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.”
Won't Leave
The Tragic Thrills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left it there out of habit
And it still hangs up in your rafters
Look at me, still casting shadows now
Yeah i'm standing there, won't leave, won't leave, won't leave
And you're goin out to dinner
And i'm looking, through the window
And i'm wishing, I was with you now
Well (unknown) continue counting
We still hear each other loudly
And you still live in the same county
And I often sing about it now
And I stamp my feet, I cannot leave, can't leave, can't leave
And I stamp my feet, I can't leave, can't leave, can't leave
Was it love (or luck) to be a charmer
To dip our feet into the water
To keep that (unknown) a little longer
To make that goodbye even harder now
I'll know it was when I leave, will be, it will be
And I leave, it will be
The Tragic Thrills's song Won't Leave is a ballad about a person who can't seem to let go of their past relationship. The song is about the singer's reflection on a relationship that has ended but lingers. The song's opening line "I forgot my winter jacket, left it there out of habit, and it still hangs up in your rafters" is a metaphor for the lingering memories of the relationship. The jacket was left behind, much like the memories of the relationship that the singer can't seem to shake off.
The song speaks to the singer's emotional state as they watch their ex-partner move on with their lives. The line "Yeah, I'm standing there, won't leave, won't leave, won't leave" signifies the singer's need to hold onto the past, even though they know they shouldn't. The song captures the struggle of dealing with the aftermath of a break-up, the feeling of helplessness as the other person moves on, and the torment of being left behind.
In the second verse, the song's lyrics talk about how despite the distance, the couple still can't seem to let go of each other. "We still hear each other loudly, and you still live in the same county, and I often sing about it now". The singer is struggling to move on, even though it seems their ex-partner has. The final line "And I leave, it will be" shows that the singer knows they need to move on, but they are still not ready to let go of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I forgot my winter jacket
I left behind a part of me that keeps me warm when I'm cold
Left it there out of habit
I left it there because it's what I always do, without thinking
And it still hangs up in your rafters
It's still there, a reminder of what was once ours
Look at me, still casting shadows now
Even though I'm gone, I'm still present in your life, like a shadow
Yeah i'm standing there, won't leave, won't leave, won't leave
I'm having a hard time moving on and letting go
And you're goin out to dinner
You're moving on without me
Some place up town, never been there
You're exploring new things and places without me
And i'm looking, through the window
I'm still watching you from afar
And i'm wishing, I was with you now
I wish I could be there with you, experiencing new things together
Well (unknown) continue counting
Time keeps moving forward, whether we like it or not
We still hear each other loudly
Our memories still resonate, they still have an impact on us
And you still live in the same county
You're still nearby, which makes it hard to forget the past
And I often sing about it now
I find solace in music, it helps me express my emotions
And I stamp my feet, I cannot leave, can't leave, can't leave
I'm stuck in the past, unable to move forward
Was it love (or luck) to be a charmer
Was our relationship based on genuine love or just luck?
To dip our feet into the water
To take a chance and try something new
To keep that (unknown) a little longer
To hold onto something that's slipping away, to postpone the inevitable
To make that goodbye even harder now
To make the process of saying goodbye even more painful and difficult
I'll know it was when I leave, will be, it will be
I'll only be able to fully understand and appreciate what we had once I've moved on
And I leave, it will be
Only once I've left will I be able to come to terms with what has happened and begin to heal
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.