There is a fragility coating the sweeping songs of The Soldier Thread; it’s… Read Full Bio ↴There is a fragility coating the sweeping songs of The Soldier Thread; it’s scrawled on every measure and delicately interwoven with each chilling harmony. It’s a sound that creeps into the room with a wispy ambiance, allowing for a tangible vulnerability. But suddenly, each calculated melody comes crashing together, and the dynamic shifts. The sound begins to swell with a vibrant chorus, and the fragility gives way into something more powerful, more meaningful. For The Soldier Thread, this comes as second nature. For the rest of us, it comes as breathtaking.

“Mend Your Heart With Soldier Thread”. So goes the mantra of the Austin-based quintet. Their songs are saturated in the themes of unrequited love, driven by vibrant transitions and haunting atmospheres. The result is part Stars, part Explosions in the Sky, dabbling equally in indie pop bliss and post-rock poignancy. Depending on your perspective, it’s either the sound of a heart breaking, or of one being put back together.

The Soldier Thread’s unofficial formation was in the quiet rooms of songwriter/pianist/guitarist Justin McHugh and guitarist Todd Abels in Austin, Texas. After recruiting violist/singer Patricia Lynn and drummer Drew Van Diver, the group found its footing; filling up the tracks that would make up their demo EP Fevers and Fireworks (they would later add bassist Chance Gilmore). The talent of the band was evident on the EP, and when people started taking notice The Soldier Thread was given the opportunity to record their debut full-length, Shapes, with one caveat: they wanted to do it right.

“The plan was to do it correctly, or what we thought was correctly,” explains McHugh in the smoky confines of the band’s practice space. "There's a big difference between watching some band that just puts itself out there without any real preparation and watching a band that's really well rehearsed. I've always taken the well rehearsed bands more seriously, and that is what we've all been striving for since the beginning."

The band’s determination comes through on Shapes, an album brimming with bittersweet undertones and an indisputable effervescence. Shapes isn’t a debut so much as it is an arrival; the introduction to a sound that is as ephemeral as it is gripping. It’s the soundtrack to our lives, providing a lush backdrop of heartrending viola, climaxing guitars, and driving percussion. “Shapes is all of us coming together,” says Abels.

With that sound, the band has ascended from under-the-radar to Austin’s-next-big-thing in just over a year. They were selected as a finalist for Spin’s “Hot Pursuit” contest and their music was featured on MTV’s “The Real World: Hollywood”. More importantly, they were able to spend the time with producer Lars Göransson (What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Cardigans, Johnny Goudie) to ensure that Shapes encapsulated the band. “Obviously, we went from recording our first album with a friend to a totally different experience, different ball game,” details McHugh. “I think the album is going to be great. There are some gorgeous songs on it.”

Gorgeous almost sells the tracks short. “Cannons” shines with an infectious chorus that would make Death Cab for Cutie and Denali proud, while “In the Sky” begins with spacious, Mercury Program-like tones before erupting into a foray of climactic instrumentation. The tracks range from airy to epic, but all have a common thread throughout that is entirely The Soldier Thread. "I think it was a U2 interview I saw where they said something like, 'You can never try to write like anyone else,'" laughs McHugh. "I've tried to write like a few bands I really like, but it's never come out sounding any different than everything else I've written. So I guess this is the sound I am going to create regardless of how I try to write."

On Shapes, that sound was given room to breathe. Whereas Fevers and Fireworks was primarily written with limited instrumentation, Shapes presents a band realizing its potential. "When I was writing for the EP, I was limited to what the two of us could do on our own,” details McHugh. “I really didn't think about writing for anything outside of piano, guitar, and a few other things. Now, after having done a record in what we feel is the right way, I realize I can bring in string quartets, horns and other instruments. Now I'm starting to arrange strings and use more electronics and programming because I know that I can write whatever I want and we'll find a way to realize it."

While the story of The Soldier Thread is barely on its opening chapter, the band faces the future with energized anticipation. “I like motion. Progress. Let’s get on this train, let’s go,” says Lynn of the experience. “It’s definitely day-by-day, but…there’s stuff happening every day that’s probably not so common.” As her ethereal voice weaves through the notes of the opener, “Run Run”, “common” is the last word that comes to mind. Rather, it shows a stunning glimmer of everything the band is, as well as what it can become.

That idea of progress seems to be a common theme for the band. “You know when you were younger and you played with Legos?” asks McHugh. “Remember when you were done building…you kind of just didn’t play with it that much? It was more about building things. That’s it for me. As soon as we’ve written the music and sent off the demo for them to hear, I’m done with it.” The one exception is in the band’s impossibly polished live show, where the range of the tracks is fully on display.

“I feel, as a band, we’ve come quite far, really honing our talents and becoming much tighter,” says McHugh. “In a short amount of time,” finishes Lynn. Though the story of The Soldier Thread is just beginning, each spine-tingling crescendo is a reminder that under all those guitars and strings is a collection of beating hearts. The Soldier Thread is driven by an emotive, personal quality; a certain passion that resonates through each starry moment. Maybe they can mend some broken hearts, after all.

Anybody
The Soldier Thread Lyrics

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Feeling like a zero, I'm a skeleton
You let everything dry up under the sun
I don't need a savior. I don't want a crutch.
You don't give a damn, so I don't give a fuck

That you don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody

When you say you love me, say you love me do
I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do.

Maybe you've forgotten how we came to be
Now I never feel like your priority
I don't wanna put you back under the gun
If you don't give a damn, just tell me; I won't give a fuck

That you don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody

When you say you love me, say you love me do.
I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do.

You don't need anybody.
You don't need anybody.
You were so cool, oo you could bag plenty hotties.
At least you think so. You're so obsessed with your own self that we both became a mess.
Now we're just losing. Confusion oozing out of both our bodies. You could call it prostitution,
Cause I'm used up, body parts bruised up. Only way I'll hang around here is with a noose up.
You don't need anybody, not even true love.

And you don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody
I don't think you love me.

Say, say, say that
You don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody (you)
You don't need anybody

When you say you love me, say you love me do
I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do.

C'mon say you love me, say you love me do
I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Soldier Thread's song "ANYBODY" express a feeling of rejection and disappointment in a relationship. The singer feels like nothing, just a skeleton, because their partner has let everything "dry up under the sun," implying that their love and connection has withered away. The singer doesn't want to be saved or given a crutch, indicating a desire to stand on their own two feet. They express that they don't give a "fuck" because their partner doesn't give a "damn." However, the repeated phrase "you don't need anybody" may also be interpreted as the singer accusing their partner of being self-centered and not valuing the relationship.

The chorus's line "when you say you love me, say you love me do. I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do" conveys the singer's doubt about their partner's feelings, while also longing for affirmation of love. The following verse expresses frustration with the relationship being unequal, with the singer never feeling like a priority. The line "If you don't give a damn, just tell me; I won't give a fuck" seems like a challenge or ultimatum to the partner, demanding honesty and perhaps indicating a willingness to walk away if the relationship cannot be salvaged.

Line by Line Meaning

Feeling like a zero, I'm a skeleton
I feel worthless and empty inside.

You let everything dry up under the sun
You neglected everything until it withered away and died.

I don't need a savior. I don't want a crutch.
I do not need someone to save me or rely on them.

You don't give a damn, so I don't give a fuck
You do not care, so I do not care either.

That you don't need anybody (you)
You do not need anyone in your life.

When you say you love me, say you love me do
When you say you love me, truly mean it and show it.

I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do.
I do not believe you love me, as you do not show it.

Maybe you've forgotten how we came to be
Perhaps you have forgotten how we fell in love.

Now I never feel like your priority
You do not make me feel like a priority in your life.

I don't wanna put you back under the gun
I do not want to force you into something you do not want.

If you don't give a damn, just tell me; I won't give a fuck
If you do not care, be honest with me and I will stop caring as well.

You were so cool, oo you could bag plenty hotties.
You used to be attractive to many people.

At least you think so. You're so obsessed with your own self that we both became a mess.
You are so focused on yourself that our relationship became chaotic and unhealthy.

Now we're just losing. Confusion oozing out of both our bodies.
Our relationship is failing, and we are both confused and unsure about what to do next.

You could call it prostitution,
Our relationship feels like a transaction rather than genuine love.

Cause I'm used up, body parts bruised up.
I feel drained and hurt by this relationship.

Only way I'll hang around here is with a noose up.
I only feel like staying in this relationship if it involves me harming myself.

You don't need anybody, not even true love.
You do not need anyone in your life, not even true love.

Say, say, say that
Please say to me

C'mon say you love me, say you love me do
Please truly say that you love me and show it.

I don't think you will. No, I don't think you do.
I do not believe you love me, as you do not show it.

Contributed by Alexander A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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