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.
Wet Dreams
The Growlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To tell you all about the thoughts I can't keep out
Don't wanna fall asleep I don't wanna fall asleep
But I've been running out of ways to kill all of these sheep
She's been coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
She's always coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
As my consciousness slips I fall into her grip
We drink the devil's blood inducing psychedelic trips
She's got ocean in her hips and liños in her lips
And when you're lying in my arms she's still tugging on my dick
Wet dreams
It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean
I used to fight but now I fiend
Wet dreams
She's always coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
She tells me that you're dead and that you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
Wet dreams
It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean
I used to fight but now I fiend
Wet dreams
The Growlers song "Wet Dreams" speaks about the inner workings of a person's mind that they can't control, specifically the sexual desires or fantasies they have and can't help. The singer is struggling with telling someone close to them about their thoughts and desires, feeling like they don't have the courage to do so. The singer is tormented by images of a woman who they can't keep out of their head and bed, who lies about their loved one and tries to control the singer, even when they're awake.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of yearning and struggle as the singer grapples with their desires and their guilt. They paint a picture of a devilish woman who embodies their sexual desires, which they feel they need to resist, but they're struggling to keep those desires at bay. Lyrics like "liños in her lips" and "ocean in her hips" add a sensual and almost mystical quality to this woman. There's also a sense of condemnation, with the line "It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean," implying that the singer feels ashamed of their sexual desires and can't seem to shake them off.
Overall, "Wet Dreams" is a commentary on the inner struggles of people regarding their desires, specifically sexual. The song depicts a person's mind as a battleground for desires and the guilt that comes with them, and it underscores the complexity of our desires and how they can be challenging to reconcile with societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
I haven't had the guts no I haven't had the balls
I have not been brave enough to speak my mind
To tell you all about the thoughts I can't keep out
I have been keeping some thoughts to myself that I want to talk about
Don't wanna fall asleep I don't wanna fall asleep
I am afraid to lose control of my thoughts while I am asleep
But I've been running out of ways to kill all of these sheep
I am struggling to find ways to distract myself from my thoughts
She's been coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I keep thinking about someone else and it's causing tension in my relationship
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
I cannot keep my thoughts about this other person from affecting me and I am unsure if these feelings are real
She tells me that you're dead and that you just picked up and left
My thoughts about this other person are causing me to question my current relationship and if it's still intact
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
Despite knowing that these thoughts are not true, I am still struggling to escape their hold on me
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Even when I try to sleep or forget about these thoughts, they continue to affect me
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
These thoughts continue to pull me in and I cannot escape them
As my consciousness slips I fall into her grip
As I begin to lose control of my thoughts, they become more powerful
We drink the devil's blood inducing psychedelic trips
These thoughts lead me down a dark path of self-destruction
She's got ocean in her hips and liños in her lips
My thoughts about this other person are all-consuming and affect every aspect of my life
And when you're lying in my arms she's still tugging on my dick
Even when I am with my current partner, my thoughts about this other person still affect me
Wet dreams
I am struggling with sexual desire and fantasies about someone other than my current partner
It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean
It is difficult to admit these thoughts to myself and to others, but they continue to persist
I used to fight but now I fiend
I used to resist these thoughts, but now I cannot escape them
Wet dreams
I am consumed by my sexual fantasies and thoughts about someone other than my current partner
Contributed by Arianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Clémentine Rondeau
I haven't had the guts no I haven't had the balls
To tell you all about thoughts I can't keep out
Don't wanna fall asleep I don't wanna fall asleep
But I've been running out of ways to kill all of these sheep
She's been coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
She tells me that you're dead and that you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
She's always coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
As my consciousness slips I fall into her grips
We drink the devil's blood inducing psychedelic trips
She's got ocean in her hips and liños in her lips
And when you're lying in my arms she's still tugging on my dick
Wet dreams
It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean
I used to fight but now I fiend
Wet dreams
She's always coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
She tells me that you're dead and that you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
Wet dreams
It's not easy coming clean but y urges can not wean
I used to fight but now I fiend
Wet dreams
Robert
I haven't had the guts no I haven't had the balls
To tell you all about the thoughts I can't keep out
Don't wanna fall asleep I don't wanna fall asleep
But I've been running out of ways to kill all of these sheep
She's been coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
She tells me that you're dead and that you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
She's always coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
I can not keep her concealed and I can't shake that she ain't real
As my consciousness slips I fall into her grip
We drink the devil's blood inducing psychedelic trips
She's got ocean in her hips and liños in her lips
And when you're lying in my arms she's still tugging on my dick
Wet dreams
It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean
I used to fight but now I fiend
Wet dreams
She's always coming in my head and there's a devil in our bed
She tells me that you're dead and that you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left she's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed and never letting me forget
Wet dreams
It's not easy coming clean but my urges can not wean
I used to fight but now I fiend
Wet dreams
sergio rey
Haven't had the guts,
No i haven't had the balls,
To tell you all about,
The thoughts I can't keep out,
Don't wanna fall asleep,
I don't wanna fall asleep,
But i'm running out of ways
To kill all of the sheep
She's been coming in my head
There's a devil in our bed
I cannot keep her concealed
And I can't shake that she ain't real
She tells me that you're dead
That you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies
Doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left
She's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed
And never letting me forget
She's always coming in my head
There's a devil in our bed
I cannot keep her concealed
And I can't shake that she ain't real
As my consciousness slips
I fall into her grip
We drink the devil's blood
Inducing psychedelic trips
She's got oceans in her hips
And linos in her tits
And when you're lying in my arms
She's still tugging on my dick
It's not easy coming clean
But my urges can not wean
I used to fight and now I fiend
She's always coming in my head
There's a devil in our bed
She tells me that you're dead
That you just picked up and left
And knowing that she lies
Doesn't dull her piercing eyes
When the moon has come and left
She's still fucking with my head
Dragging me into bed
And never letting me forget
It's not easy coming clean
But my urges can not wean
I used to fight and now I fiend
zamboni jones
I love this old 60's style acid/dreamy surf rock sound. There needs to be more music like this in the world. It brings about a certain unexplainable vibe that other music does not.
Salamander676
Shnookums I’ve been trying to project that vibe lately in my music
Mr. Mojo Risin
@Salamander676 did you get it?
Salamander676
Nah I haven’t tried and my taste has been changing. I’ve been getting pretty good surprisingly at rapping and indie lately tho lol. I just need an outlet where I can record music. It wouldn’t hurt if I had the right people to work with
Mr. Mojo Risin
@Salamander676 wow, that's good, do you have any music on the internet?
Adrian Inman
Wet Dreams, Living In a Memory, Don't Care and Empty Bones are such gifts. Bless these guys
Sara
this band, so chill. the type of music you play when you're drinking alone and counting stars. cheers.
Ahmet Berk Akça
+Sara Shit, that description was so deep ! Cheers.
awa y
wow , cheers!
Shredward 666
Sara literally what I'm doing right now and just discovered this band. They're badass.