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
The Everlasting
Taproot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The radio choke's out my favorite song
I hear sirens, they sing along, through the walls
My pulse is pumping to the beat outside
A violent screaming rise and shine
Waves of helplessness reach to the sky, with heartbreak eyes
And as the walls around come crashing down
I ask myself how am I still around
It's easy
It's beautiful
It's simple
The everlasting Sunday glow
I won't let you in
Don't push me away
I turn the music up a little more
Trying to drown out what's in store
There's a battle raging right outside my door, it's all over
Head downstairs
Empty table
The TV glares
A criminal has been declared, beware
And as the walls around come crashing down
I ask myself how am I still around
It's easy
It's beautiful
It's simple
The everlasting Sunday glow
I won't let you in
Time and time and time again
We seem to break before we bend
It's easy
It's beautiful
It's simple
The everlasting Sunday glow
I won't let you in
So don't push me away
The song "The Everlasting" by Taproot is a powerful piece that tells the story of a person who is struggling to cope with the chaos and violence in their environment. The lyrics describe the harsh reality of living in a world where life can be taken away at any moment. The opening lines set the tone for the song's intense emotion and tension. The singer talks about the blood that is still warm and the radio choking out his favorite song. He hears sirens singing in the background and the pulse of violence outside. He feels waves of helplessness and heartbreak, but somehow he manages to survive.
As the song progresses, the singer tries to drown out the external noise by turning up his music. However, the reality of what's happening outside his door is too much to ignore. He hears an announcement on TV about a criminal declared, and he realizes how vulnerable he is. The walls come crashing down, and he questions how he is still alive. The chorus is about the singer's self-protection, how he won't let anyone in because of the fear and danger that surrounds him.
In conclusion, the song captures the experience of living in a dangerous world, where violence and chaos are always lurking around the corner. It's about trying to survive in such an environment, and how it can leave a lasting impact that can be both beautiful and haunting. The Everlasting is a powerful reminder of the ways in which we try to shield ourselves from the pain and uncertainty of life, even if it means keeping those around us at arm's length.
Line by Line Meaning
It's 8am and her blood's still warm
The morning has just begun and she is still alive, but barely hanging on
The radio choke's out my favorite song
The radio is staticky and distorted, ruining the enjoyment of a favorite song
I hear sirens, they sing along, through the walls
Sirens can be heard in the distance, almost making a melody along with the song and coming through walls
My pulse is pumping to the beat outside
The beat of the music and the beat of the outside world are cooperating to get his heart racing
A violent screaming rise and shine
There are loud and aggressive sounds outside, much to his dismay, signaling a rise in action and movement for the day
Waves of helplessness reach to the sky, with heartbreak eyes
A feeling of being trapped and powerless fills him, seemingly reaching towards the heavens, while feeling a deep sense of sorrow
And as the walls around come crashing down
The very foundation of life as he knows it is collapsing around him
I ask myself how am I still around
He wonders how he is still able to function in such an unstable environment, full of chaos and danger
It's easy
Referring to the state of mind where one is numb and desensitized to the constant threat of danger
It's beautiful
Perceiving the situation to be idyllic and peaceful, despite the ongoing chaos
It's simple
Despite the constant threat of danger, it’s a simple life that he leads
The everlasting Sunday glow
A state of mind that exists in a peaceful Sunday morning, that seems to never end despite external conflicts
I won't let you in
Referring to his refusal to let anyone intervene in his peaceful bubble, even if it's for his own good
Don't push me away
A plea to not be ostracized, despite the compulsive need to stay away from others
Time and time and time again
Despite constant efforts to maintain peace and perpetuate constant calmness, it’s a never-ending cycle
We seem to break before we bend
Even with the constant barrage of trials and struggles, there is an inability to cope and adapt while maintaining composure
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Mike DeWolf, Nick Fredell, Phil Lipscomb, Stephen Richards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@krzysztofmedyna3661
Such a beautiful song from a band I wish got so much more credit.
@MrMattodude
Agreed ^_^
@DrMurdercock
Blame Fred Durst
@ScarecrowHillTv
We'll always have a soft spot for this band. They're always a lot of fun to play shows with, and great guys.
@LifeAfterDeathTube
such a beautiful song.
@meatshield72
I wish they played it the other night. THey did play I and BIrthday so that was well worth the price of admission.
@SHADOWBURNband
We love these guys! They are so cool, and a huge influence on our music!
@chrisfrye7884
i was skeptical at first of taproot's new sound, but it has grown on me and i love it. they changed, didn't sell out, and are still one of my favorite groups
@MoraisGaming
Love this song :,3 Keep it up guys, love from Portugal!
@marcotaproot
Grande Morais,nunca pensei que és fan de taproot! #Taproot4life