The Bravery was an alternative rock band with electronic influences, formed… Read Full Bio ↴The Bravery was an alternative rock band with electronic influences, formed in New York City in 2003. Their musical style has been compared to The Strokes, New Order and The Killers, amongst others. They are best known for three songs - 2005's "An Honest Mistake", 2007's "Time Won't Let Me Go" and 2008's "Believe". The band consists of Sam Endicott (vocals, guitar), Michael Zakarin (guitar), John Conway (keyboard), Mike Hindert (bass) and Anthony Burulcich (drums).

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

Red Hands And White Knuckles
The Bravery Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She could be found out dancin'
At Ludlow st. and Stanton
Oh, you should've seen her
Shake it up like Orangina.
And even though she's a liar
We got on like a house on fire.
Even though she's my friend
We never knew when to say when

Every little move she made was a ticker tape parade
And everything she'd say was a national holiday
And even though she's a liar
No one ever got me higher
And even though she's my friend
We never knew when to say when

With red hands and white knuckles
I tried to hold on, I tried to hold on
With red hands and white knuckles
I tried to hold on, I tried to hold on

She was at thompkin square
Staring at the grass
Trying to make her eyes turn green
But it never last
And even though she's a liar
No one ever got me higher
Cuz we never knew when to say when
Even though she was my friend

With red hands and white knuckles
I tried to hold on, I tried to hold on
With red hands and white knuckles
I tried to hold on, I tried to hold on

Over on 5th and C
She got her beers for free
And every time I came in there
She always laughed at me
She said, "Who let this child in here?"
You look like you teach math
Your appled eyes betray
You've never known loneliness

With red hands and white knuckles
I tried to hold on, I tried to hold on

With red hands and white knuckles
I tried to hold on, I tried to hold on

Overall Meaning

The Bravery's song Red Hands And White Knuckles is a song about a relationship with a woman who has a magnetic and charismatic personality, but at the same time, she's a liar. The song seems to be about someone who knows they shouldn't be involved with this woman, but they can't help themselves. It starts with the description of the woman and how she's always dancing and brightening up the room. The singer of the song admits that even though she's a liar, they get on like a house on fire. However, they never knew when to say when, indicating that their relationship was probably toxic and self-destructive.

The chorus of the song "With red hands and white knuckles, I tried to hold on" indicates the singer’s struggle to hold on to this person who they knew wasn’t good for them. They knew they needed to let go, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it. The lyrics continue with the description of the woman and her lying, but the singer admits that no one ever got them higher than she did. They were addicted to her even though they knew it was probably bad for them.

The second verse of the song continues with the description of this woman and her constant search for something that she could never quite find. She's always staring at the grass, trying to make her eyes turn green, but it never lasts. The chorus repeats, this time with an additional line "I tried to let go but I held on" indicating that the singer tried to end the relationship but couldn't.

Overall, the song seems to be about a self-destructive relationship that the singer knows they need to end but can't bring themselves to do it. They're addicted to the person even though they know it's not good for them.

Line by Line Meaning

She could be found out dancin'
She often frequented a place to dance

At Ludlow st. and Stanton
The specific place she danced was the intersection of Ludlow St. and Stanton

Oh, you should've seen her
She was a sight to behold

Shake it up like Orangina.
She had incredible dance moves

And even though she's a liar
Although she has a habit of not telling the truth

We got on like a house on fire.
We had a great relationship

We never knew when to say when
We often went too far

Every little move she made was a ticker tape parade
She was always the center of attention

And everything she'd say was a national holiday
She had a way with words and always commanded attention

No one ever got me higher
She brought joy and excitement to my life

She was at thompkin square
She was seen at Tompkins Square Park