The Hotelier formed in June 2009 when lead singer Christian Holden met Chris Hoffman, Zack Shaw, and Sam Frederick while attending high school in Dudley, Massachusetts. In 2009, the band released their first EP, titled We Are All Alone, which received little success outside of Massachusetts. At the end of the year, the band released Two Song Demo. In 2011, the band released their first album, titled It Never Goes Out, receiving some attention.
Originally named The Hotel Year, the band changed its name because they did not think the name was particularly good, and there was a band called My Hotel Year which they did not want to be confused with.
The band released their second album in 2014 titled Home, Like Noplace Is There, which brought the band to attention in the emo revival scene. After releasing the album, vocalist Christian Holden stated in a blog post on the bands Tumblr that "Our new album deals with some real dark stuff. So to all my brooding and slightly damaged friends, have your a happy album or Rugrats in Paris nearby. It’s partly about my experience with friends and loved ones in the past three years which were very complicated, toxic, and abusive. But laid within is a lot about the deconstruction of self for personal growth and transformation. I hope it helps you live and stuff. Apparently we are emo now." Home, Like Noplace Is There ranked at number 1 on the AbsolutePunk staff's top 30 albums of 2014, and number 6 on the users' top 50 albums of 2000-2015. According to Marc Snitzer, writer for the Philadelphia City Paper, The Hotelier was named one of two bands "leading the emo revival". The release of the band's sophomore album was ranked number seven on Alternative Press's list of the "12 Biggest Moments of The #EmoRevival in 2014". Leor Galil, writer for the Chicago Reader named it his favorite record of 2014. The band was also featured (for their second album) in a Boston Globe article highlighting the best music from Boston in 2014. The album was included at number 29 on Rock Sound's "Top 50 Albums of the Year" list.
The band was featured on Property of Zack's "Artists To Watch in 2015". The band performed at the 2015 Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain. In the spring of 2015, the band supported La Dispute and Title Fight on their co-headlining tour.
On 15 February 2016 Christian Holden wrote a blog post on the band's Tumblr account in which they mentioned an impending album announcement for an album entitled Goodness. The album was formally announced the next day. At the same time the band released a trailer for the album set to the song Goodness Pt I, a song sold as a limited edition numbered vinyl during the band's 2015 tour.
The band premiered their second single titled "Soft Animal" on April 22, 2016. The album itself was released a little over a month later, on May 27, through Tiny Engines.
Discomfort Revisited
The Hotelier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Practically know it by name.
It seldom speaks for you.
You learned to tune it away.
but It wasn't easy.
Was fond of your writing.
It allowed me to see into you.
You hid behind the similes like fractal light
i'm just jealous because i tried
mapping out your mind's inconsistent ways.
Tangled and untied, I watched your ends start to fray.
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart.
Constricting the free beating of your heart.
I knew your postcard would say,
"wish you could stay wish you felt the same way."
Asked to be admitted and they put a lock on your door.
Subdued, medicated, face to linoleum floor.
and You tried to break away. Painted window panes.
Bars behind the glass molded to the frame.
You saw yourself in those days.
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart.
Constricting the free beating of your heart.
I knew your postcard would say,
"wish you could stay wish you felt the same way."
I am tearing up pieces of old news
to mend the leaks in my open wounds.
Protect your pressure points i refuse to press against.
Let yourself renew. Project the voice that I found for you.
Pull up the weeds from the ground you grew.
Feel soil under your toes.
It's you you have forever.
I felt weaker when I bent. Beaten to the end. Folding on myself.
Too damaged to mend, I couldn't hold all the weight.
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart.
Injuring yourself dragging from my arm.
I knew your postcard would say,
"I know your new heart still desires to play
and who would i be to keep it all for me."
Wish I could stay wish I felt the same way.
The Hotelier's Discomfort Revisited describes a relationship where one person is struggling with an illness, which the other person is trying to understand and support. The lyrics suggest that the illness is a mental health issue, perhaps depression or anxiety, which the person is struggling to control. However, despite being unable to fully understand the other person's experience, the singer tries to empathize, even admitting to feeling jealous of the other person's ability to hide their pain behind their writing.
The song also touches on themes of confinement and control, with the suggestion that the person with the illness feels trapped and subdued, possibly due to medication, and is unable to break free. Despite this, there is a sense of hope and renewal at the end of the song, with the lyrics encouraging the other person to protect their pressure points and renew themselves, while acknowledging the singer's own weakness and the need for both people to grow in different ways.
Line by Line Meaning
You carry an illness.
You have a certain problem or issue that you bear in your daily life.
Practically know it by name.
You are familiar with that issue and can readily identify it when you experience it.
It seldom speaks for you.
It rarely manifests or affects you to the point that it negatively impacts your life.
You learned to tune it away.
You have developed ways to cope or manage that problem, so that it does not bother you as much anymore.
But It wasn't easy.
Even though you have found ways to deal with your problem, it still was a challenging experience for you.
Was fond of your writing.
I was impressed with your writing skills or style.
It allowed me to see into you.
Your writing provided me insight or glimpses into your innermost thoughts or emotions.
You hid behind the similes like fractal light in all shades of blue pebbles and mirrors.
You utilized figurative language and imagery in your writing as a way of concealing or expressing your feelings or thoughts in obscure or abstract terms.
I'm just jealous because i tried
mapping out your mind's inconsistent ways.
I feel envious because I attempted to understand and decipher your erratic thought patterns and behavior, but failed to do so.
Tangled and untied, I watched your ends start to fray.
In trying to make sense of your ways, I observed the gradual disintegration or unraveling of your mental or emotional state.
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart.
You had a sense of being trapped or suffocated early on in your struggles, which contributed to your emotional breakdown.
Constricting the free beating of your heart.
Your situation hindered or suppressed your capacity to feel and express your emotions genuinely and freely.
I knew your postcard would say,
'wish you could stay wish you felt the same way.'
I anticipated that you would send me a message expressing your longing and regret that I wasn't there for you when you needed me.
Asked to be admitted and they put a lock on your door.
Subdued, medicated, face to linoleum floor.
You requested to be institutionalized or hospitalized, but authorities confined you and medicated you against your will, which left you feeling powerless and dejected.
And You tried to break away. Painted window panes.
Bars behind the glass molded to the frame.
You attempted to escape or flee from the facility where you were being held captive, and you resorted to painting or covering the windows as a way of distancing yourself from your surroundings.
You saw yourself in those days.
You had moments of self-reflection and introspection during your confinement.
I am tearing up pieces of old news
to mend the leaks in my open wounds.
I am revisiting and processing past experiences or memories in order to heal and overcome my own emotional pain and scars.
Protect your pressure points i refuse to press against.
I want to be mindful and considerate of your emotional triggers or stressors, so I am avoiding doing anything that may cause you further distress or discomfort.
Let yourself renew. Project the voice that I found for you.
Pull up the weeds from the ground you grew.
Feel soil under your toes.
It's you you have forever.
Allow yourself to start fresh and be true to your own voice and identity. Remove any negative or harmful influences in your life so that you can regain your sense of self and be grounded in your own values and beliefs.
I felt weaker when I bent. Beaten to the end. Folding on myself.
Too damaged to mend, I couldn't hold all the weight.
I became emotionally drained and exhausted from trying to support you in your struggles. I pushed myself to the limit and failed to sustain myself, and I ultimately gave up because I could not bear the burden.
Injuring yourself dragging from my arm.
You were hurting yourself by relying too heavily on me for support, and it was becoming detrimental to your own well-being.
I knew your postcard would say,
'I know your new heart still desires to play
and who would i be to keep it all for me.'
Wish I could stay wish I felt the same way.
I expected that you would write to me, acknowledging that I have moved on and found happiness, and that you don't want to hold me back or insist on being a part of my life, even though you still wish you could be with me.
Contributed by Alyssa V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bacon Sensation
Lyrics:
You carry an illness
Practically know it by name
It seldom speaks for you
You learned to tune it away
But It wasn’t easy
Was fond of your writing
It allowed me to see into you
You hid behind the similes like fractal light
In all shades of blue pebbles and mirrors
I’m just jealous because i tried
Mapping out your mind’s inconsistent ways
Tangled and untied, I watched your ends start to fray
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart
Constricting the free beating of your heart
I knew your postcard would say
“wish you could stay wish you felt the same way.”
Asked to be admitted and they put a lock on your door
Subdued, medicated, face to linoleum floor
And You tried to break away. Painted window panes
Bars behind the glass molded to the frame
You saw yourself in those days
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart
Constricting the free beating of your heart
I knew your postcard would say
“wish you could stay wish you felt the same way.”
I am tearing up pieces of old news
To mend the leaks in my open wounds
Protect your pressure points i refuse to press against
Let yourself renew. Project the voice that I found for you
Pull up the weeds from the ground you grew
Feel soil under your toes
It’s you you have forever
I felt weaker when I bent. Beaten to the end. Folding on myself
Too damaged to mend, I couldn’t hold all the weight
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart
Injuring yourself dragging from my arm
I knew your postcard would say
“I know your new heart still desires to play
And who would i be to keep it all for me.”
Wish I could stay wish I felt the same way
Subterranean Losers
This is a fantastic album. It's the kind you can put on from start to finish and there's never a bad song. Something about it is incredibly nostalgic.
Bacon Sensation
Lyrics:
You carry an illness
Practically know it by name
It seldom speaks for you
You learned to tune it away
But It wasn’t easy
Was fond of your writing
It allowed me to see into you
You hid behind the similes like fractal light
In all shades of blue pebbles and mirrors
I’m just jealous because i tried
Mapping out your mind’s inconsistent ways
Tangled and untied, I watched your ends start to fray
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart
Constricting the free beating of your heart
I knew your postcard would say
“wish you could stay wish you felt the same way.”
Asked to be admitted and they put a lock on your door
Subdued, medicated, face to linoleum floor
And You tried to break away. Painted window panes
Bars behind the glass molded to the frame
You saw yourself in those days
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart
Constricting the free beating of your heart
I knew your postcard would say
“wish you could stay wish you felt the same way.”
I am tearing up pieces of old news
To mend the leaks in my open wounds
Protect your pressure points i refuse to press against
Let yourself renew. Project the voice that I found for you
Pull up the weeds from the ground you grew
Feel soil under your toes
It’s you you have forever
I felt weaker when I bent. Beaten to the end. Folding on myself
Too damaged to mend, I couldn’t hold all the weight
You felt buried from the start. Tearing you apart
Injuring yourself dragging from my arm
I knew your postcard would say
“I know your new heart still desires to play
And who would i be to keep it all for me.”
Wish I could stay wish I felt the same way
Fabulous Killjoy
Man I love this album SO much. It helps more than almost anything else.
Mellow Gaming
This is really good stuff. Like, really good.
Jonathan Mitchell
Just hung this album on my wall. I'm rooted too deep to hide it in the closet or some lonely box.
FriendlyFantom
Took me a while to realize this is a nod to their song "Southern Discomfort". I feel stupid lol.
Kai Lee
Sounds like a mixture of Weezer and like all of the North side of Chicago’s indie rock bands combined ....Good Stuff.
Dale Larson
Revisiting discomfort
mistier
sick.
Tony Bravo
Why does this song fuck me up so hard?