Their HQ is on the corner of Mott and Broome, on the edge of New York's Chinatown. Push through the graffiti-ed door, clamber up the rotten stairs, past the sweatshops, and you'll find the place. It's where the Bravery have spent the past two years planning operations, obsessively working up their wire-y garage-electronics, and occasionally venturing out into the city to play the results.
Their first gig was in the Stinger Club in Brooklyn in 2003. Twelve months later, their name was plastered all over the Lower East Side to celebrate a sold-out residency at Arlene's Grocery on Stanton. In that time, the Bravery -- singer/guitarist Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, bassist Mike H, keyboardist John Conway, and drummer Anthony Burulcich -- had honed their sound to a dark garage-electro and made sure everyone knew what they were all about.
"We're called the Bravery because that's the mindset I was in when I was writing the songs," explains Sam now. "Everyone in my age group wants to know what they're going to do with their lives. They all think that they're worth nothing and they're heading nowhere. People are drowning in these thoughts and I just got sick of it. I didn't want to be like that."
"The name is also connected with living in New York in this really weird time. People are constantly waiting for something bad to happen. I wrote these songs and formed this band to make sure I didn't get overcome by that sense of fear. That's what this band is about--standing tall and not being afraid."
Sam has no time for excuses. He grew up in Maryland, in the D.C. suburbs, and was heavily influenced by the area's intense post-punk scene. He'd go and see bands like Fugazi and Jawbox and be impressed by their DiY ethic. He quickly adopted it as his own philosophy and it's something that feeds directly into the Bravery. They do everything --they make the records, the artwork, the videos. Everything. They know what they want and how they want to do it.
"I don't really like mainstream music at all," admits Sam. "When I listen to the radio or watch MTV, 99% of it is like listening to an air-conditioner or a hair dryer. Sometimes, though, something comes along that jolts you. When I was growing up, it was bands like Nirvana and Jane's Addiction. Those bands elevate culture. I don't think there's any point in aiming for anything less."
One thing that sometimes puzzles people about the Bravery is why they sound electronic when all the bands they like are punk guitar bands. Sam doesn't know why they sound like they do. He just wanted to do something different. Of course, the circumstances in which they recorded their album (most of which was constructed in a Sam's bedroom with Radio Shack mikes and an old iMac) and the fact that Sam's best friend John Conway is totally obsessed with analog keyboards obviously helped shape their sound.
The Bravery are now signed to Loog in the U.K. and Island Def Jam in America. Their first release arrived in November, 2004 in the form of a brilliant three-track EP. The Bravery have since had success with their self titled debut album, released in 2005, and a top ten hit in the UK with their single 'Honest Mistake'.
In late 2006, the band played a limited number of small shows on the US East Coast and in South America to showcase new material from their upcoming 2nd album. Endicott describes the new album as a departure from the synth-heavy sound of their debut. The Sun and the Moon is currently scheduled for release May. In February, the band uploaded a medley of three new songs onto their official page, with minute long clips of three new tracks due to be included on the forthcoming album. Since then, their newest album 'The Sun and The Moon' has been climbing the charts, with the first single 'Time Won't Let Me Go' receiving praise from critics. its test
After the release of The Sun and The Moon, The Bravery has taken a leave of absence for the members to pursue their own individual projects. An excerpt from The Bravery's official website:
"To answer your many queries, the band has not “broken up,” nothing so dramatic as that. We just aren’t doing anything together and don’t have any plans to for the foreseeable future. There’s been no “falling out,” no bad blood, we all just have different interests now and are involved in our own projects." -Sam Endicott 4-25-14
Public Service Announcement
The Bravery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One of these days you'd follow me home
Mess up my room and proceed to tempt me
And no matter how good I am you learn to resent me
Stop, drop and roll you're on fire
I'm stingy with words
You put the broke in broken hearted
You put the art in retarded
The lyrics of The Bravery's song Public Service Announcement seem to explore a romantic relationship where one partner is dissatisfied with the other. The lines "all this time I should have known, one of these days you'd follow me home, mess up my room and proceed to tempt me" suggest that the other partner is causing chaos and temptation in the singer's life. Despite the singer's efforts to be good, the other partner "learns to resent" them anyway.
The next line, "stop, drop and roll you're on fire," is a play on words that seems to imply the advice of quickly trying to extinguish flames after a fire has started, but in the context of the song, it could be interpreted as advice for the partner causing the chaos to stop their destructive behavior.
The last two lines, "I'm stingy with words, all binge, no purge, you put the broke in brokenhearted, you put the art in retarded," are quite harsh and may suggest that the singer is feeling hurt and angry. The imagery of "all binge, no purge" suggests an unhealthy relationship between the two partners, where one is consuming everything without any release or relief. The following two lines are somewhat insulting, with "you put the broke in brokenhearted" implying that the partner has made the singer feel even more brokenhearted than before and "you put the art in retarded" potentially implying that the partner's attempts to seduce or attract the singer are not very successful.
Line by Line Meaning
All this time I should have known
I should have foreseen the eventual outcome all along
One of these days you'd follow me home
I knew deep down inside that you'd tail me someday
Mess up my room and proceed to tempt me
You'll make a mess in my chamber to lure me to succumb to your desires
And no matter how good I am you learn to resent me
Even if I'm at my best, you'll still end up hating me
Stop, drop and roll you're on fire
You're in deep trouble and need to act fast to get out of it
I'm stingy with words
I'm cautious with my words and don't speak much
All binge, no purge
I indulge excessively without any moderation or self-control
You put the broke in broken hearted
You're the reason why I'm completely shattered and unhappy
You put the art in retarded
You're the root of my foolishness and lack of judgment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SAMUEL BINGHAM ENDICOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind