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
The Ocean
The Bravery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At all of the lives that I never have led
There's one where I stayed with you across the sea
I wonder, do you still think of me?
I carry your image always in my head
Folded and yellowed and torn at the edge
And I've looked upon it for so many years
Slowly I am losing your face
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
The ocean rolls us away
Sixes and sevens, we live on jet planes
So many faces, I don't know the names
So many friends now and none of them mine
Forgotten as soon as we meet
All of these moments are lost in time
But you caught in my head like a thorn on a vine
To forever torment me and I wonder why
Do I wish I'd never known you at all
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
The ocean rolls us away
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
The ocean rolls us away
The sun and the moon, an ocean of air
So many voices and nothing is there
But the ghost of you asking me why, why did I leave?
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
The ocean rolls us away
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
And I loose your hand through the waves
In The Bravery's song "The Ocean," the lyrics explore the idea of missed opportunities and lost connections. The singer stands atop a mountain, reflecting on the different lives they could have lived and the relationships they could have had. They carry the memory of someone they left behind, someone whose face they are forgetting with the passing of time. The singer is tormented by thoughts of what could have been and wonders if they would have been better off never knowing this person at all. The lyrics also touch on the transitory nature of life, the fleeting connections we make with others, and the feeling of being lost in a sea of people and experiences.
The repetition of the line, "The ocean rolls us away," serves as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of life's experiences and how they can sweep us away from people and moments we hold dear. The chorus serves as a reminder of the impermanence of our connections and how easily we can be pulled apart from one another.
Overall, "The Ocean" is a poignant reflection on the inevitability of change and the passage of time. It highlights the importance of cherishing the connections we make with others and the memories we create along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I climbed up a mountain and looked off the edge
I reflected on my life and considered the paths I could have taken.
At all of the lives that I never have led
I thought about the alternate realities where I made different choices.
There's one where I stayed with you across the sea
In one alternate reality, I stayed with you and didn't leave.
I wonder, do you still think of me?
I'm curious about whether or not you still have thoughts about me.
I carry your image always in my head
I always think about you and our memories together.
Folded and yellowed and torn at the edge
The picture I have of you is old and worn out from being carried around so much.
And I've looked upon it for so many years
I've held onto this image of you for a long time.
Slowly I am losing your face
I'm starting to forget exactly what you looked like.
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
The passage of time and distance separates us, like waves in the ocean.
Sixes and sevens, we live on jet planes
We live fast-paced lives, traveling frequently by plane.
So many faces, I don't know the names
I meet so many people that I can't keep track of all their names.
So many friends now and none of them mine
I have many acquaintances, but no one who truly knows me.
Forgotten as soon as we meet
Our interactions are fleeting and easily forgotten.
All of these moments are lost in time
The moments we share are temporary and fade away.
But you're caught in my head like a thorn on a vine
Despite forgettable moments with others, thoughts of you persist like a painful memory.
To forever torment me and I wonder why
I'm plagued by thoughts of you and wonder why I can't let go.
Do I wish I'd never known you at all
I question whether it would be easier if we had never met.
The sun and the moon, an ocean of air
The sky above us is vast and ever-changing.
So many voices and nothing is there
Despite hearing so many sounds, there's a sense of emptiness.
But the ghost of you asking me why, why did I leave?
Even in mundane moments, thoughts of you haunt me and guilt me for leaving.
Oh, The ocean rolls us away, away, away
The passage of time and distance separates us, like waves in the ocean.
And I lose your hand through the waves
I'm losing my grasp on our connection as it's carried away by the tide.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL BINGHAM ENDICOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind