Formed in the winter of 2012, The Effie Afton is an indie singer/songwriter… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in the winter of 2012, The Effie Afton is an indie singer/songwriter rock band from the Quad City area of Illinois/Iowa.

MEMBERS

Tim Smith (vocals, guitar) grew up performing with the Moline Boys Choir, where he first developed a love of music and met future bandmate Benjamin Larson. He received his first guitar at 14 and began writing songs soon after. The young guitar player met a drummer in high school named Matt Toomey and the two began playing together.

Benjamin Larson (guitar,vocals) also spent his childhood performing in the Moline Boys Choir. Despite meeting in the MBC, Ben and Tim did not collaborate until the winter of 2011, when Ben asked Tim to play Christmas jazz at a local mall. The two began playing together and eventually formed The Effie Afton.

Matt Toomey (drums, bass) began playing the drums in his teenage years. He listened to various genres of music, but was trained as a jazz drummer. He performed in various bands with Tim before becoming a founding member of The Effie Afton.

Derick Kaptiena (bass, vocals) met Tim, Ben, and Matt through a mutual friend and joined The Effie Afton in the summer of 2013.

LIVE

The Effie Afton made their debut on December 29th, 2012 at the Rozz-Tox with Sunset 4Ever. Since then, they have performed with many different artists on a variety of stages. Some of the venues they have performed at include RIBCO, the River Music Experience, Uptown Bill’s, Silvie’s Lounge, and the Rozz-Tox. They continue to book shows all over.

RECORDING

To date, The Effie Afton has released two EPS. The first, titled ‘The Living Room Session’, is an acoustic 5 song digital album. It was recorded live at Randy’s(former) house with him playing drums and Matt on bass. The outfit’s second release is a self-titled EP including a handmade sleeve and disc. It was recorded at Smith and Toomey’s houses and all of the mixing was done there as well. Both EPs are available on the store page.

ORIGIN

The band takes it’s name from an event in local history. In the mid 1800s, a railroad bridge spanning the Mississippi River was proposed. There was much opposition from the local steamboat captains who couldn’t compete with the business a train could do. The motion carried and the bridge was erected in Rock Island. Just a few weeks after it’s completion, a steamboat went through the bridge. The ship turned around and crashed into the bridge and both burned.

This Gentle Breeze
The Effie Afton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This gentle breeze
Is bringing back
Memories of who I once was
So long ago, before our fall

So strange to feel
So foreign to
This life I built before me and you

So long ago, before our fall

And what was it all for
The calm before the storm
It caused us to transform

I gave it all

I gave it all
I gave it all for what

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "This Gentle Breeze" by The Effie Afton convey a sense of nostalgia and reflection on a past self and a relationship that has faced hardships. The opening lines, "This gentle breeze, is bringing back memories / of who I once was, so long ago, before our fall," set the tone for a contemplative journey into the past. The gentle breeze serves as a metaphor for the experiences and emotions that resurface, reminding the singer of who they used to be.

The lyrics also suggest a feeling of disconnect from the present, as the singer describes the current life they have built with their partner as strange and foreign. The line, "So strange to feel, so foreign to / This life I built before me and you," hints at a potential disconnection or dissatisfaction in the relationship. The reference to "before our fall" implies that there was a significant event or turning point that led to their current state.

The chorus questions the purpose and significance of the past struggles and sacrifices. The line, "And what was it all for, the calm before the storm / It caused us to transform," suggests that the difficulties they encountered in the past were transformative but leaves open the question of whether those changes were ultimately worth it. The repetition of "I gave it all" emphasizes the level of dedication and sacrifice the singer put into the relationship, further highlighting their need for clarity and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

This gentle breeze
The subtle wind signifies a reminder

Is bringing back
Bringing back memories from the past

Memories of who I once was
Recalling the person I used to be

So long ago, before our fall
In a distant past, prior to our downfall

So strange to feel
It feels peculiar

So foreign to
Completely unfamiliar to

This life I built before me and you
The life I constructed before our relationship

So long ago, before our fall
Such a long time back, preceding our decline

And what was it all for
What was the purpose of it all

The calm before the storm
The tranquility before the chaos

It caused us to transform
It led to a significant change within us