1. A band fr… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists that perform under the name:
1. A band from Brisbane, Australia.
2. A small rap group from the US.
1. The Grates are a three-piece band from Brisbane, Australia. Patience Hodgson (vocals), John Patterson (guitar) and Alana Skyring (drums) formed The Grates in 2002, with Skyring eventually departing to peruse her passion for culinary arts and Ritchie Daniell taking her place.
The Grates have been lauded for their catchy songs and enthusiastic and energetic live show (Patience spends much of the show bouncing around, while singing). They are frequently described as fun: "We just wanna have fun and hope other people do too." (Patience). Their sound has been compared to the Ramones, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Be Your Own Pet.
The band has a distinctive style. All members have a background in art and they design their own album artwork, posters, t-shirts and even socks.
The Grates released an array of limited edition recordings (The Grates EP (2002), Black Dog Black Dog (2003), Pyrate Kids (2003) and Crocodile (2003)) before releasing what is referred to as their debut EP, The Ouch. The Touch, in Australia on 14 February 2004. The EP received a United Kingdom release two months later via the Captains Of Industry collective.
In 2005 the buzz surrounding the band only grew, with festival performances at the Big Day Out, Meredith, Falls Festival and Homebake. The Grates performed at the 2006 Big Day Out Australian shows. They also launched their own a national tour in the first half of 2006, after supporting The Go! Team in 2005 and The Zutons on their 2006 UK tour. In March 2006 they played at the South by Southwest trade music fair in Texas.
Their debut album, Gravity Won't Get You High, was released in April 2006. It debuted at #9 in the ARIA charts and reached a peak of #9. It was also slated for release in the UK and the United States (June 2006). The first single off the album, "19-20-20", was released in March as a 7" and iTunes music download.
Their second album, Teeth Lost, Hearts Won, was released in August 2008, with the first single "Burn Bridges" released earlier in July 2008.
The band's drummer, and one of three co-founders, Alan Skyring, left the band in 2011 to study culinary arts in New York. The band continued as a 2-piece, often inviting guest musicians to fill in for Skyring during the live shows.
The band released its third album Secret Rituals in 2011, and then announced they would be parting ways with their label Dew Process.
In 2014, The Grates announced they would be recording a new album to be released through their own own independent label, Death Valley, with Ritchie Daniell officially joining the group on drums. Dream Team was recorded in just 2 weeks, and released the same month, with the band citing they were unsatisfied with the process of "albums collecting 6 months of cerebral dust in our heads, before an audience gets to finally hear it".
In September 2018 they announced a reunion tour with the original lineup for December.
www.thegrates.com
2. The Grates is a Hip-Hop trio based out of the South Chicago suburbs, The Grates are 70s (The Nautz & The Diggity), Scrubz (T.I.M.E.), and YodaRoc (Centric I.E. & Nacrobats). Established in 2020, The Grates bring original Hip-hop with the old school boom bap feel. The Grates are currently working on their 4th studio album and several side projects, coming soon from their label, The Raw Offices.
https://thegratesmusic.bandcamp.com/
Earthquake
The Grates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They take us and shake us and know just how to break us something you should do.
It's an earthquake of a love affair, on the phone she's telling all her friends,
Mi amore he's a nice guy, por favor he's the right guy,
It's an earthquake of a...
Brothers need sisters to guide them and mould them into something good.
On the phone, on the road,
Calling talkback radio, screaming at your show, words you just don't know,
With their big black boots stepping on your toes, talking down to those talking up the most,
Sweet like to you, like they gotta do what they gotta do, to when and who, oh what a hide,
Will you be left alone, when will you be left?
It's an earthquake of a love affair, on the phone she's telling all her friends,
Mi amore he's a nice guy, por favor he's the right guy,
It's an earthquake of a...
Love, my love!
It's an earthquake of a love affair.
The lyrics of The Grates's song "Earthquake" describe the different relationships that people have and need in their lives. The verses describe women and their need for both a mother figure and a lover who can "take us and shake us and know just how to break us something you should do." This suggests that women desire a partner who can challenge them and help them grow, even if that means pushing them out of their comfort zone. Similarly, brothers and sisters are depicted as needing each other to guide and love them, but also to tease and challenge them.
The refrain of the song repeats the phrase "It's an earthquake of a love affair" and describes a passionate love that seems to shake the foundation of the singer's world. They are calling talkback radio, screaming words that don't even make sense, and being stepped on by people in big black boots. These chaotic scenes suggest that the singer is feeling overwhelmed by this love and the emotions it evokes.
Overall, "Earthquake" is a song about the different types of relationships that people need in their lives and the passionate, sometimes chaotic, nature of love. The lyrics suggest that strong relationships are those where people challenge and support each other, even if it means disrupting their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Women need mothers, yeah, mothers need lovers just like you do.
Women need nurturing figures in their lives, just as their mothers needed romantic partners to provide comfort and love. The same applies to you.
They take us and shake us and know just how to break us something you should do.
Mothers and lovers can challenge us and push us to our limits, and this is something you too should strive to do.
It's an earthquake of a love affair, on the phone she's telling all her friends,
This is a passionate and intense romantic relationship, and she can't help but let everyone know.
Mi amore he's a nice guy, por favor he's the right guy,
She's expressing her affection for her partner, highlighting his good qualities and emphasizing that he's ideal for her.
Brothers need sisters to guide them and mould them into something good.
Brothers need supportive and caring sisters to help them become better versions of themselves.
Sisters need brothers to help us and love us but they tease us too,
Sisters rely on their brothers for support and love, but they also enjoy teasing and playing around with them.
On the phone, on the road,
She's either at home or traveling while having this conversation.
Calling talkback radio, screaming at your show, words you just don't know,
She's addressing a radio host and getting extremely worked up, using language that may be unfamiliar to the host.
With their big black boots stepping on your toes, talking down to those talking up the most,
Someone is being arrogant and condescending to others, trampling over everyone else's opinions.
Sweet like to you, like they gotta do what they gotta do, to when and who, oh what a hide,
The person being addressed is seen as being overly sweet, but also stubborn and secretive about their actions.
Will you be left alone, when will you be left?
There is a sense of uncertainty and insecurity about the future of the relationship.
It's an earthquake of a love affair, on the phone she's telling all her friends,
Once again emphasizing the explosive and intense nature of the relationship.
Mi amore he's a nice guy, por favor he's the right guy,
Repeating her affection for her partner and explaining why he's perfect for her.
It's an earthquake of a...
Love, my love!
This is more than just a simple relationship - it's a love that shakes the foundation of her being.
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.