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.
Blackout
Sloan Lyrics
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And they're thinking of drinking until the morning
Never doing nothing about the trouble on the way
When the lights go out with out warning
Out back is the place where I watch it unravel
And the chalkboard got it's own ladybug
Upkeep is low and the wall are un-level
There's a blackout for me and one for you too
There's some white heat keeping everybody down
When the grid snaps on
You'll be picking up the pieces of the blackout
There's nothing you can do about it
I can feel that the heat is killing everything around
And I hope that it soon gets colder
The lights are just a flicker and power is underground
And the city is about to smolder
Ther's a blackout for me and one for you too
There's some white heat keeping everybody down
When the grid snaps on
You'll be picking up the pieces of the blackout
There's nothin' you can do about it
There's nothin' you can do about it
Nothin' you can do about it
There's nothing you can do
about it
In Sloan's Blackout, the lyrics describe a sense of unease and impending doom, as if something catastrophic is about to happen. The first verse paints a picture of people walking around aimlessly, filled with a sense of unease and confusion. The suggestion is that they are aware of trouble on the horizon, but are content to drink and ignore it, rather than do anything to prevent it. This ominous mood is heightened by the sudden blackout, which descends without warning.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to the singer's surroundings. They observe as chaos unfolds around them, with the chalkboard and walls themselves seemingly unstable. Despite this, nobody knows what to do to fix the problem. The repeated refrain "There's nothing you can do about it" further emphasizes a feeling of helplessness and resignation in the face of the impending disaster.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of fatalism – that whatever disaster is looming is inevitable and unstoppable. The use of sensory details also creates a vivid image of an environment in turmoil, adding to the sense of unease that pervades this song.
Line by Line Meaning
People walk around in a daze that's unsettled
People seem lost and unsure of what to do
And they're thinking of drinking until the morning
They are looking to escape and drink their troubles away
Never doing nothing about the trouble on the way
They ignore the problems ahead and do nothing to prepare
When the lights go out with out warning
Disaster strikes suddenly and without any warning
Out back is the place where I watch it unravel
Observing the chaos from a distance, away from the panic
And the chalkboard got it's own ladybug
Even the simple things have their own quirks and problems
Upkeep is low and the wall are un-level
Maintenance is poor and things are not in order
And no one has a clue what they're doing
No one knows how to handle the situation or what to do next
There's a blackout for me and one for you too
The darkness affects everyone, not just one person
There's some white heat keeping everybody down
The situation is intense and difficult to escape from
When the grid snaps on
When the power comes back on unexpectedly
You'll be picking up the pieces of the blackout
Dealing with the aftermath and chaos left behind by the power outage
There's nothing you can do about it
The situation is beyond our control, and we are powerless to change it
I can feel that the heat is killing everything around
The intensity of the situation is causing damage to the surroundings
And I hope that it soon gets colder
Wishing for a change in the situation to bring relief
The lights are just a flicker and power is underground
The power is unstable and unreliable, flickering and not fully functional
And the city is about to smolder
The crisis is escalating and the city is on the brink of chaos
There's nothin' you can do about it
The situation is hopeless and we are powerless to change it
Nothin' you can do about it
The situation is beyond our control and we cannot change it
There's nothing you can do
The situation cannot be altered and we must simply accept it
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thelma
on Everything You've Done Wrong
Thelma I like the title