After the release of their major label debut, Dwell, in 2008, The Envy Corps have retreated back to the studio to record their anticipated sophomore album, tentatively entitled It Culls You. Luke Pettipoole (vocals, bass), Brandon Darner (guitar), Micah Natera (synthesizer, guitar) and Scott Yoshimura (drums) are redefining their sound by taking the pop melodies of their early work and marrying them with a heightened rhythmic sense and a more stripped down, concise approach to instrumentation. The new material has made appearances at recent live shows with fans embracing the bands’ exploration into a less syrupy landscape that stretches the boundaries of the conventional immediate pop song.
Pettipoole formed the band in Ames in 2002 and shepherded a rotating cast of musicians until 2005, in which time their debut, Soviet Reunion, was released on Ames’ Bi-Fi Records. The band really started to take shape once Darner and Yoshimura came aboard in mid-2005, marking a change in sound and aspiration. The EP I Will Write You Love Letters If You Tell Me To was self-released in April 2006 and afforded the band their first taste of national attention by charting well on the CMJ Top 200. Soon after, the band were asked to join The Killers' U.S tour. Labels began to take notice and in the summer of 2006, a Vertigo/Universal A&R rep flew in from London to attend a hometown show and the band landed a record deal. Work on the self-produced Dwell began in November 2006 and the album was completed in England in March 2007.
With recording coming to a close, the band found themselves living in a flat in South London, performing across Britain at every opportunity. They logged more than 200 shows in 2007 alongside bands like Editors, The Killers (again), Mute Math, Eisley, and even secured a slot at the famed Glastonbury festival. Near the end of the year, unexpected trauma threatened the band when Darner suffered a stroke on stage in London. He was rushed to the hospital and recovered quickly, even rejoining the band on the road the following week. Despite growing buzz, a two-page spread in NME, Dwell track “Story Problem's” inclusion in the film Run Fatboy Run and an ever-increasing European fanbase, Vertigo delayed the album release and the band returned to the U.S.
Dwell was finally released in April 2008 in the UK and appeared stateside in digital format in July. The album received positive reviews from critics, but momentum for the album had fizzled, and in the fall of 2008, the band, anxious to focus on their career in the U.S., parted ways with Vertigo.
The Envy Corps released the Kid Gloves EP in April 2009 on their own Tempo Club imprint. The five-song taster gained blog and radio attention throughout the Midwest and its songs were featured in HBO’s Entourage and Showtime’s Look. The quartet have spent time since the release attending to their steadily maturing Midwest fanbase and writing and recording at their home studio in Des Moines and Mike Mogis' ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska. Content to take the reigns of any and all aspects of their sophomore effort - recording, engineering, producing, releasing - The Envy Corps are eager to bring their new music to those willing to listen.
Before The Gold Rush
The Envy Corps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm leaving you, Mom
The casons are rolling along
Well, I know that sister's
Still living in sin
When I've time I'll judge her again
I tried my best
I tried my best
Like you said
Good friends are wishing
Goodbyes and good lucks
While husbands and wives have a last hug
Well, I drank till I was unable to stand
The sickle, the noose, and the firebrand
I tried my best
Like you said
I tried my best
Like you said
Waste, I'm a waste of time
Waste, I'm a waste of time
Waste, I'm a waste of time
Waste, I'm a waste of time
So I tried, and I tried
But it all went wrong
So I tried, and I tried
But it all went wrong
(Oh, my best)
You were my trumpeter swan, all along
My trumpeter swan, all along, my trumpeter swan
The Envy Corps's song, "Before The Gold Rush," is a poignant commentary on the desperate gamble of the gold rush era, where men left their homes and abandoned loved ones to seek their fortunes in the uncharted West. The singer reflects on the harsh reality of this gamble, announcing that "the gold rush is on, and I'm leaving you, Mom" before wistfully acknowledging that "good friends are wishing goodbyes and good lucks while husbands and wives have a last hug." The singer's tone is somber, as he acknowledges that his pursuit of success has come at a high cost. He speaks of his sister, who is "still living in sin," and vows to judge her again "when I've time," but he seems to recognize that his quest for riches has separated him from the people he loves and made him more judgmental and isolated.
Throughout the song, the singer repeatedly invokes his mother's advice that he should always try his best, but he seems to feel that his best was not enough. He drinks heavily and even contemplates suicide, invoking images of "the sickle, the noose, and the firebrand." He feels like a "waste of time" and acknowledges that he tried his best, but "it all went wrong."
The song concludes with a powerful metaphor, as the singer reflects that his mother was his "trumpeter swan, all along." This image suggests that he sees his mother as a symbol of hope and inspiration, but it also implies that he has lost her - that, like the trumpeter swan, she exists now only in memory. Overall, "Before The Gold Rush" is a moving meditation on the cost of ambition and the toll that it takes on our relationships with other people.
Line by Line Meaning
The gold rush is on
Opportunities are abound and people are rushing towards it
And I'm leaving you, Mom
I'm leaving my old life behind and moving on to something better
The casons are rolling along
People are travelling towards the gold rush with their belongings on casons
Well, I know that sister's
Still living in sin
When I've time I'll judge her again
My sister is still making bad choices and I will have to confront her when I have time
I tried my best
Like you said
I did my best based on the advice someone gave me
Good friends are wishing
Goodbyes and good lucks
While husbands and wives have a last hug
People are saying their farewells and showing affection before parting
Well, I drank till I was unable to stand
The sickle, the noose, and the firebrand
I drank excessively and contemplated my own mortality and the dangers that come with chasing wealth
Waste, I'm a waste of time
Waste, I'm a waste of time
Waste, I'm a waste of time
Waste, I'm a waste of time
I feel like I am wasting my time or not living up to my potential
So I tried, and I tried
But it all went wrong
(Oh, my best)
Despite my efforts, things did not go as planned or as well as I hoped
You were my trumpeter swan, all along
My trumpeter swan, all along, my trumpeter swan
You were my symbol of grace and beauty all along, my guiding light
Contributed by Wyatt V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.