The band's sound has varied considerably over the years. Loud and lush shoegaze, heavy guitar rock, dream pop, chamber pop, new wave, synth pop, post-punk, garage rock, pop rock, soft rock, lounge music and blues rock all play significant roles in SF59's ultimate sonic palette.
While Martin has written all of Starflyer 59's music and is the principal musician, the band has included numerous contributors over its life. For the better part of 15 years, beginning in the mid-00s, SF59's lineup stabilized with Steven Dail on bass and Trey Many on drums. In recent years, drumming duties have been handled by Charlie Martin, Jason's son, who was 16 when he recorded on SF59's 2019 album, Young In My Head. Other notable contributors over the years have included Jeff Cloud, Richard Swift, Frank Lenz, Josh Dooley, Wayne Everett, and others.
Starflyer 59 was signed to Tooth & Nail Records, their original and current label, after Jason Martin gave a demo to Brandon Ebel when the two met at a music festival in 1993. Shortly afterwards, Ebel contacted Martin and offered him a record contract. By the end of the year, Starflyer 59's debut album, Silver, was recorded and released. In 1995, Starflyer 59 released their sophomore album, Gold. Both of these albums are actually eponymous releases, but are colloquially known by the colors of the plain, monochromatic album art.
Starflyer 59's next album, Americana (1997), continued with the minimalist cover art, but marked the first of many significant sonic shifts for the band. While Americana is still loud, heavy and guitar-forward like the previous releases, layered ambient shoegazing is replaced by crunchy, catchy blues rock-inspired riffs and more traditional song structures. Several changes to the band lineup were also made for this album. Bass player Andrew Larson departed, replaced by Eric Campuzano (The Prayer Chain). In addition, Wayne Everett (The Prayer Chain) became the band's studio drummer, a role previously held by Martin. High tensions in the studio during the recoding of the album led Campuzano to leave the band before it began touring to support the new album. Replacing him was Jeff Cloud, who had been Starflyer's touring manager.
The release of The Fashion Focus in 1998 signaled a major change in the direction of the band's sound, largely due to the influence of Gene Eugene. Where previous albums had emphasized guitars and loud, shoegazing rock and roll, The Fashion Focus was a significantly softer album, drawing its main influences from pop rock, loung music, arty indie rock and synthesizer music. Everybody Makes Mistakes, released the next year, continued in the same direction as The Fashion Focus.
On Nov. 21st, 2000, Starflyer 59 released Easy Come Easy Go, a two disc set that contained songs from throughout their career up to that point. 2001 saw the release of Leave Here A Stranger, Starflyer's next full length album. It saw the band's sound continue to soften. After the untimely death of Gene Eugene, Martin called on long-time musical hero Terry Scott Taylor to take over production of the new album. In an effort to be different, Leave Here a Stranger was recorded in mono. In addition to Martin and Cloud, Leave Here a Stranger featured Josh Dooley on keyboards and Joey Esquibel on drums.
Beginning in 2003, Starflyer 59 would release one full length album every year for three years, all of them self-produced. The first of these albums was Old. Old features heavier guitars than Leave Here A Stranger; however, the music was still significantly softer than the band's early work. In 2004, I Am the Portuguese Blues was released. With this album, Starflyer 59 returned to the heavy guitar format that was so prominent on their early albums, as well as the monochromatic album covers that had characterized these albums. I Am the Portuguese Blues was not a true follow-up to Old, but instead was a set of older songs that Jason Martin had written for a follow-up album to Americana. The material was originally shelved when the band shifted gears and instead recorded The Fashion Focus. This was a treat for fans of Starflyer 59's older material, but confused many newer fans and critics who were familiar with Starflyer 59's more recent pop-friendly work.
2005's Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice saw the band change their sound yet again, to a style that seemed a more natural follow-up to Old than I Am the Portuguese Blues had been. For this album, Starflyer 59 was cut down to two members: Jason Martin and drummer Frank Lenz. It would be the first studio album since Americana to be recorded without bassist Jeff Cloud. Despite having only two band members, the songs on Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice have a full sound. This is largely due to the inclusion of guest string players on many of the albums tracks.
Also in 2005, Starflyer 59 re-issued digitally re-mastered versions of Silver and Gold with bonus tracks. The re-issue of Silver came with the tracks of the band's follow-up EP, She's The Queen. Gold was reissued with the "Goodbyes Are Sad" 7 inch single and three of the four tracks from the Le Vainqueur EP.
In September 2006, Starflyer 59 released their latest album My Island. My Island is yet another evolution in the Starflyer sound. While Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice relied on the warmth of synthesized bass and live strings, My Island's"strength comes from its catchy guitar hooks and live bass.
Jason Martin's side projects have included Bon Voyage with his wife, Julie, Enemy Ships (formerly known as The Emergency), Pony Express, The Brothers Martin with his brother Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric fame, Neon Horse, Low & Behold, Lo Tom[/artist), and others. The Martin brothers also worked together in Morella's Forest (1998 band, not to be confused with the 90s band of the same name) and Dance House Children, which predate their famous solo projects. Jason has also produced albums for Fine China, MAP, and Upside Down Room and performed work as a studio musician and guest musician on several albums.
Their official website is located at www.sf59.com. Their official myspace is located at www.myspace.com/starflyer59.
Pot of Gold
Starflyer 59 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rest is for the departed, there's none for heavy hearted
I can always pretend that all good things never end
We'll find our own pots of gold where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
I'll always try to console it, it's my way to control it
To finish what I started, you know I live heavyhearted
I can always pretend that all good things never end
We'll find our own pots of gold where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
Where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
I've got ghosts from the past, they're haunting me
Regrets from my youth, they follow me
The future is not clear to see, so don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
So don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, so don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
So don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
The lyrics to Starflyer 59's song Pot of Gold talk about the struggle of completing something that you started with a heavy heart, and feeling haunted by regrets from the past. The first verse talks about the difficulty of starting something new, but once it's finished, there is no rest for the heavy-hearted. The singer then talks about how he tries to console himself and control his emotions by finishing what he started. He pretends that all good things never end and imagines finding his own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, where he can finally feel at home.
The second verse talks about the ghosts of the past and regrets from his youth that continue to follow and haunt him. He feels uncertain about the future and doesn't want to be asked about it. Overall, the song seems to be about trying to find solace and comfort in completing tasks and finding a place where we can feel at home, despite the struggles and regrets that come with it.
Overall, "Pot of Gold" appears to be a subtle and introspective anthem of quiet perseverance that addresses issues of anxiety and depression by encouraging people to keep going despite the haunting memories and uncertain future.
Line by Line Meaning
I finished what I started, the first 40's the hardest
I've completed what I began, and the beginning was the toughest part.
Rest is for the departed, there's none for heavy hearted
Only those who have passed on can rest, those who carry a burdened heart must continue on.
I can always pretend that all good things never end
I hold onto the illusion that all great experiences will never come to an end.
We'll find our own pots of gold where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
We hope to discover our own happiness and contentment in life, where our journey comes to a satisfying conclusion.
I'll always try to console it, it's my way to control it
I attempt to alleviate my pain and suffering, as it's the only way to maintain some level of control over it.
You know I live heavyhearted
My life is characterized by my heavy burdened heart.
I've got ghosts from the past, they're haunting me
I carry memories of previous experiences and they still have a hold on me.
Regrets from my youth, they follow me
I have remorse for things I've done in my earlier years, and this remorse still affects me.
The future is not clear to see, so don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
I'm unable to predict what the future holds, so please don't inquire about it.
So don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, so don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
I'm insistent that the future is impossible to predict and don't want to discuss it any further.
Contributed by Sydney I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jay Sun
And with feedback and solid lead guitars and that heavy fuzz metal sound.
Jay Sun
Hey Jason Martin!!! DO JUST ONE MORE ALBUM LIKE SILVER OR GOLD, PLEASE!!! As much as I like this sound, I miss the heavy, heavy stuff too much... you know, like before Americana.
Jason Monroe
so amazing!!!!!!!
PikachuYoshiPines164
I finished what I started, the first 40's the hardest
Rest is for the departed, there's none for heavy hearted
I can always pretend that all good things never end
We'll find our own pots of gold where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
I'll always try to console it, it's my way to control it
To finish what I started, you know I live heavyhearted
I can always pretend that all good things never end
We'll find our own pots of gold where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
Where the rainbow ends, we'll find home
I've got ghosts from the past, they're haunting me
Regrets from my youth, they follow me
The future is not clear to see, so don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
So don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, so don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
So don't ask, don't ask, don't ask
Thomas Bowman
Care for chamomile hair, the feathery fare, Rave for Ravenous Raven hair, Pretty as Platinum, Pot f Platinum and gold, Oh man with her wisdom your heart she stole, As she cared and consoled, All of her equal weight and unique characteristic, in past time from prevailing eyes she presses this, your mutual entertainment she expresses, "Does does do not call love until your ready." And wife of your youth Doses you well.
Shane V
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Clark G
Very Like Beck's Lost Cause.