The band was formed in 1991, when Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott met at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax. Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson joined soon after. In 1992, the band created their own record label, called Murderecords, for themselves and other Halifax area bands, and the outfit released the 'Peppermint EP' (the release also known as just 'Peppermint').
According to Sloan's official website, the band's name refers to a friend's nickname. Their friend, Jason Larsen, was called 'Slow One' by his French-speaking boss, which with the French accent sounded more like 'Sloan'. The original agreement was that they could name the band after their friend's nickname as long as he was on the cover of their first album. As a result, it is Larsen who appears on the cover of the 'Peppermint EP'.
Later in 1992, Sloan released their full-length debut, titled 'Smeared', on Geffen Records. Like many indie rock groups before them, the band found that major label dealings were basically as much trouble as they were worth. In 1994, Geffen did not promote their second album, called 'Twice Removed', due to artistic disputes, although it sold well in Canada. Spin named the album one of the "Best Albums You Didn't Hear" in 1994. A 1996 reader poll by Canadian music magazine Chart! ranked it as the best Canadian album of all time only two years after its release. The same poll in 2000 ranked the album third, behind Joni Mitchell's 'Blue' and Neil Young's 'Harvest', while the 2005 poll once again ranked the album first.
After the release of Twice Removed, the band went on hiatus and were rumoured to have broken up, as they had rejected Geffen's offer for their next album. In 1996, however, they released the widely praised One Chord to Another on their own Murderecords label. Following 1998's Navy Blues album, Sloan released their first live album 4 Nights at the Palais Royale in 1999. Those albums were followed by Between the Bridges in 1999, and Pretty Together in 2001.
Sloan made a concerted effort to break into the US market on their 2003 release Action Pact. Songs were recorded in L.A. with Tom Rothrock producing. The glossier, radio-ready sound failed to raise Sloan's profile in the US, though they continued to be highly popular in Canada.
Sloan's first compilation album A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005, included two new songs, "All Used Up" and "Try to Make It". The Japanese release included two additional new tracks.
Now signed to Yep Roc Records for their US releases, they put out their eighth disc, Never Hear the End of It in 2006. The album contained 30 tracks with all the members of the band contributing new songs. It was met with widespread critical acclaim and became the highest charting Sloan album in the US up to that point.
In 2008, Sloan followed up their longest album with their shortest release Parallel Play.
In November 2009 Sloan added a digital music store to their website. The band released an online-only EP called Hit & Run to promote the store. The EP featured two songs by Chris Murphy, and one by each of the other band members. Murphy's Take It Upon Yourself was released as a free single. In February 2010, the band released another online exclusive, the compilation album B-Sides Win: Extras, Bonus Tracks and B-Sides 1992 - 2008.
In 2013, the band revealed plans for a double album, with each of the four sides featuring a solo suite by a different band member. In May 2014, it was announced that the new album would be titled "Commonwealth" and would be released in September 2014. On July 14, 2014, the band announced the official release date for the album (September 9, which turned out to be accurate) and the release of the album's first single, "Keep Swinging (Downtown)". The album cover portrays the band members as four-of-a-kind kings. The suits of these playing cards correspond to the titles of their solo sides: Jay Ferguson's side is called Diamond, Chris Murphy's is Heart, Patrick Pentland's is Shamrock, and Andrew Scott's is Spade.
Amped
Sloan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not about to drown on you
Drinking ink to bring me down
Fall apart and leave the blue
It's funny, sometimes I'm the eight-ball
Funny, sometimes I'm the cue
Took a page out of the phonebook
Only listing was for you
Most times I close my eye-eye-eyes
Took a bite out of the brick wall
To taste its bitter concrete truth
Outer space just knocks me down
Hit the floor and pass on through
I have no faith in my subconscious
Place my trust in rocket fuel
Want a house out in the country
Walk around and share with you
Sometimes I see everything
Most times I close my eye-eye-eyes
It's funny, sometimes I'm the eight-ball
Funny, sometimes I'm the cue
Took a page out of the phonebook
Only listing was for you
Sometimes I see everything
Most times I close my eye-eye-eyes
Up on pills that made me happy
Not about to drown on you
Amped by Sloan is a song that speaks about the inner turmoil of a person who is struggling to keep their positivity and faith intact in their relationships while dealing with negative emotions. It reflects the dilemma of someone who is fluctuating between happy pills and the harsh reality of life.
The opening line, "Up on pills that made me happy, not about to drown on you" suggests that the person is taking medication to keep themselves happy or to avoid sinking into a negative state of mind. They don't want to bring their misery or burden on someone else. They are trying to stay afloat in their own way, even if it means taking pills. The next line, "Drinking ink to bring me down, fall apart and leave the blue" indicates that the person is also experiencing moments of sadness, and they are turning to something else (drinking ink) to try to confront those emotions. The line "Took a bite out of the brick wall, to taste its bitter concrete truth" suggests that the person has attempted to face their harsh realities head-on but is still trying to figure out how to deal with them effectively.
The chorus of the song speaks to the person's inability to maintain a steady perspective. They are sometimes the eight-ball (a vulnerable position) and sometimes the cue (a more powerful position) in their relationships. The lines "Sometimes I see everything, most times I close my eye-eye-eyes" suggests that they struggle to balance their reality with their emotions, often shutting out the world. The lines "Outer space just knocks me down, hit the floor and pass on through" could be interpreted as the person feeling like they are projecting outwards to the universe, hoping for a solution that's not there.
While the song leaves a bit of room for interpretation, it seems to be about someone carrying the burden of their own thoughts and how they handle them. It's a tough, complicated experience that can affect many aspects of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Up on pills that made me happy
Taking pills that bring me happiness
Not about to drown on you
Not letting you bring me down or drown me emotionally
Drinking ink to bring me down
Intentionally making myself feel bad by drinking ink
Fall apart and leave the blue
Breaking down emotionally and feeling sad
It's funny, sometimes I'm the eight-ball
Sometimes I feel like I have no control or am being manipulated
Funny, sometimes I'm the cue
Other times, I feel like I have control over the situation
Took a page out of the phonebook
Looking for a specific person in the phonebook
Only listing was for you
Finding only one listing for you
Sometimes I see everything
Occasionally, I feel like I understand everything
Most times I close my eye-eye-eyes
But most of the time, I ignore what's going on around me
Took a bite out of the brick wall
Trying to understand a difficult truth
To taste its bitter concrete truth
But realizing that it's unpleasant or difficult to accept
Outer space just knocks me down
Feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of space and the unknown
Hit the floor and pass on through
Falling down or feeling defeated, but moving on anyway
I have no faith in my subconscious
I don't trust my own thoughts, instincts or emotions
Place my trust in rocket fuel
So I rely on external or artificial methods to feel good, like taking drugs
Want a house out in the country
Desiring a peaceful life away from the pressures of society
Walk around and share with you
Sharing this life with someone special
Up on pills that made me happy
Taking pills that bring me happiness
Not about to drown on you
Not letting you bring me down or drown me emotionally
Contributed by Evelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jspanos500
I love Sloan's noisy beginnings.