Singer/ guitarist Boyer and bassist Resende formed the pop combo as students at the University of Rouen, sharing an affinity for indie music, new wave and sixties pop. Taking their name from a souvenir t-shirt given to Boyer's father in 1980, the duo recruited guitarist Mederic Gontier, and with the addition of drummer Sylvain Marchand a year later, the lineup was complete. The foursome released a self-produced and self-financed EP, "20 Minutes" (Bobby Records 1996) which resulted in them signing a deal with French label Atmospheriques.
In 1998, the band flew to NYC to record their first album “Puzzle” with Andy Chase. Featuring contributions from Eric Matthews and Adam Schlesinger, "Puzzle" was mixed in Sweden with Tore Johansson. The record, released between the end of 1999 & early 2000 received much praise from the press (band of the week in Melody Maker in Spring 1999), and saw the band touring the world to promote it. “Puzzle” eventually went gold in Japan. Of all the singles taken from the album, "Heartbeat" was the most successful. Tahiti 80's US label, Minty Fresh, released a mini LP called "Extra Pieces", which included B-sides, remixes & other rarities.
In 2001, the band re-united with Andy Chase to record a more experimental follow up album: “Wallpaper For The Soul”. The sessions took place in Rouen, NYC, Etretat, London & Portland (Oregon). Collaborators on this effort include mixer Tony Lash and Let It Be arranger Richard Hewson. “Wallpaper For The Soul” was released in 2002, garnered good reviews (it was selected as one of Uncut’s top 10 albums of the year) and was followed by another mini album "A piece of Sunshine" made up of out-takes from the prolific album sessions.
Following that, Xavier Boyer selected songs for a compilation called "A Piece of Gold” on behalf of the band. Featuring various artists such as Todd Rundgren, The Small Faces, Donald Byrd....) it was only released in Japan for copywrite reasons.
For their third album, from 2003 – 2004, Tahiti 80 spent several months at their own recording studio, the Tahitilab. The way of working was different this time: as opposed to "Puzzle" & "WFTS", the songs were mostly improvised and written in the studio. The soul journey which began on songs like "Heartbeat" and "1,000 Times" matured on "Fosbury". They collaborated with Neal Pogue (co-production & mix) and Serban Ghenea (mix), respectively Outkast’s and NERD’s sound engineers, with British singer Linda Lewis duetting on "Your Love Shines". And "Better Days Will Come" was featured in the first episode of the fourth season of Smallville (an American television series) in September, 2004.
Between tours, Boyer & Resende produced a couple of albums by friends (Fugu, Calc) whilst Xavier Boyer - under the anagram pseudonym Axe Riverboy - recorded the somewhat folk-influenced solo album "Tutu To Tango".
In 2007, the band transferred to Universal's Barclay label and in 2008, they went back to the Tahitilab to record "Activity Center". It was described by the critics as a back to basics album, with a rawer sound and a rock production style. Sylvain Marchand wasn't involved as a drummer as ear problems which had plagued him for years, prevented him from recording his drum parts. Drums were subsequently played by Julien Barbagallo with percussion by Raphael Leger (respectively Tahiti 80's live keyboardist/percussionist and drummer). To promote the album, the band explored new territories (Taiwan, South America) and they even licensed the album for release in the US on their own imprint "Human Sounds" (a reference to "Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys).
In 2010, Tahiti 80 will record their 5th album for release on their own label.
Aftermath
Tahiti 80 Lyrics
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I could tell something was wrong
And the way you were laughing
It just lasted too long
As if you were trying hard
To pretend everything was fine
When I knew deep in my heart
That it was all just falling apart
Let's run away from the path
We used to take each day
And then we'll face the aftermath
Of our yesterdays
Is it me or are we really
Going out of our minds?
I'd never thought I would be
Somebody not so kind
I don't want to bring you down
But there's no one else around
It's like walking in a ghost town
Or living six feet under ground
Let's run away from the path
We used to take each day
And then we'll face the aftermath
Of our yesterdays
That's what I'd love to say
I know I'll find a way
Let's run away from the path
We used to take each day
And then we'll face the aftermath
Of our yesterdays
The lyrics of Tahiti 80's song Aftermath are about a relationship falling apart and the characters grappling with the aftermath of what has happened. The singer notices that something is wrong with their partner, despite them trying to hide it by pretending that everything is fine. However, the singer knows that everything is not fine and that the relationship is falling apart. They suggest to their partner to leave behind the path they used to take every day and face the aftermath of their yesterdays, implying that they need to confront the issues that led to the breakdown of their relationship.
The second verse is self-reflective, with the singer questioning whether they are going out of their minds in their current situation. They express a sense of regret about how they have treated their partner, not wanting to bring them down but feeling like they are trapped in a ghost town or a lifeless existence. The chorus repeats the idea of leaving behind the old path and facing the aftermath of their yesterdays.
Overall, the lyrics of Aftermath are poignant and thoughtful, capturing the feeling of regret and confusion that often accompanies the end of a relationship. The singer recognizes that something has gone wrong and suggests confronting their problems head-on rather than pretending that everything is fine.
Line by Line Meaning
I first saw it when you were smiling
I noticed your pain behind your smile
I could tell something was wrong
Your expression betrayed your true emotions
And the way you were laughing
Your laughter seemed forced and uneasy
It just lasted too long
You kept up the facade for too much time
As if you were trying hard
You put in a lot of effort to make it seem normal
To pretend everything was fine
To convince yourself and others that nothing was wrong
When I knew deep in my heart
When I was aware deep down inside
That it was all just falling apart
That things were disintegrating
Is it me or are we really
Am I the only one who thinks that we
Going out of our minds?
Are losing our sanity?
I'd never thought I would be
I didn't imagine that I would become
Somebody not so kind
A person who's not empathetic
I don't want to bring you down
I don't want to make you feel worse
But there's no one else around
But we're alone in this situation
It's like walking in a ghost town
It feels like a deserted place
Or living six feet under ground
Or being buried alive
That's what I'd love to say
I wish I could express myself that way
I know I'll find a way
I'm confident I'll discover a solution
Let's run away from the path
Let's escape our current pattern
We used to take each day
That we followed for so long
And then we'll face the aftermath
And then we'll confront the consequences
Of our yesterdays
Of our past actions and decisions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MEDERIC CHARLES DENIS GONTIER, RESENDE PEDRO CARLOS DA SILVA, SYLVAIN EDMOND MARCEL MARCHAND, XAVIER ANDRE MARIE BOYER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind