Guitarist Mike Connell formed the band in 1984, along with his brother David Connell on bass, Doug MacMillan on vocals, and future filmmaker John Schultz on drums. This initial four-person line-up was quickly supplemented by the addition of George Huntley on second guitar, keyboards, and vocals. Around the same time, former Johnny Quest drummer Peele Wimberley replaced Schultz, finalizing the "classic" line-up of the band.
From the beginning of the group, Mike Connell wrote both the music and the lyrics of the majority of the band’s songs, although he was not the band's primary lead singer. Connell’s influences included the 1960's guitar pop of his childhood, including The Byrds and The Beatles; in an early interview, he stated that the first song he wrote as a teenager was titled “Psychedelic Butterfly."
Like Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Connell and Huntley played Rickenbacker guitars for the first several years of the band’s career, creating a jangly, folk-rock sound reminiscent of The Byrds and other Southern U.S. and North Carolina bands of the era, such as the dB's and Let's Active.
A re-recorded version of “Darker Days” provided the title track to the band’s debut album, which was produced by fellow North Carolinian Don Dixon and released in 1985 on Elvis Costello's Demon Records in the UK and the band’s own Black Park Records label in the U.S.
After touring heavily behind Darker Days, the Connells re-entered the studio in 1986 with Dixon and R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter to record their second album, Boylan Heights. The decision to work with Easter continued to perpetuate the comparisons to R.E.M.
Although the band shopped Boylan Heights to various labels, the major record companies, including Columbia Records, which expressed some mild interest, passed on it; the record was ultimately released in 1987 on mid-major TVT Records, which had made its name releasing a series of "Tee Vee Toons" television theme song compilation CDs. TVT would prove to be no commercial match for R.E.M.'s own mid-major label, I.R.S. Records, and over the next decade, The Connells would engage in a series of disputes with the label, on at least one occasion suing, unsuccessfully, to break their recording contract.
Despite the problems with TVT, Boylan Heights was a substantial college radio hit, and The Connells continued to tour relentlessly. During this period, both Connell and Huntley began to move away from their twelve-string Rickenbackers towards six-string Fender and Gibson guitars, leading to a heavier, less folky sound on Fun and Games, the 1989 follow-up album.
Fun and Games was quickly followed in 1990 by One Simple Word, which was recorded in Wales with U.K. producer Hugh Jones.
After a three-year recording hiatus, which included more legal jousting with TVT Records, a rejuvenated Connells released Ring in 1993. While European music fans made Ring a platinum record outside the United States, such high level success in America remained elusive. 1996's Weird Food and Devastation failed to build on the momentum established by its predecessor.
In 1998, the band released Still Life, which marked their final album for TVT. The band released Old School Dropouts on the revived Black Park Records label in 2000. The band recorded the record themselves and promoted it sparingly in the American South.
Peele Wimberley and George Huntley have since left the band. Wimberley briefly played with another band called Parklife, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue interests in Hollywood and in electronic music. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles band, The Lamps.
Huntley is now selling real estate and working part time at the University of North Carolina music department.
Peele Wimberley was replaced on drums by Steve Ritter; after several years Ritter was soon replaced by Chris Stevenson on drums, and Mike Ayers took George's place on lead guitar. The new lineup recorded the album Old School Dropouts.
In 1993, they released "''74-'75" which remains their most popular song. It is based on experiences of the Class of 1975 in a high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. The video juxtaposed original yearbook pictures with the class members as they appeared at the time. And then in 2015, the producers tracked down the original members once again, and produced a remixed video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6l3Lh2cb_g
The last official release of the band was in 2001. They still occasionally perform together, including a reunion concert in 2020.
Find out
The Connells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're thinking everybody needs to know
What sets you so far apart.
On a hunch I think I could show
But we'll let you keep the part.
You gotta pull it off
When we least expect it.
Really need to see your fact on the wall
Shouldn't take more than a call
You always seem to get what you want.
Gotta full it off
When we least expect it.
Gotta pull it off...
Then we'll find out
What this is really all about.
Then I'll be the one who says "I don't believe it."
Then we'll find you
Like you'd always want us to,
Face first in your own favorite way.
The Connells's song "Find Out" is a poignant commentary on narcissism and how it is often rooted in insecurity. The lyrics speak to the idea that people who constantly try to prove their worth to others often do so because they themselves are not entirely convinced of their own value. The singer of the song is addressing someone who is constantly seeking validation and recognition from others, saying that their efforts are ultimately in vain. They urge this person to stop trying so hard and just be themselves, but acknowledge that it's unlikely to happen.
The chorus of the song, "Gotta pull it off / When we least expect it," speaks to the idea that this person is always putting on a performance, trying to impress others with their accomplishments and achievements. But the singer is skeptical of these claims, saying that they'll only believe it when they see it for themselves. Even then, they're not entirely convinced - the closing lines of the song suggest that this person is always going to be chasing something, never content with what they have.
Overall, "Find Out" is a melancholy but empathetic portrayal of a common human trait. The song acknowledges the pain and frustration caused by narcissism, but also recognizes the very real human need for validation and recognition.
Line by Line Meaning
You're thinking everybody needs to know
You assume everyone is interested in your story
What sets you so far apart.
What makes you unique from others
On a hunch I think I could show
I have a feeling I can prove you wrong
But we'll let you keep the part.
But we won't take that from you
You gotta pull it off
You must prove it
When we least expect it.
Without prior notice
Really need to see your fact on the wall
We require concrete evidence
Of a three or four star restaurant.
In a reputable place
Shouldn't take more than a call
It shouldn't be too difficult to arrange
You always seem to get what you want.
You have a successful track record.
Then we'll find out
Then we will know for sure
What this is really all about.
The true purpose of this
Then I'll be the one who says "I don't believe it."
I will be the one expressing disbelief
Then we'll find you
Then we will discover
Like you'd always want us to,
As you always intended
Face first in your own favorite way.
In your preferred manner
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID CONNELL, DOUGLAS MACMILLAN, GEORGE HUNTLEY, STEPHEN POTAK, WILLIAM WIMBERLEY JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
B Bloem
on In my Head
I always thought this was being sung to an aborted baby.