The Envy Corps’ indie quasi-anthems, replete with galvanizing arrangements,… Read Full Bio ↴The Envy Corps’ indie quasi-anthems, replete with galvanizing arrangements, congratulatory rhythms and elasticized melodies have garnered the Des Moines-based band the affection of the attentive Midwest and fans both nationally and internationally.

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.

Screen Test
The Envy Corps Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The last gasp, simulcast
Everyone wants a screen test
Everyone wants a placement
Everyone wants to put you away

You, me, cap-a-pie in lies white as this city
Mixed in with the concrete and immune to everything

The last grasp, not so fast
Everyone wants a quick fix
Everyone wants a promise
Everyone wants you out of the way

I saw nothing wrong
I would take the tube home
I'd just smile and hum along 'til my throat refused my lungs

Here's an anthem for you, "I've got to find a way home"
Here's an anthem for you, "My heart leaks like an oil drum"
Here's a question for you, "Do the streetlamps dim as you drive under them?"

Lies or Silence?
In london, I was undone

Overall Meaning

The Envy Corps’s song Screen Test is a haunting critique of the obsession with fame and the pursuit of success that engulfs society, particularly in the entertainment industry. The song begins with the lines, “The last gasp, simulcast, everyone wants a screen test,” which can be interpreted as the last breath of our humanity, as we strive to become someone we’re not, rather than being content with who we are. The lyrics go on to suggest that everyone wants a slice of the fame and power that comes with being on screen or in the limelight, and people will do anything to achieve it, including putting others away.

The song also highlights the hypocrisy that exists in society, as we often try to mask the truth with lies, even when we’re aware that what we’re saying is incorrect. The line “You, me, cap-a-pie in lies white as this city” suggests that dishonesty is woven into the very fabric of society, while the line “I saw nothing wrong” implies our conscious decision to ignore the moral issues in favor of pursuing fame and success. The chorus serves as an anthem for the lost souls trying to find a way home, with the lyrics “Here’s an anthem for you, ‘I’ve got to find a way home’” and “Here’s an anthem for you, ‘My heart leaks like an oil drum’” speaking to our collective inadequacy, despite our best efforts to make something of ourselves.

Overall, Screen Test is a thought-provoking and dark commentary on the society we live in and the lengths we go to achieve success, with a haunting melody and profound lyrics that resonate with listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

The last gasp, simulcast
This is a moment of desperation where everybody's voices are competing with each other.

Everyone wants a screen test
Everyone desires their moment of fame and wants to prove that they are good enough.

Everyone wants a placement
Everybody seeks a position of power or an opportunity to belong somewhere.

Everyone wants to put you away
People are ready to step over others to get what they want, and to make sure others do not get in their way.

You, me, cap-a-pie in lies white as this city
Everybody is wearing a mask and hiding their true selves and the city itself is also a facade.

Mixed in with the concrete and immune to everything
The city has hardened its inhabitants and they have become indifferent to the world around them.

The last grasp, not so fast
People are looking for an instant cure for their problems, but they do not come that easily.

Everyone wants a quick fix
Everybody wants an easy solution that can fix everything.

Everyone wants a promise
People are looking for someone to give them assurances and promises which they themselves cannot give.

Everyone wants you out of the way
People want to eradicate others whom they perceive as obnoxious and they wish to silence them.

I saw nothing wrong
The singer is apathetic to the things around him and does not want to see the reality.

I would take the tube home
The artist wants to bury his head in the ground and travel away from all his problems.

I'd just smile and hum along 'til my throat refused my lungs
The singer pretends to be happy but inside, he is broken and the facade becomes unbearable.

Here's an anthem for you, "I've got to find a way home"
The chorus is a statement that everyone is looking for the way back to their true selves.

Here's an anthem for you, "My heart leaks like an oil drum"
The chorus is a statement of the singer's brokenness and how he feels he is leaking all his emotions.

Here's a question for you, "Do the streetlamps dim as you drive under them?"
The chorus question is if people are blinded by their own drive for success to see the beauty around them.

Lies or Silence?
The artist asks whether it is better to lie or stay silent in this cruel world.

In london, I was undone
London has broken down the singer's facade and now he is showing his true self.

Contributed by Olivia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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