In 1997, Taproot sent their demo to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Impressed with their material, he offered to get them a recording contract through Interscope Records. However, after extended negotiations, Taproot looked elsewhere, where they finally landed a lucrative record deal with Atlantic Records. Durst heavily cursed the band on vocalist Stephen Richards' answering machine. He also put some blame on System of a Down, who assisted Taproot in securing the Atlantic deal. In retaliation, Durst also kicked System of a Down off the 1999 Family Values Tour, replacing them with Staind. Taproot later went on to independently release three albums: ...Something More Than Nothing (1998), Mentobe (1998) and Upon Us (1999).
The band released their debut album Gift on June 27, 2000. With the album's lead single "Again & Again" gaining heavy exposure through MTV2, the band's mainstream rise gained momentum. With the help of Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack, Taproot landed a spot on the second stage of the 2000 and 2001 Ozzfest tour.
After spending seven months in Los Angeles, the band released their second album Welcome on October 15, 2002. Considered to be a more melodic effort, the album debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200, selling over 51,000 copies in its first week of release. Much of this was due to the success of the album's first single, "Poem", which shot to #5 on the Mainstream Rock charts. The album's second single, "Mine", followed with more moderate success. Welcome is Taproot's most successful album to date, almost achieving gold status, with approximately 475,000 copies sold. After touring across the country on Disturbed's Music as a Weapon Tour, as well as a European tour, the band took a two-year break.
Returning from their break, the band released their third major album Blue-Sky Research on August 16, 2005. Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins frontman) assisted in songwriting on the album, which was produced by Toby Wright. It debuted at #33 on the Billboard 200, with approximately 28,000 first week sales. The Bands single "Calling" was used by the WWE 2005 pay-per-view "Unforgiven."
The band headlined a major tour with Evans Blue and From Satellite to promote its release. Prior to the headline tour, Taproot acted as direct support to Chevelle on their tour alongside 30 Seconds to Mars. They also participated in the Fall Brawl Tour, which featured Staind and P.O.D. as headliners, and is notable for taking the then-unknown Flyleaf along as the opening act for the three bands.
On May 23, 2006, it was reported that Taproot had parted ways with Atlantic Records, after disappointing sales of Blue-Sky Research. At the time, the album had sold 112,000 copies since its release. On June 13, 2006, drummer Jarrod Montague, via Taproot's MySpace blog, confirmed the news.
On March 5, 2007, the band confirmed that they were in the process of recording their new album with producer Tim Patalan. According to Philip Lipscomb's MySpace blog, their new album Our Long Road Home is complete and will be released sometime in early 2008. On March 2, 2008, the band released a song from Our Long Road Home entitled "You're Not Home Tonight" on their website. This song has been played on XM Satellite Radio, Squizz 48 Indicent Exposure with Grant Random Sirius Satellite Radio on Octane. A teaser trailer for Our Long Road Home was added to the Taproot Youtube page on April 28, 2008. At the end of the video, it was stated that the album would be released on August 5, 2008.
According to the Taproot website, the band has decided to forgo signing to a major label. Their new album Our Long Road Home will be released independently through their management firm Velvet Hammer Music in a 50/50 partnership with the band themselves. Distribution was handled with Sony-owned RED Distribution.
Our Long Road Home was released on September 16, 2008. The disc was distributed in a cardboard sleeve and released to all major outlets. Just over a week after the album's release, it was announced that long-time drummer Jarrod Montague would be leaving the band and replaced by Nick Fredell. The band released a statement regarding the change in lineup:
""After 10 years of touring, our drummer and good friend Jarrod will be sitting out this cycle and we will be replacing him with our long time friend Nick Fredell. We'll miss Jarrod's presence out on the road, but Nick has fit in perfectly and we're excited for all of our fans to meet him. Jarrod's still very much a part of our family, so you'll be seeing him in press and the "Wherever I Stand" video which is out now on Youtube..."
In Spring 2009, Taproot went on the road with Dear Enemy and Adakain for the Take It! tour. Later that year, they co-headlined a U.S. tour with Cold, in addition to releasing the following statement: "Taproot has a few upcoming shows in November and December and will start writing their new record in January/ February of 2010. We hope to get into the studio sometime in February and March. We will be looking at a release date sometime in the late spring possibly early summer of 2010!"
After a brief period without a record label, Taproot signed with Victory Records. On April 1, 2010, at midnight, the band released the lead single for their upcoming album. The song was "Fractured (Everything I Said Was True)". A video for the song followed the release soon after debuting on the band's Youtube channel on April 16. Soon after, the band released their 7th studio album Plead The Fifth.
Current Members:
Vocals, Guitar: Stephen Richards
Bass: Phil Lipscomb
Guitar: Dave Lizzio
Drums: Dave Coughlin
Past Members:
Drums: Jarrod Montague
Guitar: Mike DeWolf
Drums: Nick Fredell
http://www.taprootmusic.com
A Kiss From the Sky
Taproot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Step into a field of dying blades of grass
So thick I have to use my hands
And slowly sinking in quicksand
I'll pull away till I can see again
Staring down with a kiss from the sky
Unsure what feeds the flame
I know a secret way
I'll go in hopes to find
Between the field now and the river bed
Inching closer to the waters edge
3 rocks separate the flow
Each stride I chip away the stone
Every breath I pray a miracle
Raining down like a kiss from the sky
Unsure what feeds the flame
I know a secret way
Unclear the reason why
I'll go in hopes to find
Setting foot on solid ground again
At the hillside's steepest climb
Nearing the top I seem among the clouds
Staring down like a kiss from the sky
Unsure what feeds the flame
I know a secret way
Unclear the reason why
I'll go in hopes to find
The lyrics of Taproot's song "A Kiss From the Sky" are full of metaphorical descriptions of the singer's journey through a difficult and uncertain time in their life. The first verse describes the singer's sense of being lost and alone, out on the edges of society ("beyond the back row") and sinking into despair ("slowly sinking in quicksand"). However, even in the midst of this darkness, the singer is able to catch a glimpse of hope and inspiration ("staring down with a kiss from the sky"), though they are unsure of what it is that is guiding them forward ("unsure what feeds the flame").
In the second verse, the singer moves closer to the river, perhaps symbolizing a journey towards a greater sense of purpose or direction. They are still struggling, having to chip away at obstacles one by one and praying for a miracle with each breath. However, they are driven by a sense of determination and a belief that there is something waiting for them on the other side ("I'll go in hopes to find").
Finally, in the third verse, the singer reaches the top of a hill and is able to look down on their journey from a new perspective ("amidst the clouds"). They are still unsure of what lies ahead, but they are filled with a sense of possibility and potential ("staring down like a kiss from the sky"). Through all of the uncertainty and struggle, the singer is driven by a deep faith and sense of purpose, even when they don't know exactly what that purpose is.
Line by Line Meaning
Beyond the back row off the beat and path
I'm venturing beyond where most people go, into uncharted territory.
Step into a field of dying blades of grass
I'm entering a desolate and barren environment.
So thick I have to use my hands
The grass is so dense that I have to push it aside with my hands to make progress.
And slowly sinking in quicksand
I'm finding myself struggling and getting stuck in this unforgiving terrain.
I'll pull away till I can see again
I'll keep going, fighting against the sinking quicksand and trying to regain my footing to find my way forward.
Staring down with a kiss from the sky
Despite the challenges, I remain hopeful and determined, focused on the beauty and inspiration that comes from above.
Unsure what feeds the flame
I don't know what motivates or inspires me, but I'm driven nevertheless.
I know a secret way
I have a personal strategy or method for overcoming obstacles and reaching my goals.
Unclear the reason why
I don't fully understand the purpose or meaning of my journey, but I continue on anyway.
I'll go in hopes to find
I'm searching for something meaningful and significant in my journey, despite the uncertainty and difficulty.
Between the field now and the river bed
I'm navigating my way through the treacherous landscape towards the river.
Inching closer to the waters edge
I'm making slow but steady progress, despite the obstacles and challenges before me.
3 rocks separate the flow
I'm observing my surroundings and noting the specific details of my environment.
Each stride I chip away the stone
I'm making progress with each step, overcoming challenges and obstacles as I move forward.
Every breath I pray a miracle
I'm relying on faith and hope to guide me in my journey, along with a profound sense of the miraculous and divine.
Raining down like a kiss from the sky
The beauty and mystery of the sky continues to inspire me as I push through the challenges of my journey.
Setting foot on solid ground again
I'm making progress towards my goal and finally regaining my footing in a more stable and secure environment.
At the hillside's steepest climb
I'm working my way towards the summit of the hill, the most difficult and challenging part of my journey.
Nearing the top I seem among the clouds
I'm getting closer to achieving my goals, and the beauty and mystery of the sky continues to inspire me.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Mike DeWolf, Nick Fredell, Phil Lipscomb, Stephen Richards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind