The quintet is comprised of seasoned musicians with national and international touring experience, and successful track records with both major and independent labels. The band has toured with Twin Forks, Augustana and Pigpen Theater Co. In addition to Zach Porter, the band includes Cameron Quiseng (bass), Chris Morrison (lead guitar), Ans Gibson (drums), and Gabe Rudner (keyboard). With The Tragic Thrills, the band members break away from their legacies to rally behind the poetic and irreverently romantic songs Porter has crafted. Emboldened by the fresh start, the guys have taken the reins to steer their destiny. They self-funded their self-titled debut, and, enamored with the subtle genius production on Mat Kearney’s Young Love, handpicked producer Jason Lehning.
It’s a bold way to launch a new band, but that move keeps within the vibrant emotionality packed in the group’s moniker. “The name The Tragic Thrills embodies a sense of what I owe. Not what I owe to anyone, just what it’ll take for me to find whatever the hell it is I’m looking for in life,” Porter reveals.
For Porter, love pulled him off the music business treadmill and brought him back to soulful creative authenticity. “Meeting my girlfriend changed everything,” he confides. “In the past, being in a successful band was the most important thing in the world to me—I was willing to do whatever it took to make it.. Now I’m able to write in a way that my ambitions had stopped me from before. “
The band recently signed to Washington Square, the new Razor & Tie imprint. The Tragic Thrills debut is sublimely modern with skyward, atmospheric anthemics tastefully balanced by poignant and quaint touches likes stately cello, crystalline piano, and shimmering guitars. Against this expansive backdrop, Porter sings his powerfully confessional lyrics with rawness and urgency.
Throughout the album Porter’s lyric writing is a revelation; it’s blunt and pent-up but bursting with emotion about relationships: romantic, friendship, and business. On “Tears” he sings: I lost it all/I punched the wall again/But it was stronger than my hands/And they were swollen, they were red/And I’m a fool/I’m not a lion, I’m a man I can’t outrun the hurt they said/But I can love and love again/And you too, you too. “I have days quite often where I find myself relating to ‘Tears,’ in many different ways,” he says candidly. “I have something that means everything to me. And with that connection and devotion comes the greatest moments in my life but also some of the hardest.”
Another standout, “Creeps & Strangers” seizes a different end of the emotional spectrum, recounting a particularly chilling experience. “My girlfriend would take the bus to work every day,” he remembers. “There was this really creepy guy who would stare at her like he wanted to murder her. It was horrible. I was in Nashville thinking about this creep and how I didn’t want her to ride the bus anymore. That idea eventually evolved into something broader about people's lives in general, the routine, and wanting to break the cycle of things you hate.”
The hauntingly beautiful “Fever” features some of his most imaginative and stinging lyrical ideas. “There are three different stories in ‘Fever.’ The first story I made up, although it’s safe to say it happens all the time. The other two stories are personal stories from my life,” he explains. “Getting these stories out in these songs is a huge release for me. When I sing that song I mean every word.”
The Tragic Thrills sought out producer Jason Lehning for his fingerprint aesthetic of sleek poise and unvarnished expressiveness. “Jason was everything I needed. He was the perfect balance of challenging me and letting me do my thing to capture an emotion,” explains Porter.
“The whole time I was making the record there was a sense of purpose,” Porter says pensively, thinking back. “It felt like it was exactly what I should be doing. That sense of purpose gets me through everything.”
Soft & Sweet
The Tragic Thrills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your spiraling eyes
Beneath the trellisses to mine
So you can cross
All of the lights
I think i′ll cut those hanging vines
And don't go singing soft and sweet
I'll make a case for heaven pretty soon
If you′ll keep ripping hell right out of me
Soft and sweet
Coffee tea
You′re everything i hoped you'd always be
On florence street
In frigid spring
I watched you step from the taxi
I matched your pace
Back to my place
I wished that you would never leave
Well don′t come walking in so nice
And don't go acting like a saint
Hell is bound to steal you out of sight
Should you keep picking daffodils all day
Soft and sweet
Coffee tea
You′re everything i hoped you'd always be
And don′t go thinking you're so cute
And don't go singing soft and sweet
I′ll make a case for heaven pretty soon
If you keep ripping hell right out of me
Soft and sweet
Coffee tea
You′re everything i hoped you'd always be
Soft and sweet
Coffee tea
You′re everything i hoped you'd always be
The Tragic Thrills' Soft & Sweet captures the essence of a romantic encounter between two lovers. The first verse describes the desire to connect with someone at a deep level, to understand them and for them to understand you. The use of "spiraling eyes" evokes a feeling of being drawn into someone who is both fascinating and intriguing. The singer wants to walk with their lover under the trellises, a romantic image where love grows and flowers bloom. The hanging vines represent the obstacles that need to be overcome before they can truly be together, but the singer is willing to cut them down to make a clear path.
The second verse is the singer's warning that their lover shouldn't get too comfortable in their presence. They will make their case for heaven soon enough, but in the meantime, their lover needs to know that they're not perfect. They have a dark side, and they're willing to rip hell right out of the singer. The chorus repeats the phrase "soft and sweet," which is both the title of the song and the description of the singer's lover. They're everything the singer had always hoped for in a partner, someone who is both gentle and kind.
The final verse is the singer's warning that life is not all sunshine and daffodils. Hell is bound to steal their lover out of sight if they keep picking daffodils all day. It's a metaphor for the dangers of complacency, of not actively working to maintain the relationship. The repetition of the chorus underscores the singer's deep feelings of love and admiration for their partner. Overall, Soft & Sweet is a beautiful and poignant love song that captures the complexities of romance.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to walk
I desire to walk
Your spiraling eyes
I want to be with a captivating person like you
Beneath the trellises to mine
I want to share my life with you
So you can cross
I want to help you overcome
All of the lights
I want to be there for you through all the challenges
I think I'll cut those hanging vines
I want to remove any obstacles to make it easier for us
Well don't go thinking you're so cute
Do not let your pride keep us apart
And don't go singing soft and sweet
Do not deceive me with false promises
I'll make a case for heaven pretty soon
I will do everything in my power to make our love work
If you'll keep ripping hell right out of me
If you will help me overcome all my personal struggles
Soft and sweet
You are gentle and loving
Coffee tea
You are my comfort and my pick-me-up
You're everything I hoped you'd always be
You are the perfect partner for me
On Florence street
When I first saw you
In frigid spring
In a difficult time
I watched you step from the taxi
I saw you coming into my life
I matched your pace
I kept up with you
Back to my place
To where I live
I wished that you would never leave
I never wanted to part ways with you
Well don't come walking in so nice
Do not pretend to be someone you are not
And don't go acting like a saint
Do not act like you are perfect
Hell is bound to steal you out of sight
Your flaws will catch up with you eventually
Should you keep picking daffodils all day
If you keep living in your own fantasy world
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
olivia crawford
I want to walk
Your spiraling(?) eyes
Beneath the trellisses(?) to mine
so you can cross
all of the lights
i think ill cut those hanging vines
well don’t go thinking you’re so cute
and don’t go singing soft and sweet
ill make a case for heaven pretty soon
if you’ll keep ripping hell right out of me
soft and sweet
coffee tea
you’re everything i hoped you’d always be
on florence street
in frigid spring
i watched you step from the taxi
i matched your pace
back to my place
i wished that you would never leave
well don’t come walking in so nice
and don’t go acting like a saint
hell is bound to steal you out of sight
should you keep picking daffodils all day
soft and sweet
coffee tea
you’re everything i hoped you’d always be
and don’t go thinking you’re so cute
and don’t go singing soft and sweet
ill make a case for heaven pretty soon
if you keep ripping hell right out of me
soft and sweet
coffee tea
you’re everything i hoped you’d always be
soft and sweet
coffee tea
you’re everything i hoped you’d always be
this is probably all wrong but
Leonis Martins
I'M SO PROUD OF YOUR VOICE ZACH! keep working babe! 💕💕💕💕💕
Dhruv Verma
Awesome music and sweet voice!!! 😍
Александр Шматько
Much love from remote Ukraine. You guys are truly big inspiration for me!
Miranda H
Cannot stop listening to this song! It's so good!!
Kelli Dowd
Love how he pours his heart into
What he says
kissmyasthma89
This is so good!! I can't wait to hear the whole album.
CarrieDreams
"On Florence Street" can't come out fast enough, I can't wait! This is such a good song!! Job well done boys! :)
L
I can't wait for the full album! <3
LifewithMi
I'm so happy you're still making music Z!! Excited to hear the full length album and see you when you have gigs in NorCal. Much love.
Jessica Michelle
This is so good!!! I'm so excited for the album!