The band has a cult following in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, although the eclectic and unique sound Tindersticks possesses never made significant inroads in the mainstream.
Personnel
* Stuart Ashton Staples, born 14 November 1965 - Lead voice, guitar, melodica
* Dickon James Hinchliffe, born 9 July 1967 - violin, guitar, voice, piano, string and brass arrangements
* Neil Timothy Fraser, - born 22 November 1962 - lead guitar, vibraphone
* David Leonard Boulter, born 27 February 1965 - keyboards, percussion
* Alasdair Robert De Villeneuve Macaulay, born 2 August 1965 - drums, percussion, trumpet
* Mark Andrew Colwill, born 12 May 1960 - bass guitar
The band formed in late 1991, Staples, Boulter, Frazer, Macauley and Hinchcliffe having previously been members of Asphalt Ribbons. The final band line-up for the "old horse" mini-LP (1991) was: Stuart Staples (vocals) Dave Boulter (organ & accordion) Neil Fraser (guitar) Dickon Hinchliffe (Guitar & strings) Al Macauley (percussion & drums) John Thompson (bass). Mark Colwill was recruited when John Thompson left the Asphalt Ribbons, but it is not sure if he played any gigs under the Asphalt Ribbons name. Then they changed their name to Tindersticks after Stuart A. Staples discovered a box of German matches on a Greek beach.
Tindersticks started recording demo tapes in 1992, and were signed by Tippy Toe Records who released their first single, "Patchwork".
Their self-titled first and second albums established their signature sound and received widespread critical acclaim. Their live performances, often augmented by large string sections and even, on occasion, a full orchestra, were rapturously received. (The live album Bloomsbury Theatre 12.3.95 is a recording of one such concert.) By the time of the third album, Curtains, however, it was clear that a change of direction was called for. There was a certain ennui to the songs, and the lengthy "Ballad of Tindersticks" was a weary swipe at the pressures of being a touring band.
The fourth album, Simple Pleasure, lived up to its title with a series of snappy, direct songs influenced by soul music. The female backing vocals on several tracks, and the respectful cover of Odyssey's "If You're Looking For A Way Out", signalled the band's wish to move towards lighter, more soulful material. However, the inner sleeve's documentation of the number of takes each track went through was evidence that the band continued to adopt a painstaking approach to recording.
The fifth album, Can Our Love, continued the band's soulful direction, in particular evidence on the tender "Sweet Release" and in the nod to the Chi-Lites in the title of "Chilitetime".
The sixth and most recent album, Waiting For The Moon, was more stripped down and introspective in nature, particularly on the harrowing "4.48 Psychosis" (based on the play of the same name by the British playwright Sarah Kane) and "Sometimes It Hurts". Only the bouncy "Just A Dog" lightened the otherwise melancholy mood of the album.
In 2005 Staples embarked on a solo career and there was resultant speculation that the band had split. Staples has so far produced two solo albums, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 and Leaving Songs. The title of the second album, and Staples' notes on it, indicate that Tindersticks may indeed be at an end: "These are songs written on the verge of leaving the things I loved and stepping into a new unknown life, both musically and personally. I was always aware that these songs were the end of something, a kind of closing a circle of a way of writing that I started so long ago and I knew I had to move on from."
In September 2006, the band played a one-off concert at London's Barbican Centre, performing their second album in full with a nine-member string section and two brass players, including former collaborator Terry Edwards on trumpet. This concert brought the band's members back together. A new recording process in 2007 resulted in a new album, The Hungry Saw, which was released on April 28th 2008.
In the meantime, in July 2007, Island Records had released The BBC Sessions, a double CD compilation of the band's sessions for BBC radio programmes. Also in 2007, a stripped-down line-up of three of the original band, Staples, Boulter and Fraser, spent time writing and recording in a newly-equipped studio in Limousin, France. They were joined by Thomas Belhom on drums and Dan McKinna on bass, with Ian Caple engineering. The resulting album, The Hungry Saw, was released on Beggars Banquet in April 2008. Tindersticks played a number of other European dates during the summer festival season and also announced a winter 2008 European tour.
In 2010, the eighth album Falling Down a Mountain was released on 4AD / Constellation Records with a changed band line-up, with Earl Harvin replacing Belhom on drums and David Kitt, a solo artist in his own right, joining the band on guitar and vocals.
The group's ninth album The Something Rain was released in February 2012.
As well as their nine studio albums, the band has produced the soundtracks for four films by the French director Claire Denis: Nenette et Boni,Trouble Every Day, 35 Rhums and White Material
They recorded a cover of the Four Tops song, "What Is A Man", for the theme to the British TV series The Sins.
The Tindersticks song Tiny Tears was featured prominently in the Series 1 episode "Isabella" of HBO's The Sopranos. Additionally, a version of "Running Wild" was played during the ending credits of the penultimate episode of the series, "The Blue Comet". In the Season One Finale of Brotherhood, "El Diablo En El Ojo" is used twice.
* Tindersticks (aka First Album) (This Way Up, 1993)
* Tindersticks (aka Second Album) (This Way Up, 1995)
* Curtains (This Way Up, 1997)
* Simple Pleasure (Island, 1999)
* Can Our Love... (Beggar's Banquet, 2001)
* Waiting for the Moon (Beggar's Banquet, 2003)
* BBC Sessions (2007)
On 17th October 2014, Tindersticks released the commissioned soundscapes from the In Flanders Fields WW1 museum in Ypres, Belgium.
See the band's site at www.tindersticks.co.uk.
Feeling Relatively Good
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When those eyes looks onto mine
But you know
I get it wrong in the end
I pretend to know what it's about
I choose explanations to suit myself
But you know
Now I only laugh
With people
That have no reason to care
Feeling good about the things that dont really matter
And I call
I want you near
Hey I could love you anywhere but here
But you know
I got it wrong and its the end
You know what I say
You see what I do
Theres a part of me that I still hide from you
I miss you
There
I said it
Okay
Now I only laugh
With people
That have no reason to care
Feeling good about the things that dont really matter
You know what I say
You see what I do
Theres a part of me that I still hide from you
I miss you
There
I said it
Okay
Now I only laugh
With people
That have no reason to care
Feeling good about the things that dont really matter
The song "Feeling Relatively Good" by Tindersticks talks about the singer's inability to fully understand the person they care about. They pretend to comprehend when they look into their eyes, but in the end, they admit to getting it wrong. They try to explain things to suit themselves, but once again, they are incorrect. The chorus speaks of the singer laughing with people who don't care about them and feeling good about things that don't really matter. The second half of the song talks about the singer's desire for the person they care about, admitting that there is still a part of themselves that they hide from them. The song ends with the singer confessing their feelings for the person and saying that they miss them.
The lyrics of the song delve into themes of miscommunication and pretending to understand, as well as feeling disconnected and alone even in the presence of others. The idea of feeling good about things that don't matter can be interpreted as escapism, trying to find happiness in temporary or shallow things to distract from deeper, more complicated issues. It also touches on the fear of vulnerability and hiding parts of oneself from someone they care about.
Line by Line Meaning
I pretend to understand
I try to act like I know what's going on
When those eyes looks onto mine
When I make eye contact with someone
But you know
But deep down, the other person knows the truth
I get it wrong in the end
My understanding was incorrect and it ended badly
Now I only laugh
Currently, the only time I laugh
With people
Is with others
That have no reason to care
Who don't really care about me or my problems
Feeling good about the things that dont really matter
Finding happiness in insignificant things
And I call
I reach out to someone
I want you near
I want to be close to you
Hey I could love you anywhere but here
I would love you anywhere but where I currently am
You know
You are aware
I got it wrong and its the end
My misunderstanding led to the end of something
You see what I do
You observe my actions
Theres a part of me that I still hide from you
I keep a part of myself hidden from you
I miss you
I long for your company
There
I admit it
I said it
I revealed my true feelings
Okay
It's fine
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pollinator Plates
I feel like I am finding new Tindersticks songs to enjoy all of the time. This one was new to me- thanks for posting.
David James Buckner
I found this 7 inch single in a stack this morning. It’s the first of many tindersticks records I bought starting in 1993. Still sounds fresh, languid, alive!
Rardlesot
So simple, so perfect. The whistling ... Genius.