Formation and Debut
The band formed in 1997 in Southern California with Crisci and Pillar joining bassist Jason Wickersheim and drummer Louie Ruiz under the name December's Tragic Drive (derived from lyrics of the song, "Seven" by Sunny Day Real Estate). The following year, the band - now billed as The Appleseed Cast - signed to Deep Elm Records out of North Carolina and released their debut album, The End Of The Ring Wars, an album which met with considerable approval from the emo and underground scenes, as incendiary tracks like "Marigold & Patchwork" were essentially blueprints for the emo style. However, the album was also criticized in some quarters (most notably by Pitchforkmedia) for sticking too closely to a style already well explored by previous acts such as Braid and Sunny Day Real Estate.
Mare Vitalis
In 1999, the band relocated to Lawrence, Kansas without Ruiz, recruiting new drummer Josh "Cobra" Baruth. Later that same year they entered the Red House studio in Eudora, Kansas with Producer Ed Rose who would go on to produce their next four records. The end result was Mare Vitalis, the band's second full-length album. The album showed progression from the dynamics-heavy rock of The End of The Ring Wars. Essentially a concept album on the movements of the sea (encapsulated in such song titles as "Mare Mortis," and "Poseidon" ), the album is a fan favourite, heavy on atmosphere, crescendo, subtly undulating guitar arpeggios and the percussive, intricate drumming of Baruth, who clearly brought a new dimension to the band's sonic palette.
The band completed Mare Vitalis in late 1999, but tensions were developing between the band and Wickersheim. In January of 2000, Pillar asked his roommate, St. Joseph, Missouri-native Marc Young, if he would be interested in playing bass for them, for one show. Young agreed, however the show they spoke of and agreed upon, never materialized. Regardless, Wickersheim officially departed the group that same month with Young replacing him on bass.
Low Level Owl & Lost Songs
After touring Mare Vitalis, the Appleseed Cast once again entered the studio in late 2000 to begin work on what would be their most ambitious project to date. Eager to fulfill their five record deal with Deep Elm, the band embarked on a double LP, with Ed Rose once again at the helm. Low Level Owl Volume One was released on August 21, 2001 with Volume Two following on October 23.
The tracks were woven seamlessly together into album-length soundscapes, revealing a hitherto unnoticed post-rock influence. The complex vocal arrangements and enigmatic lyrics were buried in the mix underneath simple, repeated guitar riffs, swathes of keyboards and found sounds, and Baruth's inventive, intricate drum patterns. The pieces containing vocals and lyrics were connected by ambient-influenced instrumentals. The Low Level Owl albums seemed both to be a natural progression from the more song-oriented Mare Vitalis and a complete shock, the previously disparaging Pitchforkmedia website giving the project a glowing review. However, some critics were put off by the intentionally repetitive nature, not only of much of the guitar playing but also the ambient instrumental interludes.
The band followed their Low Level Owl project with the release of Lost Songs the following year. The album was a collection of songs recorded shortly after the release of The End of The Ring Wars, songs which were considered unfinished. In 2002 vocals and overdubs were added to the "lost songs" and issued as the Appleseed Cast's final release on the Deep Elm label.
Two Conversations
The Appleseed Cast signed with the New York based indie label Tiger Style Records in 2003 and released Two Conversations shortly afterward. Touring keyboardist Jordan Geiger was officially credited as a band member on the album. Two Conversations was met with mixed reviews.
Some viewed the album with dismay, regarding the more conventional song structures, the less diverse sonic palette and the personal, relationship-driven lyrics as a blatant retreat after the no-holds-barred experimentation, depth and complexity of the Low Level Owl project. However, others saw the album as an assured combination of the driving emo-rock of their early work subtly embellished with elements of the Low Level Owl sound.
During the recording of the album and the subsequent tour, tensions mounted once again, this time with drummer Josh "Cobra" Baruth. Rumors began to surface in the spring and summer of 2004 that Baruth was no longer a part of the group, and were confirmed on the band's website later that year.
Following the confirmation the band went on hiatus. Crisci began working with his side-project Old Canes and Geiger returned to his band, Minus Story. In the meantime Tiger Style, in financial difficulties, was forced to drop the band from their label after just one album.
Rebirth & Peregrine
Throughout late 2004 and much of 2005 little to no word travelled on the band's current situation. This began to change later in the year as news of drummer auditions began to spread. The band auditioned with many drummers including part-time Old Canes drummer Aaron Coker who later went on to tour with Reggie & The Full Effect. The position eventually went to the Casket Lottery drummer, Nathan Richardson (affectionately known in the KC-area as "Nate Jr.")
With a new drummer in place, the band was signed by the Militia Group in 2005 and announced they were returning to the studio in October.
The recording sessions for Peregrine, the Appleseed Cast's sixth full-length album, were held in Cannon Falls, Minnesota at Pachyderm Recording Studios. The sessions were produced by John Congleton, as opposed to their regular producer Ed Rose. The band returned from the studio later that year and began mixing and mastering the 13 new songs recorded for the album.
Lead singer and guitarist Chris Crisci stated on the band's website "...I don't know if I've felt better about a record this early since Mare Vitalis." The album is arguably more eclectic than any previous release in their catalogue, the Low Level Owl indebted piece "Here We Are (Family In The Hallways)" sitting alongside the more conventional, guitar-driven "February" and the stark, electronica of "Mountain Halo."
Peregrine was released on March 21, 2006.
Nathan Richardson left the band in the summer of 2006. Old Canes drummer Aaron Coker will play with the band during their Autumn tour.
Sagarmatha
Sagarmatha was released on February 17, 2009. When asked about the next album (previously discussed as an entirely instrumental EP) in an interview, Chris Crisci had this to say; "Well, the idea is still there, although it has morphed into a mostly instrumental full length. There's songs that have 45 seconds of vocals and 6 minutes of instrumental. There's songs that are entirely instrumental, and there's one song with complete vocals that clocks in at about 2:30." This was announced on the band's Myspace, where they also uploaded a demo of "Road West", a new instrumental song that will be featured on Sagarmatha.
Recording sessions were held at Black Lodge Recording in Eudora, KS with Ed Rose after unsuccessful attempts to arrange John Congleton to helm the recording. The album contains 9 songs in total with a good mix of instrumental and some new things vocally. The song "The New Stage (For So Long)" is supposed to be included in the LP version of the album. Three demos were released on their MySpace; the fore-mentioned "Road West" and more recently "A Bright Light" and "Summer Before."
Bassist Marc Young and drummer Aaron Coker have apparently left the band, according to the band's MySpace. They have been replaced with Nate Whitman of Black Christmas and John Momberg of The Dactyls, on bass and drums respectively.
Losing Touching Searching
The Appleseed Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
theres no chance
we'll get there in time
we couldnt find a place that night.
we were lost, and stuck together
we were lost with ourselves
and we were lost with each other
where's this place we need to see?
there's no sign.
theres no chance,
we'll get there in time.
if we could've found another place,
to see ourselves and crack the code,
we could've made them know,
there's no signs on that road.
caught in the space below.
with no signs of where to go.
your heart is just another road-
another place that i cant go..
so we sit and contemplate
"the world's become a big mistake."
but here we are in the middle,
trying to work out this riddle..
The Appleseed Cast's song "Losing Touching Searching" is a reflection on the human experience of feeling lost in life. The opening verses set the tone of the song with the lyrics, "there's no sign, there's no chance, we'll get there in time." They suggest a sense of hopelessness and a lack of direction. The lines "we were lost, and stuck together, we were lost with ourselves, and we were lost with each other" further illustrate the shared struggle of feeling lost between people. The chorus repeats the idea of there being no signs, no chances and no time, further emphasizing the futility and confusion of the situation.
The second verse of the song questions where this elusive "place" is that we need to be in and see. It seems that the place is a metaphor for a sense of purpose or direction that we all long for in life. The lyrics suggest that we are searching for something, but we don't know what it is or where to look for it. The phrase "caught in the space below, with no signs of where to go" paints a picture of being trapped, with no escape or solution in sight. The line "your heart is just another road, another place that I can't go" suggests that we all carry our own struggles and challenges, and that ultimately, we are alone in our search for meaning.
The final verse of the song is perhaps the most poignant. The lyrics "so we sit and contemplate, 'the world's become a big mistake.' but here we are in the middle, trying to work out this riddle" speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with difficult, existential questions. The metaphor of a riddle suggests that life is a puzzle to be solved, but one that is incredibly complex and difficult to understand. Ultimately, the song's message is one of shared humanity and the acknowledgement that we are all lost and searching for meaning at times.
Line by Line Meaning
theres no sign
There are no indicators or clues to guide us
theres no chance
It seems unlikely to achieve our goal
we'll get there in time
We won't arrive at our destination before it's too late
we couldnt find a place that night.
We were unable to locate a suitable location during the evening
we were lost, and stuck together
We were unsure of our surroundings and unable to move on
we were lost with ourselves
We were unsure of our own identity or purpose
and we were lost with each other
We were unsure of each other's motives or intentions
where's this place we need to be?
Where is our intended destination?
where's this place we need to see?
Where is the location we should visualize or imagine?
if we could've found another place,
If only we had located an alternative destination
to see ourselves and crack the code,
To gain insight into our own identity and solve the puzzle
we could've made them know,
We could have conveyed our knowledge to others
there's no signs on that road.
There are no markers or indications along that path
caught in the space below.
Trapped in the area below the surface
with no signs of where to go.
Without any indication of which direction to take
your heart is just another road-
Your personal emotions and desires are akin to a path
another place that i cant go..
I am not able to access that destination
so we sit and contemplate
We are seated and pondering
"the world's become a big mistake."
We believe that the current state of the world is a massive error
but here we are in the middle,
Despite our confusion, we are still in the center of our situation
trying to work out this riddle..
Attempting to decipher or solve the confusing scenario we find ourselves in
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind