State of the Union is used by two bands both from the USA and a UK/USA coll… Read Full Bio ↴State of the Union is used by two bands both from the USA and a UK/USA collaboration.

1. State of the Union, electro band based in Los Angeles, California. It emerges as a powerhouse in the alternative/electronic/industrial scene. Their unique blend of industrial dance and more accesible forms of EBM with contemporary electronic styles and very deep, thoughtful,inspiring lyrics ranging from hard-hitting electronic beats to haunting ballads and symphonic orchestrations. State of the Union has earned incredible acclaim for their energetic live performances and gained a fanatical worldwide following. State of the Union is one of the brightest bands to explode onto the scene in quite some time. Johann Sebastian, the singer and architect behind this multidimensional project continues to leap from strength to strength with his follow-up album "Evol Love Industry" to be release in North America, Europe and rest of the world at the beginning of 2008.

State Of The Union's name itself is an expression of Johann's outlooks, enveloping political overtones at the same time still resembling the rage and emotion that he was initially trying to portray in his music. They felt it was only fitting to follow their own aspirations in pursue of their own musical scope. Their debut effort Black City Lights inspired by the loyalist to the EBM and Darkwave scene, fuses together expressions and elements of philosophy, politics, love and symbolism through the medium of hard hitting and addictive dance music.

State Of The Union live band is:
- Johann Sebastian: Vocals, Lyrics and Programming
- Jimmy Nimra: Drums

www.state-of-the-union.info

2. State of the Union played dark, introspective, and despair-driven gloom core in a style that groups them with likes of Dystopia, CHRISTDRIVER, Asbestos Death and even some Neurosis and Godflesh. Originally formed in Rapid City, South Dakota, they toured the country extensively and were a staple feature of Minneapolis’ underground punk / crust shows during the mid-late 90’s. On the strength of their live performances and their self-released debut EP, they were picked up by Profane Existence Records, who released their Rez-Erection EP in 1995. Shortly after the release of their second EP, the band sought to escape the dead-end scene of Rapid City relocated as a unit to Seattle, Washington. Once settled they went to work recording their first full length release, also released by Profane Existence in 1998. Although the first pressing of 1000 albums sold out in a matter of weeks, it was never repressed due to a three-year hiatus of Profane Existence Records from 1999-2002.

The band recorded a second LP, slated for release in 2000, but the project faltered without a label and STATE OF THE UNION disbanded shortly thereafter. While STATE OF THE UNION remain one of the lesser known bands on Profane Existence Records, they have one of the most fiercely loyal following even to this date. Former SOTU members have not dropped out of the scene by any means and play on today in several other Seattle area bands such as SOD HAULER, WORMWOOD, ARID SEA and THE PRIDS. In March 2008 Profane Existence released a discography CD, containing all released material as well as the unreleased LP.

3. A colloaboration between Boo Hewerdine, an English songwriter and lead singer of indie legends The Bible and Brooks Williams, a slide guitar wizard from Statsboro, Georgia, USA.
see UK gig info

Nothing At All
State of the Union Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I will take down all the walls
That you kept for so long
I will rescue, I'll protect you
From the hell around you
You're always hunted
By vicious demons
Now you stay in my arms
You'll hold my hand

I will take you
I will show you my world

Loving out of nothing at all
Loving out of nothing

It's nothing at all

Words of fire fill the silence
I have kept to myself
Burning my breath
Leaving nothing
But our souls in junction
Always wanted the desire
I did find in your eyes
To surround me
To define me

Loving out of nothing at all
Loving out of nothing

It's nothing at all

Overall Meaning

In "Nothing at All," State of the Union sings about offering protection and love to someone who has been tormented by demons and has built walls around themselves. The singer promises to take down those walls and rescue this individual from the hell that surrounds them, holding their hand and showing them a new world. The chorus asserts that the love they share is born out of nothing - that there was no pre-existing basis for their connection, but rather it sprung up seemingly out of nowhere.

The verse is filled with imagery of fire, both in the words being spoken and in the passion between the two people. The singer has kept quiet about these burning feelings in their heart, but now they have found someone to share them with. There is a sense of completeness and fulfillment that comes from being "surrounded" and "defined" by the love of another.

Overall, "Nothing at All" is a song about finding unexpected love in the midst of chaos and darkness, and how that love can be a beacon of hope and tranquility in an otherwise tumultuous world.

Line by Line Meaning

I will take down all the walls
I will break down the emotional barriers that you have built up over time

That you kept for so long
Those barriers which you have held onto for a prolonged period of time

I will rescue, I'll protect you
I will save you and keep you from harm's way

From the hell around you
From the troubles and chaos that surrounds you

You're always hunted
You are constantly pursued and targeted

By vicious demons
By powerful and malevolent forces that aim to harm you

Now you stay in my arms
Now you stay close to me for support and comfort

You'll hold my hand
You will trust me and hold my hand as we navigate through difficult times

I will take you
I will be your guide and mentor

I will show you my world
I will expose you to my life experiences and the things that I enjoy

Words of fire fill the silence
My intense feelings and emotions fill the quietness between us