Members of the Lawrence Arms have also played in The Broadways, Slapstick, Tricky Dick and Baxter.
The three musicians came together to form the Lawrence Arms in 1999. Although punk rock bands in their infancy generally start out by releasing EPs and 7" vinyl singles, the band members used their existing relationship with Asian Man Records to immediately begin recording a full-length album, a guided tour of chicago, which was released later that year. A second album, ghost stories, followed in 2000. Both albums focused heavily on the members' own stories of growing up and living in Chicago.
The band's next two releases were split EPs with other bands. The first, a split with Shady View Terrace, was released in 2000 and was their first release to be recorded by Matt Allison, who would continue to record and produce all of their subsequent releases. A second EP, Present Day Memories, was released in 2001 and was a split with The Chinkees.
The band's records and touring schedule had brought them to the attention of Fat Mike of NOFX, who signed them to his label Fat Wreck Chords in late 2001. Their first release on the label was a 7" vinyl single, part of the label's "Fat Club" series of 7" records. This was followed by the full-length album apathy and exhaustion, released in 2002. The album spawned the band's first music video, for the song porno and snuff films and they toured extensively with NOFX and other bands from the label.
Their next album was 2003's the greatest story ever told. Arguably their most ambitious album to date, it demonstrated the band members' continued growth as musicians and songwriters and included extensive footnotes to the lyrics detailing their many references to history, literature and pop culture. It also showed an evolution in the band's vocal style. Kelly had sung most of the vocals on their first album, while on subsequent releases he and McCaughan had split vocal duties almost equally from one song to the next, with Kelly's voice tending to sound more harsh and urgent while McCaughan's sounds more relaxed and melodic. With this release, however, the two began to move towards more of a duet style of singing which would feature prominently on their next album. Extensive touring following the album's release saw the band on the road for much of 2003 and 2004. They also contributed a song to the Fat Wreck Chords Rock Against Bush, Volume 2 compilation, leading up to the 2004 presidential election and became involved with the Punk Voter campaign.
In December of 2004 Kelly and Hennessy joined with fellow Chicago natives Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio (who had played with Kelly in Slapstick) and Todd Mohney, formerly of Rise Against, to form The Falcon, and released an EP on Red Scare. Meanwhile, with interest in the Lawrence Arms increasing and their EPs out of print, Asian Man Records planned a CD release of the band's EP tracks. The resulting compilation album, Cocktails & Dreams, was released on Asian Man in June of 2005 and included their songs from both EPs along with nearly all of their compilation tracks, rare songs and b-sides.
The Lawrence Arms re-entered the studio in October and November of 2005 and recorded the album oh! calcutta!, which was released on Fat Wreck Chords in March of 2006. It had an overall faster and more urgent feel to it than their previous album, and demonstrated another step in the development of their singing as Kelly and McCaughan shared vocals in a duet style on nearly every song. They filmed a music video for the song the devil's takin' names.
The Lawrence Arms spent most of 2006 touring extensively alongside bands such as NOFX, Alkaline Trio, The Draft, Lagwagon, and A Wilhelm Scream. The full-length debut by the Falcon was released that fall on Red Scare. In December, the Lawrence Arms embarked on their first headlining tour of Australia, also playing supporting shows with Frenzal Rhomb.
In March of 2007, guitarist Chris McCaughan released the debut album from his acoustic side project Sundowner, entitled four one five two.
The band toured again in 2007, with their side projects The Falcon and Sundowner as openers along with the recently reunited American Steel.
The 2010s saw minimal studio activity by the band, but for one album. 2014's Metropole was received well, and marked the band's first full-length in eight years. The band took another extended break in between albums again, taking six years before releasing their seventh album Skeleton Coast in 2020.
Eighteen Inches
The Lawrence Arms Lyrics
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The Lawrence Arms's song Eighteen Inches is a poignant reflection on the difficulties of enduring winters in a run-down town. The singer is feeling hopeless and defeated, lying face down on the ground as the storm clouds gather overhead. They express a sense of doubt, wondering if they can handle yet another winter in this desolate place, voted "worst in show" two years running. They describe the emptiness they feel, having to resort to another bottle of cheap liquor just to cope with the loneliness and despair. The scene is set with vivid imagery, such as the old man twitching on the train, the snow reminding them of the rain, and their own burned and blistered skin, a testament to the repetitive cycles of life.
The song takes a turn as the singer begins to question the meaning and purpose of their own actions, as well as those of the people around them. They point out the futility of making New Year's resolutions, such as losing weight, when the world feels like it is collapsing around them. They compare the meaningless actions of office parties and photocopying to their own self-righteousness, spouting empty words at the coffee shop without any real hope for change. The song ends with a sense of disillusionment, as the singer realizes their dreams have melted away into nothingness.
Line by Line Meaning
Face down on the ground.
I am feeling defeated and overwhelmed by my surroundings, which are marked by stormclouds and piles of white snow that serve as a bleak reminder of the coming winter.
I don't know if I can make it through one more winter in this town.
My current routine and surroundings are becoming unbearable, and I am unsure if I have the strength to endure another winter here.
Voted worst in show the last two years.
My town has been deemed the worst of the worst, a place that no one wants to live or visit.
I got a refill on my tears-another bottle of foam yellowed clear.
My sadness and despair are so overwhelming that I need to numb myself with alcohol just to cope.
The old man twitching on the train reminds us of mortality, the snow everywhere reminds us of the rain.
The presence of an elderly man who is suffering serves as a stark reminder of our own mortality, which is particularly poignant given that the snow outside reflects the inevitability of the coming rain.
And my burned and brittle skin, cracked and blistered in the wind is testament to repetition as the impossible happens again.
My physical appearance, which shows signs of wear and tear from years of experiencing the same cycle of winter and despair, is a testament to the toxic repetition of my life.
Q: So, what's your new year's revolution? A:Take off those ten unsightly pounds.
Even when confronted with the bleak reality of my life, I am still preoccupied with superficial concerns like losing weight.
The snow is piling higher and your face is growing closer to the ground.
The increasing snow drifts are making it even more difficult to move around and breathe in this town.
Raising your glass at the office party or photocopying your secretary's ass is no less pathetic than our self-righteously self-important tasks of barfing rhetoric on shiny tabletops as our collars and turtlenecks choke us right there in the coffee shops.
The meaningless, mundane tasks that consume our day-to-day lives are all equally pathetic, and we are suffocating under the weight of our own pretension and self-importance.
Winter will not wait for you.
The relentless march of time and the changing seasons will continue to move forward regardless of our desires or needs.
Ironically, your worst dream has come true: pontification means nothing when I woke up and looked around, I found that my dreams had melted into dirty puddles on the ground.
Despite my lofty ideals and aspirations, I have found that they are ultimately meaningless in the face of the harsh reality of my life, and all of my dreams have melted away.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ASHLEY GORLEY, JOHN LOVELACE, KELLEY LOVELACE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind