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.
Make it Stop
The Envy Corps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While misled editors attempt to recut my future?
Strike up the band if you still can or sneak through a trapdoor
And sell your organs if they don't make music anymore
I tried to pretend that it's over
Clicking my heels till it's over
Picking at scabs till it's over
The tragedy of longevity is one day I'll need you
And all I'll find are ragged linings of hollow tissue
Screwed to a shell of red blood cells, but we finally get paid
I lost you in the mail, I lost you all in a slave trade
I tried to pretend that it's over
Clicking my heels till it's over
Picking at scabs till it's over
oh, I'll miss you as planned, I'm a soldier
Taking dead aim at the sober
Bullseye of the beholder
And I'll miss you as planned
I will miss you as planned if I can
Can we make it stop?
Can we make it stop?
Can we make it stop with both hands?
Can we make it stop?
Can we make it stop?
Can we make it stop with both hands?
The Envy Corps's song "Make it Stop" is a reflection of the overwhelming nature of the music industry and the pressure to constantly produce new content. The lyrics express frustration with the minutia of the industry that the artist is lagging behind on, while editors attempt to control their future. The reference to selling organs if they don't make music anymore highlights the desperation that can come with the industry, where artists may feel like they are sacrificing their own well-being for the sake of success. The second verse reflects on the tragedy of longevity, where even though the artist may need their passion for music and the industry, all they may find are hollow tissues and ragged linings, illustrating the loss of the passion that once drove them forward. The final part of the song questions whether it is possible to make it stop and reflects the artist's desire to regain control of their own creative process, to create music that they are truly proud of.
Overall, "Make it Stop" serves as a powerful statement about the stress and anxiety that comes with the music industry, and the importance of maintaining personal integrity and control over creative endeavors.
Line by Line Meaning
Why am I lagging behind on this mad minutia
Why am I falling behind on these trivial, insignificant details?
While misled editors attempt to recut my future?
While editors who are mistaken about my potential try to change my destiny?
Strike up the band if you still can or sneak through a trapdoor
Start a celebration if you have the chance, otherwise try to escape unnoticed.
And sell your organs if they don't make music anymore
If your body is no longer able to create something beautiful, then sell it for parts.
The tragedy of longevity is one day I'll need you
The sad part of living a long life is that I will eventually require your help.
And all I'll find are ragged linings of hollow tissue
And all I'll discover are worn out, empty shells of what used to be.
Screwed to a shell of red blood cells, but we finally get paid
Attached to a structure of cells that carries oxygen, yet we are only compensated for our efforts now.
I lost you in the mail, I lost you all in a slave trade
I've misplaced you in transit or you've been taken away from me against my will.
Taking dead aim at the sober
Directing my attention to those who remain clear-headed and rational.
Bullseye of the beholder
Objective truth is in the eye of the beholder and not easily achievable.
Can we make it stop?
Is it possible for us to put an end to this?
Can we make it stop with both hands?
Can we join together to bring this to a halt?
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@francisitch5097
great song. great band. great scene (current iowa resident - born in L.A.)
@xXxLivE2RocKxXx
Wooo IOWA >:D
@labllove
SOOOOO underrated.
@sbsmth
Free showing at Blue Moose Tap House Friday Oct. 7th!!!
@adaws81
thanks FOR posting even.
@TheIlock543
sounds like radiohead. nice
@Burrelly25
I haven't seen them live yet though
@dengar1313
I would put The Envy Corps among the best bands from Iowa. Definitely one of the only bands from Iowa to have major success.
@yourrealdad9442
John Smith ...Slipknot... nobody ever remembers Slipknot......
@adaws81
Thanks posting, just heard it on the radio, really dig this song!