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
Myself
Taproot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could I win in the end?
And if I was sane
Would I fuck it up all over again?
These questions and answers
Can help me redefine myself
And I thank your open ears for all their help
More
Shame
Is what I see for myself
I need to change for my health
I need a better way of life for myself
If I stay the same
How long will I last?
Yet if I change
Will I still just be alone and typecast?
Professional answers
Can't help me to design myself
So I thank your open arms for all their help
No
More
Shame
Is what I see for myself
I need to change for my health
I need a better way of life for myself
Caressing gateways of the mind
(over matter through space as time)
Heals wounds inspiring gifts of light
(inside myself just need some time)
Just need some time to myself
To figure it out
Cause I've got no doubt
Then when my dreams come true
It's because of you
And the fact that I let you
(and I thank you)
No
No
More
Shame
Is what I see for myself
I need to change for my health
I need a better way of life for myself
Caressing gateways of our minds
(over matter through space as time)
Heals wounds inspiring gifts of light
(inside ourselves just need)
Time
The song 'Myself' by Taproot is about self-discovery and the struggle to find a better way of life. The singer is questioning their own sanity, wondering if they are capable of winning at the game of life. They acknowledge that if they continue down the same path, they will not last long, but they are also afraid that if they change, they will still be alone and misunderstood. The song suggests that finding a solution to their problems is a process, and the singer needs time to figure things out on their own.
The opening question of whether life is a game sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is concerned about winning or losing and the consequences of not changing their ways. They are honest about their flaws and past mistakes. However, they also emphasize that they have a desire to change for their own sake. The lyrics "no more shame is what I see for myself" demonstrate the singer's commitment to self-improvement.
The chorus that repeats "caressing gateways of the mind" suggests that the singer is exploring their inner thoughts to find a way forward. They believe that by doing so, they will be able to heal their wounds and find inspiration. The use of the phrase "over matter through space as time" could mean that the singer believes that time and distance will be necessary to heal their wounds, as they seek to overcome their own personal struggles.
Overall, 'Myself' is a powerful song about self-discovery and the struggle to find a better way of life. The lyrics are honest, genuine and introspective, and the use of metaphors adds depth to the message that the song is trying to convey.
Line by Line Meaning
If life was a game
Contemplating the outcome of my existence as if it was a game
Could I win in the end?
Wondering whether I can succeed in life's journey
And if I was sane
Considering the possibility of being mentally sound
Would I fuck it up all over again?
Questioning whether I would still make mistakes even if I were mentally healthy
These questions and answers
The answers to these questions
Can help me redefine myself
Can aid me in establishing a sense of identity
And I thank your open ears for all their help
Expressing gratitude to a person who listened and provided support
No
More
Shame
Is what I see for myself
I envision a life free of shame
I need to change for my health
I must transform myself for the sake of my wellbeing
I need a better way of life for myself
I desire an improved quality of life
If I stay the same
In the event that I do not evolve
How long will I last?
How much time do I have left before change is necessary?
Yet if I change
However, if I do change
Will I still just be alone and typecast?
Will I remain isolated and only fit a certain stereotype?
Professional answers
The opinions of experts
Can't help me to design myself
Cannot assist me in developing my sense of self
So I thank your open arms for all their help
Expressing gratitude to a person who provided support and comfort
Caressing gateways of the mind
Exploring the depths of consciousnesses
(over matter through space as time)
(using the power of thought to transcend the physical world)
Heals wounds inspiring gifts of light
Curing emotional and psychological trauma, thereby unlocking creativity and enlightenment
(inside myself just need some time)
(after all, I only require some solitude)
Just need some time to myself
Craving for solitude to reflect on matters of the mind
To figure it out
To determine a solution
Cause I've got no doubt
Because I am absolutely sure
Then when my dreams come true
At the moment when my aspirations are achieved
It's because of you
That realization would not have been possible without your contribution
(and I thank you)
(and thus, I express my gratitude)
Caressing gateways of our minds
Exploring the depths of our collective thought processes
(over matter through space as time)
(using the power of thought to transcend time and space)
Heals wounds inspiring gifts of light
Curing emotional and psychological trauma, thereby unlocking creativity and enlightenment
(inside ourselves just need)
(internally, we need)
Time
Ultimately, time is what we require for self-improvement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JARROD DOUGLAS MONTAGUE, MICHAEL FREDERICK DE WOLF, PHILIP M. LIPSCOMB, STEPHEN STEELE RICHARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind