The Apache Relay takes more long car rides than most bands. But only a portion of their car time is dedicated to their touring schedule — the rest is something like driving in the middle of the night from Nashville to Alabama and back, just to listen to a new record 12 consecutive times. Despite their wagon’s sketchy brakes, this happens a lot. It’s where the indie-roots band discovered a shared love for the timelessness of Motown records, the weight of Springsteen’s Nebraska, the textures of modern rock bands, as well as the intensity of really skilled acoustic players.
It’s also where they cemented their bond, spontaneously forming the band after just one gig at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Now, just over two years later, The Apache Relay is releasing their second album, American Nomad, a modern and young roots-rock collection produced by Nielson Hubbard. Their debut 1988, was released in 2009, produced by Doug Williams best known for his authentically raw approach with the Avett Brothers. The record cracked the door to reveal the band’s capabilities, and Paste Magazine named it an “Auspicious Debut” and highlighted the band as “Best of What’s Next.”
Since then, they’ve continued solid and non-stop touring, securing a fervent fanbase for their jumping-up-and-down energetic shows. “Power Hungry Animals” is one song culled from that energy and growth as musicians. “The lyrics are a bit harsh in that it’s a response to my first trials with music industry politics and coming to terms with the idea that control is just an illusion,” says Michael Ford Jr. “But there is an element of freedom and joy in that awareness and the music reflects that.”
Indeed, the song’s refrain “souls cannot be fooled,” is driven at first by separate layers, then swelling together into a flood of sound with Kellen Wenrich’s fiddle almost indistinguishable from Mike Harris’ (insert electric guitar name here) and Brett Moore’s keys. It’s the essence of Apache Relay’s own wall of sound — culled from different instruments, voices and approaches.
Ford Jr. found his bandmates by chance in a dorm in Nashville, where he was becoming known for his songwriting. His first introduction was to guitarist Mike Harris, who circumvented the music school’s practice hour rules pretty much any time he wanted. Harris would roll his amp into Ford Jr.’s room to jam on Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn tunes into the night. Later, when Ford Jr. started disliking performing his songs alone, he heard about Harris’ new band, The Apache Relay (named for the underdog race in Ben Stiller’s Heavyweights). And though Ford Jr. had never heard or met the trio with Moore and Wenrich — he hired them to back him at a show, and all four musicians knew they had started something special.
There was something about the talent and chemistry that everyone brought to the table that just worked right off the bat. Mixed in is a Bad Brains bumper sticker, a bit of Suzuki training, jazz lessons, a lot of Beatles listening, knowledge of traditional mountain music, a worship of Phil Spector and the love for the complex but accessible layers of bands like the Arcade Fire.
As a lyricist, Michael Ford Jr. has an unvarnished way of presenting the joy of infatuation or the sadness of loss. It’s youthful in a way, in that it grasps of deeper emotions before time starts making them more complex and overwrought. But the songs are transformed by his bandmates, as with the title track, a pop-influenced melding of the electric and acoustic into an infectious momentum. “The song was originally written as ballad, but when I played it for the guys and they gave it a new life by speeding up the tempo and it quickly became the backbone and a favorite at our shows.”
“Home Is Not Places” is another highlight and perhaps a companion song, brimming over with space-filling sounds, tempo changes and a robust chorus of 15 friends in the studio. “It’s a song that that battles the feelings of isolation and homesickness while touring. It’s the idea home can be found in a community not a physical place.”
The one song he didn’t pen for American Nomad is Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” a song that became a linchpin for the band. “We all were influenced by Nebraska, and we played the song out of necessity in the very beginning because we didn’t have enough material to fill the set,” says Ford Jr.
White Light
The Apache Relay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shine bright, if I run too far
Too far from my mind, further from my one true line
Its hard for my kind, harder still to seek and never find
Sweet saturn star, fallen so far
Show me the way, out of the dark
Shadows, shadows of my doubt
Demons, I will cast them out
The scar in my side, plea for you to hear my cry
Sweet saturn star, fallen so far
Show me the way, out of the dark
Sweet saturn star, fallen so far
Show me the way, out of the dark
The Apache Relay's song White Light seems to be a cry for help from someone who is lost, both physically and mentally. The "white light" mentioned in the song can be interpreted in a number of ways; it could represent a sudden revelation or moment of clarity, or it could be a metaphor for a distant star that the singer is reaching out to for guidance. The first verse sets the tone of the song, with the singer acknowledging that they've gone too far from their "one true line," and that it's difficult for them to keep searching without finding what they're looking for. In the second verse, the singer calls on the "sweet saturn star" to show them the way out of the darkness that they're in.
Line by Line Meaning
White light, of a sudden star
The blinding, pure light of a star appearing out of nowhere.
Shine bright, if I run too far
If I venture too far from my comfort zone, the light will guide me back.
Too far from my mind, further from my one true line
The further away I get from my own thoughts, the harder it is for me to stay true to my path.
Its hard for my kind, harder still to seek and never find
It's difficult to be the type of person who constantly searches for something without ever finding it.
Sweet saturn star, fallen so far
A beautiful, celestial body that has lost its way.
Show me the way, out of the dark
Lead me toward the light and away from the unknown darkness.
Shadows, shadows of my doubt
Uncertainty and fear lurking in the back of my mind.
Demons, I will cast them out
I will rid myself of the negative thoughts and emotions that haunt me.
Begone from my mind, lead me through the great divine
Remove all negativity from my thoughts and guide me towards something greater.
The scar in my side, plea for you to hear my cry
My pain and hurts serve as a cry for help to be heard and healed.
Sweet saturn star, fallen so far
Once again, referencing the beauty and innocence of a celestial body that has gone astray.
Show me the way, out of the dark
Reiterated plea to be led away from the unknown towards a path of light and certainty.
Writer(s): Brett Moore, Brian Fennell, Kevin Augunas, Michael Ford, Kellen Wenrich, ben for, Michael Harris, Johnathan Rice
Contributed by Madelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Knock U Out
Such an underrated song! I don't understand why this song has only 5k views. This song perfectly goes with a midnight drive when you are with your loved one and friends. I imagine boundless fields on either side of the field and at the front you have these vast mountains touching the sky where dwells the full moon. You're riding in a convertible and the wind blowing your hair is just pleasantly cool. You are in the wild and there is no one else around other than your friends, lover and reindeers who are moving out of the way as you drive toward the mountains. Then all of a sudden you perceive a meteor shower and you realize this world is a beautiful place and this moment is never coming back.
Hermann Alejandro Soto Müller
Damn, and I'm just listening to it in my toilet :(
Hexx
Wow great harmony , I'd love to hear this live.
teresa kelly
Love this song when I am driving.
ism schism
Very nice! (Got lyrics?)
Noel Fowles
this should have 2 million views