1) The earliest band called The Strand was founded in the mid-80s in Tempe, Arizona by Bruce Connole, veteran of hugely popular Arizona New Wave/Postpunk pioneers Billy Clone and The Same as well as The Jetzons. The Strand were likewise enormously successful on the Tempe scene and regionally, and released a bestselling self-titled debut album in 1987. Connole later went on to form the Revenants and Suicide Kings, among others.
2) The Strand is also an Arizona based industrial group. Dave Strand formed the band in 1999. The current band members include Laura McQuaig, Bryon Anderson, Elias Lewter, Scott Levy, Dave Strand, and Steve Laskarides. The Strand’s style varies from industrial dance, EBM, electro-industrial, and industrial rock.
1990’s
Founding member David Levy started creating music on his Amiga computer in the early 1990’s in Vernon Hills, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His project was called The Strand. His songwriting was heavily influenced by the industrial music coming from the Wax Trax record label in Chicago. In 1999 Dave moved to Arizona and took the stage name, Dave Strand. Shortly after, the Strand was officially created. The Strand’s first members were Dave Strand, Randall Hampton, Kimberly Brown, Steve Laskarides, Neal Parker, Scott Levy, and Jeremy Reich.
1999-2000
The Strand’s first demo two and three song CD was produced and circulated among local industrial music fans. An eight song demo, “Digging in the Trench” was sold online in 1999. In 2000, “In the Trench”, their first full-length CD was released. Their CD release and debut performance took place around this time at the Power Plant in Phoenix, Arizona. The Strand went big with their first live stage performance which included electronic and acoustic drums, keyboards, costumes and video projection. In 2000 Randall Hampton left the band amiably to pursue other ventures.
2000-2004
Between the years 2000-2004, the Strand continued to build their fan base and performed in the southwest US. They supported several renowned touring bands including: VNV Nation, And One, Assemblage 23, Covenant, Dismantled, Imperative Reaction, and the Azoic. Neal Parker, the drummer, left the band in 2003 and was replaced by Bryon Anderson. During this time they gained the sponsorship of Trash City Entertainment. They were then able to release two more CDs in 2004; a remix album featuring the work of esteemed industrial musicians and their second full-length CD titled “Diatom”.
2004-2007
In 2005 the Strand played the main stage at Convergence 11. In 2007 they were featured on the main stage at the Dark Arts Festival in Salt Lake City. Shortly after, female vocalist, Kimberly left the band to pursue her education.
2007-Present
In the fall of 2007 the band recruited Laura McQuaig as their new female vocalist. During the female vocalist auditions, keyboardist Jeremy Reich left the Strand. Elias Lewter, former band member of the Marbles and Dubok joined the band as a replacement. Shortly after the Strand’s third full-length CD, “Destroyers of that which is destroyed and rulers of that which is not destroyed” was released. The release featured vocals by Laura McQuaig as well as Kimberly Brown. The band went on their first official multi-state tour in 2008 performing in several Midwest states. In 2008 they performed at the Oscillation Festival held in New Mexico.
In May of 2012 The Strand released Combat Advantage, their fourth full length album. The band continues to play shows, and release music.
Current Band Members
* Dave Strand (1992-present) Vocals
* Laura McQuaig (2007-present) Vocals and Keyboards
* Elias Lewter (2007-present) Keyboards
* Scott Levy (1999-present) Keyboards
* Steve Laskarides (1999-present) Keyboards
* Bryon Anderson (2003-present) Drums
Former Band Members
* Jeremy Reich (1999-2007) Keyboards
* Kimberly Brown (1999-2007) Vocals and Keyboards
* Neal Parker (1999-2003) Drums
* Randall Hampton (1999-2000) Sound FX
* Esmeralda Villalobos (2007) Vocals
Other Contributors
* Seth Ludeman – Keyboards, Guitars, and live assistance for 2006 tour.
* Dean Barbella – Spoken word on song Apparent Disaster
* Sarah Hudson – Vocals on song Deceived
Haunted
The Strand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More than prophesized
Won′t kill sweetest dreams
Arresting my puppet
My puppet strings
What is the cost of my thoughts that became?
I wear a cast so I can't play any games
The pitfall that we face
I′m haunted by the other lips you will taste
I know it's coming
I'm running for shelter
I seek distractions for reactions I can′t filter
This is a symptom
I′m about to leave this chapter
I was going nowhere
Now I'm getting there faster
Lips you will taste!
This mighty web we′ve spun can save us from all the weight above
But who avoids the hands of time?
I pray it's your′s and mine
Your life has just begun and what we have can never be undone
I know there's pieces you must find
You′re out of sight but not out of mind
War!
This is a symptom
I'm about to leave this chapter
I was going nowhere, now I'm getting there faster
Lips you will taste!
I know it′s coming, I′m running for shelter
I seek distractions for reactions I can't filter
Lips you will taste!
The song "Haunted" by The Strand is a powerful and emotionally charged piece that talks about feeling trapped and haunted by the memories of a past love. The first verse talks about the internal conflict of the singer, who is fighting against their own thoughts and desires. The lines "I war inside, more than prophesized" suggest that the singer is struggling with their own inner demons and that these battles are causing them a lot of pain and anguish.
The second verse talks about the consequences of the singer's thoughts and actions. The line "What is the cost of my thoughts that became?" suggests that the singer is aware that they are making bad decisions and that there will be consequences for these actions. The line "I'm haunted by the other lips you will taste" suggests that the singer is tormented by the idea of their lover moving on and being with someone else.
The chorus of the song is highly repetitive and adds to the emotional impact of the piece. The lines "Lips you will taste!" are repeated several times, suggesting that the singer is obsessed with the thought of their lover being with someone else. The final verse talks about the singer's hopes and fears for the future. They hope that they can move on from their past love and find happiness, but they also fear that they will never be able to escape the memories and emotions associated with their past relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I war inside
I am in conflict with myself
More than prophesized
The conflict is greater than predicted
Won′t kill sweetest dreams
I won't let the conflict destroy my hopes and aspirations
Arresting my puppet
I am taking control of my actions and decisions
My puppet strings
I am no longer being controlled by outside forces
What is the cost of my thoughts that became?
What is the price I pay for my own thoughts and decisions?
I wear a cast so I can't play any games
I am constrained by my past experiences
This is the long haul
This journey will be challenging and lengthy
The pitfall that we face
The obstacles we encounter
I′m haunted by the other lips you will taste
I am tormented by the thought of you being with someone else
I know it's coming
I am aware of what's to come
I'm running for shelter
I'm seeking refuge from the upcoming challenge
I seek distractions for reactions I can′t filter
I look for diversions to avoid reacting to difficult situations
This is a symptom
This is a sign of a larger problem
I′m about to leave this chapter
I am about to move on to a new phase of my life
I was going nowhere
I was stagnant and aimless
Now I'm getting there faster
Now I'm making progress towards my goals
This mighty web we've spun can save us from all the weight above
Our support system can help us bear the burdens we face
But who avoids the hands of time?
But who can escape the passage of time?
I pray it's your's and mine
I hope that we can make the most of our time together
Your life has just begun and what we have can never be undone
You have your whole life ahead of you and what we share will always be a part of you
I know there's pieces you must find
I know there are parts of yourself you still need to discover
You're out of sight but not out of mind
Just because you're not physically present doesn't mean you're not on my mind
War!
The internal conflict continues
Lips you will taste!
I'm still haunted by the thought of you with someone else
Writer(s): kimberly brown
Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Three Thumb
I can dig it
Atomic Frog Productions LLC
Yes...What I Needed Right Now...Shout Out To Brandon Muir
infidelxsquared
Heard them on the now defunct gotblack.com. Bought two CD's from rebel records in Frankston. Play them regularly in the gym .
Kirby
yeah quite cool.. =) 5*
Otis Driftwood
Not the original Strand i take it