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.
Keys To Good Living
The Envy Corps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
What are you doing here
We left you to die
In the cold dark tunnels of night
Such a beautiful day
To go out and fight
To make my mark
The keys to good living
Are found in the doors of saints
We took our shivs
And made incisions
And the scrolls came forth
And we caught them in towels
Oh what a read
Oh what story
I haven't felt this good
In a couple of hours
Soft walls
and soft voices
We're building our lives
And making our choices
The lyrics to The Envy Corps's song Keys To Good Living are highly metaphorical and open to interpretation. The song seems to be about seizing opportunities and living life to the fullest. It starts off with a reference to Robespierre, who was a prominent figure in the French Revolution. The line "What are you doing here, we left you to die in the cold dark tunnels of night" could be referring to the idea of leaving the past behind and moving forward. The singer then goes on to talk about the beauty of the day and the desire to make a mark before the fires burn out. This could be interpreted as a call to action to seize the opportunities and make the most of them before they pass by.
The line "The keys to good living are found in the doors of saints" is also highly metaphorical. It could mean that the path to living a good life can be found in following the teachings of wise and virtuous people. The reference to shivs and incisions could be seen as a metaphor for the effort and determination required to achieve one's goals. The scrolls that were caught in towels could be interpreted as a symbol of the knowledge and insights gained through hard work and dedication. The song then ends on a positive note, with references to soft walls and soft voices, suggesting that the singer has found peace and happiness in life.
Contributed by Zachary H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.