Singer Brooks Nielsen and music director/guitarist Matt Taylor met in high school in the beach town of Dana Point, California, bonding over surfing, skating, and partying. When offered the chance to perform at a house party, the duo quickly wrote their first six songs in a single day, leading to the first incarnation of the band that would eventually become The Growlers.
After releasing a handful of self-recorded cassettes and CDs, The Growlers issued their first studio album, Are You in or Out? in 2009 on Everloving Records. Aquarium Drunkard described it as “consistent in sound and tone that is as enjoyable straight through or on shuffle… Taken as a whole, the record is a beautiful mix of late 60’s freak-out, folk calmness and surf rock.” Their second album, Hot Tropics, was released in 2010, also on Everloving Records. The band's third album, Hung at Heart, the first to feature Anthony Braun Perry on bass and Jason Kaiser on percussion, was released in 2013. The band originally worked with Dan Auerbach to record the album, but the finished version never saw official release. Instead the band recorded a new version of the album in Costa Mesa, CA with Mike McHugh at his Distillery Recording Studio, to get a more lo-fi sound.
Chinese Fountain, their new "more grown up, well polished" album was released September 23, 2014. This album was produced by JP Plunier at Seahorse Studios in Los Angeles, CA. While touring the album, the band expanded their live band with percussionist Nick Murray.
The band's fifth studio album, City Club was released by Cult Records on September 30, 2016, while they embarked on a supporting tour in the same month. It was the first Growlers album to be credited solely to Brooks Nielsen and Matt Taylor, as opposed to the whole band. Nielsen and Taylor wrote and recorded demos for the album over a span of 2 to 3 months with the help of Kyle Mullarky at his studio in Topanga Canyon, CA. It was preceded by the title track as a single produced by Julian Casablancas, who also owns the label. Neither drummer Scott Montoya nor bass player Anthony Perry feature on the album. On September 25, the band confirmed Montoya's departure from the band and stated that Perry was set to return in the near future. The band toured for this album with Brad Bowers on bass, Adam Wolcott Smith on keyboard, and Richard Gowen on drums. Whether their membership in the band is permanent is currently unclear.
The band released Casual Acquaintances on July 27, 2018, a collection of demos and unused material from the City Club sessions.
Allegations of misconduct
In July 2020, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against the band, along with other artists associated with Burger Records and the Southern California surf and garage rock music scene. Arrow De Wilde, the lead singer of the L.A. rock band Starcrawler, shared a personal encounter on her Instagram. In her post, Arrow claims she was assaulted by a male stripper hired by The Growlers while they were on tour together in Australia. In a statement issued via Instagram on July 31, 2020, Growlers singer Brooks Nielsen took "full responsibility and accountability for the behavior of all Growlers' band members, past and present," and announced that Matt Taylor would temporarily leave the band. Additionally, former Growlers touring keyboardist Adam Wolcott Smith admitted to an incident of abuse on his Instagram, while on tour with his band Zen Mother.
Tell It How It Is
The Growlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you’re just wasting your breath
'Cause he might as well be dead
There just ain’t no getting through
If that’s what you’re trying to do
And to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
He gets down on his own self
More than anybody else can
And it’s easy to understand
But it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
'Cause spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined to fit between the lines
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lies
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
So to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lines
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
The song "Tell It How It Is" by The Growlers is about an individual who is faithful to himself and refuses to let anyone change him. The first verse describes how this person cannot be understood or influenced by others, as it is impossible to get through to him. It is reiterated that he does not care if anyone knows him, and only cares about staying true to himself.
The second verse explains why this person is the way he is - he had to leave something behind to find a better life, something that was worth all of his pain and hurt. The third verse discusses the idea that spirits have their own minds and cannot be confined, meaning that people should live the way they want to and be true to themselves.
The chorus emphasizes the idea of telling the truth even if it makes you unpopular. The line "Sometimes you gotta be a dick" may seem harsh, but it means that sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in and not let anyone change you.
Overall, the song encourages listeners to stay true to themselves no matter what, and to not let the opinions of others affect their decisions or beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
If you’re trying to get in his head
Then you’re just wasting your breath
'Cause he might as well be dead
There just ain’t no getting through
If that’s what you’re trying to do
Trying to understand him is futile because his mind is closed off, so save your energy and don't bother.
And to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
He's not concerned with impressing others or winning them over. His loyalty lies within himself, so he doesn't care if people don't know or understand him.
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
He faced ridicule for his aspirations, so he left to find something that was worth pursuing, even if it meant leaving his old life behind.
He gets down on his own self
More than anybody else can
And it’s easy to understand
But it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
He's his own worst critic, and while the truth can be hard to hear, he's not interested in seeking validation from others.
'Cause spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined to fit between the lines
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lies
His spirit is free and won't be constrained by anyone else's expectations or limitations. It's up to him to define his own path and narrative.
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
Being honest and straightforward isn't always the most popular approach, but sometimes it's necessary to stand up for yourself and your beliefs.
Contributed by Samantha S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kike muciño
lyrics
If you’re trying to get in his head
Then you’re just wasting your breath
Cause he might as well be dead
There just ain’t no getting through
If that’s what you’re trying to do
And to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
He gets down on his own self
More than anybody else can
And it’s easy to understand
But it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
Cause spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined to fit between the lines
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lies
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
So to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lines
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
Ernesto Juárez Hernández
If you’re trying to get in his head
Then you’re just wasting your breath
Cause he might as well be dead
There just ain’t no getting through
If that’s what you’re trying to do
//
Sí tratas de entender cómo piensa
Entonces déjame decirte que pierdes tu tiempo
Porque él bien podría estar muerto
Simplemente no hay forma de lograrlo
Sí es que eso es lo que intentabas hacer
//
And to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
//
Y para aquellos que no lo conocen aún
No le importa si a ti te importa
Él es fiel a si mismo
Y puede ser doloroso escuchar la verdad
Pero a él realmente no le interesas
//
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
//
Ellos fueron malos, dijeron que eran sueño tontos
Así que tuvo que irse, sin tiempo para lamentarse
Tuvo que sobreponerse y encontrar
Algo mejor que lo que dejó atrás
Algo que él sabía valía
Todo su dolor y sufrimiento
//
He gets down on his own self
More than anybody else can
And it’s easy to understand
But it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
//
Se despreció a sí mismo
Más de lo que nadie pudo hacerlo
Y es fácil comprenderlo
Pero puede ser doloroso escuchar la verdad
Pero a él realmente no le interesas
//
Cause spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined to fit between the lines
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lies
//
Porque los espíritus tienen mente propia
No pueden ser confinados entre líneas
Los espíritus tienen mente propia
No pueden ser confinados, ellos trazan sus propias líneas
//
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
//
Está bien decirles cómo es
Incluso sí eso no te vuelve popular
En ocasiones tendrás que ser un idiota
No tienes porque lamentarlo
//
So to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
//
Así que para aquellos que no lo conocen aún
No le importa si a ti te importa
Él es fiel a si mismo
Y puede ser doloroso escuchar la verdad
Pero a él realmente no le interesas
//
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
//
Ellos fueron malos, dijeron que eran sueño tontos
Así que tuvo que irse, sin tiempo para lamentarse
Tuvo que sobreponerse y encontrar
Algo mejor que lo que dejó atrás
Algo que él sabía valía
Todo su dolor y sufrimiento
//
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lines
//
Los espíritus tienen mente propia
No pueden ser confinados, ellos trazan sus propias líneas
//
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
//
Está bien decirles cómo es
Incluso sí eso no te vuelve popular
En ocasiones tendrás que ser un idiota
No tienes porque lamentarlo
Hajar Ezzahraoui
this song have murdered all other songs in my playlist,,, i'm just loop playing it ,,,, can't get enough of it ,,,, my ears and soul became addicted to it .....
kike muciño
lyrics
If you’re trying to get in his head
Then you’re just wasting your breath
Cause he might as well be dead
There just ain’t no getting through
If that’s what you’re trying to do
And to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
He gets down on his own self
More than anybody else can
And it’s easy to understand
But it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
Cause spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined to fit between the lines
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lies
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
So to those who don’t know him yet
He don’t care if you ever do
He is faithful to himself
And it can hurt to hear the truth
But he just ain’t concerned with you
They were mean, said they were silly dreams
So he had to leave, no time to grieve
Had to set out and find
Something better than what he left behind
Something he knew was worth
All of his pain and hurt
Spirits have their own minds
They can’t be confined, they draw their own lines
It’s alright tell 'em how it is
Even though it don’t make you popular
Sometimes you gotta be a dick
You don’t have to roll over
Jacob Becenti
ğq
ryan ramos
Tysm love ya💖💖
Lalo Nolasco
Buen estilo de música de estos chicos me agrada su misica y su estilo
iraplikeyoubreathe
I absolutely love this damn song like no other
Jonathan Torres
My favorite song of Los growlers.
Describes me to the core.
hig vibes
One of the most underrated song i've ever heard
kirk cavenaugh
Super underrated
Nick
not in my book. I know how good it iz