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.
When You Were Made
The Growlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They are stuck and afraid
Don't worry babe
Don't get too down on yourself
They were in love, when you were made
His old boots finnaly wore out
And the fire in his belly faded
As her tender heart grew jaded
A life of love is a long time
When you know that it's only one time
You were the reason they stuck around
But you're old enogh now
Don't worry babe
Not 'till you've been there too
Will your world be less cruel
The cold truth finally seeps through
Until your memory saturated
Your fragile smile looses teeth and
Your sparkling eyes grew faded
A life of love is a long time
When you know that it's only one time
The good is not so hard to forget
Though it seems far away
Don't worry babe
Don't get too down on yourself
They were in love, when you were made
A life of a love is a long time
When you know that it's a only one time
A life of love is a long time
When you know it's only one time
The Growlers’s song ‘When You Were Made’ speaks about the harsh reality of love and relationships. The lyrics are a reflection of the sadness and disappointment that comes with watching a love story wither away. The song talks about a couple who are not in love anymore, and are stuck and afraid. The singer consoles the listener, saying not to be too hard on themselves, as the couple were in love when the listener was born, meaning there was a time that they shared a bond.
The second verse of the song speaks about the physical changes in the couple as they grow old and tired. The man’s old boots have worn out, and the fire in his belly has faded. The woman’s body has changed too, as her breasts sag and her heart grows jaded. The lines suggest that love is complex, and changes over time.
The song's underlying message is a reminder that love is not perfect. It's never easy, and seeing a relationship crumble can be hard, but memories of love can be cherished. The singer tells the listener not to worry, that the good memories are still there to hold onto, but to remember that life is fleeting and that we must cherish what we have. The song paints a picture of a harsh reality of the truth about love: it's not perfect, but memories of love can be a beautiful thing.
Line by Line Meaning
No, they're not in love anymore
The couple in the song are no longer in love.
They are stuck and afraid
They feel trapped and scared in their relationship.
Don't worry babe
The singer is reassuring someone not to stress.
Don't get too down on yourself
The singer is advising someone not to be hard on themselves.
They were in love, when you were made
The couple was in love when the person being addressed in the song was born.
His old boots finally wore out
The man in the relationship has worn out his old boots indicating a change in his demeanor.
And the fire in his belly faded
His passion for his partner has diminished significantly.
Her supple breasts sadly sagged
The woman's body has changed with time, indicating a shift in their intimacy.
As her tender heart grew jaded
The woman's emotions have become more negative as disillusionment in the relationship sets in.
A life of love is a long time
Being in love for an extended period isn't easy.
When you know that it's only one time
Knowing that you only have one life to live makes it harder to let go of a past love.
You were the reason they stuck around
The person being addressed was the reason why the couple stayed together for a period of time.
But you're old enough now
The person is now old enough to understand the nuances of relationships.
Not 'till you've been there too
The person needs to go through a breakup themselves to fully understand the pain involved.
Will your world be less cruel
Experiencing heartbreak first-hand will make the world seem less harsh.
The cold truth finally seeps through
The reality of their relationship problems finally becomes apparent.
Until your memory saturated
The singer remembers the good times in the relationship until the memories become overwhelming.
Your fragile smile looses teeth and
The person's joy fades away.
Your sparkling eyes grew faded
They lose the excitement and sparkle in their eyes, and start to look lifeless.
The good is not so hard to forget
It's easier to forget the positive memories than it is to forget the bad ones.
Though it seems far away
The positive memories may feel like a distant memory.
A life of love is a long time
Being in a committed relationship can be a lengthy experience.
When you know that it's only one time
Knowing that there's only one opportunity to experience this kind of love makes it more precious.
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.