Throughout the course of a year, McCormick and Seeterlin reached out into the city and proceeded to record people of all ages and musical backgrounds performing their songs. The project took the duo from churches to living rooms to cafes, even up the coast to Oregon and Washington, all in its mission to build community through music.
The resulting album, The Village, inspired the band to develop into a proper performing entity, adding four classically trained instrumentalists around the nucleus of McCormick and Seeterlin. This growth also inspired a continued mission of musical inclusiveness. At live shows and in the studio, The Family Crest set out to play with as many musicians as possible. Whether a fan took the stage to be part of a group chorus, or contributed an instrumental part to a recording, they were considered a part of “the extended family,” which now boasts over 300 members.
Once the band saw its vision taking hold, even beyond its hometown, it looked back to the city that supported the family for new musical inspiration. Over the course of a week, The Family Crest, in its usual fashion, recorded a plethora of instruments in various homes and churches, as well as John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone recording studio, to create The Headwinds EP.
The Headwinds EP introduces the grand sounds of band’s new full-length album, Beneath the Brine, a sweeping soundscape befitting the oceanic theme of the title. Beneath the Brine showcases an expansive breadth of arrangements – from dark, classical romanticism to brass-laden sounds reminiscent of the Roaring 20s.
The result is nothing short of epic, as The Family Crest has seamlessly wielded classical chamber sounds and pop music elements. It’s the sonic representation of what McCormick, and many pioneers before him, saw from the edge of the West Coast: the enormity of the sea, with its depths, dangers and possibilities.
More information is available at:
www.thefamilycrest.net
http://www.myspace.com/thefamilycrest
North
The Family Crest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And here the clouds sit low in the sky
The cars, they echo slow off the hillside
And the wind, it whispers
North
I want to be the man who loves you
That I need you
The night, it lingers soft on our fingers
And the wind, it whispers, Tu es perdu
And along this river time moves quicker
I want to be the man who loves you
Why can't you see that I need to
That I need you
The night, it lingers soft on our fingers
And my mind, it travels
North
I want to be the man who loves you
Why can't you see that I need to
That I need you
The Family Crest's North presents a moody, layered introspection of a lover's yearning to be understood and to understand the beloved. The opening lines, "The bells are ringing over the city, and here the clouds sit low in the sky," captures a moment of reflective silence and the ambience of a soft, misty night. The use of the word 'city' highlights the sense of being lost in the crowd and the need for something more personal and intimate. The mention of the hills and the wind echoes the longing to conquer the distance and reach the beloved. The phrase 'North' is repeated several times as a metaphorical direction towards an unknown destination, implying that the journey is more important than the destination itself.
The singer's plea to be loved and understood is at the core of the song. The phrase, "Why can't you see that I need to, That I need you" is repeated throughout the song, making it clear that the singer is desperate for mutual, empathetic love. The use of "soft" to describe both the night and the lover's touch connotes gentleness and emphasizes the vulnerability of the singer. The phrase "Tu es perdu," or "You are lost," introduces a hint of doubt and confusion, as if the singer is unsure whether their beloved reciprocates their feelings or not. Overall, North is a poetic, melancholic song that beautifully captures the frustration and tenderness of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
The bells are ringing over the city
There's a lot of noise and excitement in the city right now.
And here the clouds sit low in the sky
It's a bit gloomy today, the clouds are low and dark.
The cars, they echo slow off the hillside
The cars are slowly making their way down the hill, the sound bouncing off the surrounding landscape.
And the wind, it whispers
The wind is blowing softly and making a quiet sound.
North
The direction the wind is blowing towards.
I want to be the man who loves you
I desire to be the person who loves you more than anything else.
Why can't you see that I need to
I'm wondering why you can't see how important this is to me.
That I need you
I depend on you and need you in my life.
The night, it lingers soft on our fingers
It feels like the night is gently wrapped around us, touching our fingertips.
And the wind, it whispers, Tu es perdu
The wind whispers in a foreign language, 'You are lost.'
And along this river time moves quicker
Time seems to pass faster along this river, as we are carried away by the current.
And my mind, it travels
My thoughts are wandering, going on a journey.
North
My mind is going in the same direction as the wind, towards the north.
I want to be the man who loves you
My desire to love you is still strong and unwavering.
Why can't you see that I need to
I can't understand why you can't see how important this is to me.
That I need you
Once again, I want you to know that I need you in my life.
Contributed by James O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@missJBK78
The bells are ringing over the city
And here the clouds sit low in the sky
The cars, they echo slow off the hillside
And the wind, it whispers
North
I want to be the man who loves you
Why can't you see that I need to
That I need you
The night, it lingers soft on our fingers
And the wind, it whispers, Tu es perdu
And along this river time moves quicker
And I want to be the man who loves you
And why can't you see that I need to
That I need you
And the night, it lingers soft on our fingers
And my mind, it travels
North
And I want to be the man who loves you
And why can't you see that I need to
That I need you
@zeppyfish
Thanks for the awesome show at the Sunset, and thanks for featuring Br'er Rabbit on the closing song. Y'all seem like amazing folks as well as amazing musicians.
@careywheaton
Amazing and wonderful band. Seeing them live and up close is truly a privilege.
@struszka
Plain greatness
@berlianputrinugrahadi2871
I love you all guys specially Love Don't Go, and beneath the brine
@piggypoo
I live like 2 blocks from that location in San Francisco
@nachende
Awesome music, incredible band. Much love!
@fataliidotnet
Wow!!
@mertozelmusic
such an amazing song!! great group! Greetings from East Bay!
@cucharanim
Amazing! I found your music on GoPro videos, I hope I can found your album here, in Mexico... It is great the sound you make with all instruments... Congratulations!
@Shakalo23ftw
Love this band....you guys are coming out on top