John Ostby, lead vocals, keyboards
Eric Fa… Read Full Bio ↴SPYMOB
John Ostby, lead vocals, keyboards
Eric Fawcett, drums, vocals
Brent Paschke, guitar, vocals
Christian Twigg, bass
How do you describe a year in which your band toured the world, played on a gold-selling record, performed on "The Late Show with David Letterman," scored radio and MTV airplay, garnered critical acclaim, shared stages with everyone from David Bowie to Jay-Z and recorded its debut album?
"I call that a really good year," says vocalist John Ostby, whose group Spymob hit it big in 2002 as the backing band for Neptunes side project N.E.R.D. For the average artist, such achievements usually mark the summation of an entire career -- if they're lucky. Spymob, however, is just getting started.
Their eagerly awaited debut album Sitting Around Keeping Score glows with the absorbed influences of Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Jellyfish and Split Enz. It's also the first rock album released on Star Trak, the new Arista subsidiary founded by the Neptunes.
About the Neptunes/N.E.R.D. collaboration, Ostby says, "It changed our world. One day we were playing hole-in-the-wall gigs in our hometown of Minneapolis and the next we're touring Europe and performing on BBC's 'Top of the Pops.' It's the kind of stuff you dream about from the day you learn to play, but not something you can plan."
Pharrell Williams, however, had it all mapped out. The visionary Neptunes producer foresaw endless possibilities after hearing Spymob's much-buzzed-about demo. "They reminded me of the music I grew up with," he says. "Their songs sounded like Steely Dan crossed with the Meters and Prince and it just blew me away." Williams sang Spymob's praises to his attorney, who, unbeknownst to him, already represented the band. Meetings ensued, ideas were exchanged and excitement built as Williams told Spymob drummer Eric Fawcett, "I'm gonna blow Spymob up. Everyone is gonna know who you are."
After asking Ostby to lend backing vocals to the Neptunes-produced Kelis track "Mr. UFO Man," talk of a more serious collaboration began. It all came together in June of 2001, when Williams and partner Chad Hugo decided to re-cut N.E.R.D.'s debut In Search Of... using live instrumentation. The two-man hit factory, whose multi-platinum producing credits include Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Kid Rock and dozens more, had their pick of star power and A-list session players. They chose Spymob. "Those guys were integral to the making of the album," says Williams.
Rolling Stone agreed, praising In Search Of... by writing, "Credit has got to go to (Spymob bassist) Christian Twigg and Eric Fawcett for supplying Search with dexterous, downright joyful bass and drums." Entertainment Weekly applauded the Neptunes' decision as well, writing, "...the gamble paid off. In Search Of... has a crackling vigor missing from the first stab, and its melange of genres makes for music unlike anything else around."
Anything up until now, that is. Spymob raises the ante with Sitting Around Keeping Score, a boundary-busting album that swings and sways with seductive flair. Nine of Sitting Around Keeping Score's 12 cuts were produced by Stephen Lironi (Black Grape, Hanson), while Minneapolis-based Alex Oana produced the title track and "Walking Under Green Leaves." Appropriately, the band produced and recorded the spare and compelling "I Still Live at Home" at their home studio.
When someone suggested that the Neptunes re-mix one of the album's tracks, Williams laughed. "Chad and I are usually brought in to fix all kinds of things on records," he said. "We didn't want to touch this one at all." Adds Hugo, "Pharrell and I were inspired to form the Neptunes because of our love for old soul, jazz and rock records. I get that same feeling of excitement and energy when I listen to Spymob."
"Their attitude toward music is refreshing," says Ostby. "There are plenty of producers out there who just want to put their stamp on records, but Pharrell and Chad are mature enough to know that if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Though Spymob's sound evokes classic rock and soul-music icons, they keep their grooves current by incorporating loops and samples into songs built on vintage instruments. Says Fawcett, "John has an old Rhodes piano, our guitarist Brent uses a vintage Fender Strat, our bassist Twigg plays a Fender Precision Bass and I play old Ludwig drums. Those vintage instruments have a warm sound, which makes the songs sound really rich."
At the heart of the band's sound is Ostby, whose supple voice, unique phrasings and reflective meditations lend depth and color. In his lyrics, he reveals a singular perspective full of irony, optimism and reverie. In "It Gets Me Going," Ostby turns the seemingly mundane life of a family dog into a deliciously ironic tale set to a rollicking pop song colored by buoyant piano lines, bold Hammond riffs, soulful guitar fills and subtle electronic nuances. The perked-up "Thinking of Someone Else" begins with a broken toe before its protagonist wanders into a dreamy remembrance of childhood and his mother's nurturing. In "2040," Ostby imagines domesticity in a not-so-surreal future. Belying its effervescence, "National Holidays" is a poignant and heartbreaking look at a divorced couple's custody of their only daughter. The sleek "German Test Drive" transports listeners from their late-model Corollas and Civics to the cockpit of a sports car on the Autobahn. He also imagines the life of a NFL legend in the final track, "Joe Namath." "Our job is to take John's quirky witticisms and observations about the world and wrap them in music you can move your ass to," says Fawcett.
Spymob's story begins nine months after Fawcett and Ostby's graduation from Minnesota's St. Olaf College, where the two roomed and played in a band together. Ostby was contemplating a career in film scoring in Los Angeles, while Fawcett had been accepted into a PhD program in the history of science at the University of Wisconsin.
"I didn't think I was going to form another band," Ostby says. "But that's where my heart was." He called Fawcett, played him some recently written songs, and the two agreed to return to Minneapolis and form a new band. "We were on a Blues Brothers mission from God," laughs Fawcett.
Once home, they met up with Brent Paschke, the guitarist who would help bring their developing sound to fruition. Ostby says, "I was coming from a background of pop music centered on the piano-stuff like the Beatles and Burt Bacharach, and also soul stuff like Stevie Wonder, Gamble and Huff and the Philly sound. Brent came in with a rock and funk feel, sort of like (Red Hot Chili Peppers axeman) John Frusciante. I think the fusion of piano-pop with the more aggressive, unorthodox guitar was key to forming our sound." A longtime friend and former classmate of Paschke's, bassist Christian Twigg, cements the group's lineup with his driving bottom-end groove.
What's the secret to the band's across-the-board appeal?
Says Fawcett, "We're willing to go to weird places musically to find inspiration, that's who we are.
It Gets Me Going
Spymob Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting to be let out for five minutes
To take care of business
They don't always pay attention to my needs
Someone's laughing at the way I'll drop anything
I'm doing just to chase the things
They throw into a field
[Chorus]
It gets me going in ways that I can't explain
Never grow tired of a routine that seldom changes
Sometimes when we're walking down the sidewalk
I wish I was fixed up so I didn't have all these feelings
That keep me in a permanent frustrated state
When you go out and you leave me in
I have hours to ponder, too many to fill
I feel myself going now in ways that I can't explain
[Chorus]
My eyes are either filled with life or they're glazed over
Leave some space at the foot of your bed
So I can give you the protection you deserve
I feel much better knowing firsthand that you are safe
[Chorus]
The song "It Gets Me Going" by Spymob is an introspective track that delves into the feelings of a narrator who is struggling to express themselves, but has a loyal and protective personality. The lyrics describe an unnamed narrator who is often waiting to be given attention, whether it's to be taken for a short walk or to be played with. The singer experiences some degree of neglect from their owner, illustrated by the line "They don't always pay attention to my needs".
The singer is also shown to enjoy chasing objects that are thrown into a field, which is perceived by others around them as something humorous. Despite their playful disposition, the singer finds themselves experiencing frustration about the fact that they are not always understood. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "It gets me going in ways that I can't explain", which seems to point to an unexplainable drive that the singer has to keep living, despite their frustrations.
Later in the song, the singer admits that they do not always feel in control of their emotions or reactions when their owner is away for long periods of time. They also wish they could be "fixed up" so they did not have to constantly battle their feelings of frustration. The final verse shows the singer's protective nature, as they implore their owner to leave space for them at the foot of their bed.
Overall, the lyrics of "It Gets Me Going" are a simple, yet introspective reflection on the inner life of a dog, and the unique bond that they share with their human owners.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I'm scratching at the back door
At times, I am scratching the back door eagerly, awaiting to be let out for a brief moment.
Waiting to be let out for five minutes
Longing to be let out for five minutes, for some personal business.
To take care of business
To take care of some pressing matters, that need my attention.
They don't always pay attention to my needs
Unfortunately, they do not always cater to my needs, leading to dissatisfaction.
Someone's laughing at the way I'll drop anything
People laugh at how easily I surrender everything that I am doing, to run after the objects thrown towards me.
I'm going in ways that I can't explain
I am perplexed by the ways I am heading towards, with no logical explanation to support them.
It gets me going in ways that I can't explain
I am motivated in indescribable ways, that stir my soul profoundly.
Never grow tired of a routine that seldom changes
I never get exhausted from a routine that rarely alters.
Sometimes when we're walking down the sidewalk
Occasionally, when we are walking on a pavement.
I wish I was fixed up so I didn't have all these feelings
I wish I were not susceptible to these sentiments, causing me distress for eternity.
That keep me in a permanent frustrated state
These feelings deprive me of inner peace, leaving me in a state of perpetual frustration.
When you go out and you leave me in
In situations when you leave me behind, while going out.
I have hours to ponder, too many to fill
I have several hours to contemplate, sufficient enough to exhaust me.
I feel myself going now in ways that I can't explain
I feel myself being driven in inexplicable directions.
My eyes are either filled with life or they're glazed over
My eyes are usually brimming with vitality or turning dull simultaneously.
Leave some space at the foot of your bed
Please keep some room at the edge of your bed.
So I can give you the protection you deserve
So that I can protect you the way you deserve to be protected.
I feel much better knowing firsthand that you are safe
I feel relieved and content, understanding that you are safe and sound.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENT PASCHKE, BRIAN ROESSLER, ERIC FAWCETT, JOHN OSTBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind