U Got the Power", which has become an underground musical sensation. Previously known as "Ten Bears", they've described themselves on Facebook as being "pop sorcerers, going straight to hell,"
Band members describe their sound as heavily influenced by the Manchester music scene. "Finding the middle ground between guitar music and dance music has been something Manchester has always been good at, and we hope to carry on that tradition.” They draw inspiration from a wide ranging array of artists: “...we take influences from all kinds of music. At the moment we are listening to Prince, Sebastian, Def Leppard, The Weeknd, The Beach Boys, Joe Goddard.”
Swiss Lips signed a four album deal with Epic Sony at the end of 2011. As a new band they were asked how it felt to be signed to a major record label, the band were able to point out that while Swiss Lips are a new band, they themselves are not novices to the music industry. “We are a new band but have all been playing in different bands for as long as we can remember so it doesn't seem like an overnight thing. It's feels amazing to have the support and belief of a team like Epic behind what we are doing and being Michael Jackson's label mates is something to brag to girls about.”
NME said “Think Foster The People with the stylish pop-perfection poise of Franz” when describing the band.
Shortly after signing a deal with Sony Music, in March 2012 Swiss Lips became BBC Radio 1’s introducing act, where their debut track "U Got The Power" was played every day on Radio 1 for a week.
In August the band were featured on Channel 4's 4play, where they performed "U Got the Power", "Books" and "Danz".
Swiss Lips played a number of festivals and gigs including Camden Crawl, The Great Escape and Dot to Dot Festival, Lovebox Festival and Live at Leeds festival in 2012.
Swiss Lips supported Bastille on nine dates of their sold out UK tour, including a show at Koko in Camden. The band then went on to support Ladyhawke on her Blue Eyes UK tour.
The Union
In November 2012 the band moved from their home in Manchester to The Union in East London, for a month. Throughout the month Swiss Lips held several free gigs for their fans and were joined by Bastille, The Horrors, Seasfire, DJ Mr Paul, Lois & The Love, YADi and Fenech-Soler.
In January 2013 Swiss Lips released a cover of Frank Ocean's track 'Lost', as a free download. The cover was received well online, gaining over 90,000 views on YouTube and Nylon said "If 2012 was the year of Frank Ocean, then 2013 might just be the year of Swiss Lips."
In February the band released their first official single 'Danz'. The track received support from Radio 1 earning a daytime play from Sara Cox. The Guardian said "...it's hard not to indulge in light toe-tapping once Danz gets into full swing. Mixing elements of MGMT, Friendly Fires and The Rapture it shifts from percussive verses to a sky-scraping chorus." Also in February the band joined Neon Trees on tour in Manchester, Glasgow and London.
Swiss Lips will release their second official single 'U Got the Power' on 28th April 2013. The track has again won the support of Radio 1 as Scott Mills named it his Record of the Week.
'U Got the Power' has been remixed by Silverclub, Monsieur Adi and Bastille. Gigwise said "...the Bastille remix is a mellow take on one of the coolest pop tracks of the year so far..."
On 17th August 2015 the band announced that they had split up citing "the thing we loved the most became a drag, it's pretty gruesome out there for a small band in 2015". The band members are believed to be working on new projects individually.
Diamonds
Swiss Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see you got a tired soul
Eight nights and, the third in the diamond
Only looking for love
Glass weight on the table is hiding
All the reasons why we won't go home
Come close, help me trace the horizon
Never leave me alone
Don't sell your story to a magazine
If you don't wanna be sold, don't ever be seen
Oh-oh
woah
If you don't wanna be sold, don't wanna be seen
Don't sell your story to a magazine
If you don't wanna be sold, don't ever be seen
Oh-oh
When I met you, you were shining the passes
Rich daddy never let you go
Never needed a reason to buy this
Never wanted a story
A flash of the fame will divide us
When it's easy, when you got the soul
What was, is a fear we are fighting
What's now, won't be here too long
The song Diamonds by Swiss Lips portrays the inner struggle of an individual who is in search of love but is bogged down by societal pressures and the need to be famous. The opening lines "in the white, that you have behind your eyelids, I can see you got a tired soul," indicates that the person is tired of the endless pursuit of success and recognition. The next line "eight nights and, the third in the diamond, only looking for love" is a reference to the fact that the individual has been through many struggles represented by the eight nights, and the third diamond refers to the love that they are searching for. It also subtly points out the fact that people can use diamonds as a metaphor for finding love, which is quite ironic since diamonds are expensive, and love is priceless.
The song also highlights the pressure to conform to societal norms, particularly in the line "if you don't wanna be sold, don't wanna be seen, don't sell your story to a magazine," which suggests that society often sells people's stories to the media, making them famous but eroding their sense of self. The chorus is repeated thrice, emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself and not succumbing to the desire to be seen as something you are not.
The second verse of Diamonds by Swiss Lips illustrates how wealth and fame can sometimes cause an individual to lose their true identity. The line "when I met you, you were shining the passes, rich daddy never let you go" is a reference to how people in affluent families often grow up surrounded by wealth and extraneous comforts that can eventually make them lose touch with reality. The line, "never needed a reason to buy this, never wanted a story," suggests that the individual is uncomfortable with the attention that comes with fame and may have been coerced into it.
Overall, Diamonds by Swiss Lips is a beautiful portrayal of the struggle of individuals to maintain their sense of identity and search for love amidst societal pressure to conform and become famous.
Line by Line Meaning
In the white, that you have behind your eyelids
The blank space in your mind, that you see when you close your eyes
I can see you got a tired soul
You seem exhausted and spiritually drained
Eight nights and, the third in the diamond
After a week, the third day is the hardest to handle
Only looking for love
Trying to find a genuine romantic connection
Glass weight on the table is hiding
The alcohol you're consuming is masking your true emotions
All the reasons why we won't go home
We're avoiding leaving because we're not ready to confront our problems yet
Come close, help me trace the horizon
Draw closer to me and help me figure out where we're headed
Never leave me alone
Promise me that you'll always stay by my side
If you don't wanna be sold, don't wanna be seen
Don't let fame and fortune change who you truly are
Don't sell your story to a magazine
Don't exploit your personal experiences for money and publicity
When I met you, you were shining the passes
When we first met, you had a vibrant energy and zest for life
Rich daddy never let you go
Your wealthy father never let you experience the real world
Never needed a reason to buy this
You never needed an excuse to indulge in material possessions
Never wanted a story
You never desired to have a public narrative or image
A flash of the fame will divide us
If we become famous, it could damage or destroy our relationship
When it's easy, when you got the soul
When things are simple and pure, and you have integrity
What was, is a fear we are fighting
Our past experiences and mistakes are haunting us and causing anxiety
What's now, won't be here too long
Our current situation isn't permanent and will soon change
Contributed by Samuel S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yasmin Hoque
Ahh thankk you for putting this upp