piece of your being as a token of our connection?
And it means everything, I'll keep it close to me
This small keepsake is incredibly valuable, I will always cherish it
Mood swings are such pretty things
Emotions and their fluctuations, though seemingly chaotic and unpredictable, can be beautiful
I've gotta ask why do you cage them inside? Why?
I wonder why you keep your emotions bottled up, what are you afraid of?
Do you think there's something up my sleeve?
Do you have any suspicions or doubts about me?
Or are these just my wings? Such dirty wings
Perhaps these supposed doubts are simply a part of who I am, imperfections and all
Follow me, we'll all take flight
Join me and let's embark on a journey together
Shadowing who's left behind
Leaving behind those who don't understand or don't want to join our journey
As we watch the sunrise creeping in
We're witnessing the beginning of a new day, a new beginning
Songbirds with folded arms
Those around us are observing skeptically, perhaps waiting for our failure
Waiting for your deep alarm
They're waiting for us to stumble and fall, to see if we'll give up
Can we hear your true voice growing in?
Can we hear your authentic self emerging and becoming stronger?
When you sing, there's no misery
When you're being your true self and expressing yourself, there's no sadness or pain
You better check your tone, they're only lullabies
You should be careful to not let others mistake your authenticity for weakness or complacency
Do you see there's something up my sleeve?
Are you suspicious of me too?
These are just my wings, such pretty things
I'm flawed but I'm still beautiful and worthy of love and respect
I'll walk alone, I'll grow only on my own
I'm willing to venture out on my own and learn and grow independently
So far below, we know all there is to know
We've gained enough wisdom and experience to know that there's much we don't know yet
Are you okay? Are you okay now?
Are you doing well? Have you found peace and contentment?
It's growing in
Your true self is starting to emerge stronger
We hear it growing in
We're starting to see and hear your authentic self
Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing
Written by: Brian Aubert, Christopher Guanlao, Joe Lester, Nikki Monninger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markcarboon7008
What makes their albums so easy to listen to is they are so comfortable in their own skin. Unhurried and unforced.
@sambaker7792
This song perfectly shows off just how precise Chris is on the drums. So subtley just ahead of the beat all song incredibly difficult to do. Awesome and infectious song all round
@zorby6286
This is the best Silversun Pickups song in years in my humble opinion. Can't stop listening to it.
@laquantavioncorneliuswrigh7469
Underrated much?
@TheProletarius
What a bass ...what a song !!!🤩
@Jaschu-xs9mb
Has a Busy Bees vibe. Love it. So happy my favorite band is back!!
@Megadextrious
Right? It’s like Busy Bees’s hot cousin
@eliudesantos3237
Holy shit shit! How can this band be so goddamn perfect?
@FreedomLovin
It's amazing, the past 3 SP albums, when they are first released, I'm like "eh, not nearly as good as their last one", then I listen to it 3-4 times and I'm like "holy shit this is amazing and their best album yet!" It's the only band that does this for me.
@ucigucimuci
Same here