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.
Mistakes
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je sais que je les porterai toute ma vie
Mes erreurs
Comme de celle
Tu sais laquelle
Quand on a coupÃ? mes cordes
Je me suis envolÃ?e ailleurs
On a coupÃ? mes cordes
Mistakes I've made
I know I'll live with them all my life
Mistakes I've made
Like the one
You know the one
And I had my strings cut
I went flying around
And I had my strings cut
I wasn't coming down
These days I'm only happy when I cannot move
These days I'm only happy when I'm tied down
Next to you
Not with my strings cut
When I'm flying around
Not with my strings cut
When I'm not coming down
Mistakes I've made
I know I'll live with them all my life
Mistakes I've made
Like the one
You know the one
And I had my strings cut
I went flying around
And I had my strings cut
I wasn't coming down
Tindersticks' song "Mistakes" is a melancholic reflection on the consequences of our choices in life. The lyrics convey a sense of regret and resignation as the singer acknowledges the mistakes they have made and the fact that they will carry them with them forever. The opening lines, "Mistakes I've made, I know I'll live with them all my life," set the tone for the rest of the song. The repetition of the phrase "mistakes I've made" emphasizes the weight of these errors and underscores the singer's inability to escape them.
The reference to having "my strings cut" suggests a loss of control or agency, either self-imposed or imposed by others. The singer goes "flying around" with no clear direction or purpose, unable to "come down." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for addiction or escapism, or simply a state of emotional turmoil. The chorus offers a glimmer of hope, with the singer expressing a desire to be "tied down" next to someone they care for. This can be seen as a desire for stability and connection in a world that can be chaotic and confusing.
Overall, "Mistakes" is a poignant meditation on the human condition, with its trials and tribulations, setbacks and regrets, but also its moments of connection and hopefulness.
Line by Line Meaning
Mistakes I've made
Referring to the bad decisions that have been taken
I know I'll live with them all my life
The mistakes that were committed will stay haunting the person forever
Like the one
Referring to a specific mistake
You know the one
The person listening is aware of the mistake being referred to
And I had my strings cut
Comparing oneself to a puppet whose strings have been cut, and now they have no control over themselves
I went flying around
Without the strings, the person had no restrictions and became reckless
I wasn't coming down
The person was unable to come back to reality and was lost in the repercussions of the mistake
These days I'm only happy when I cannot move
The person is indicating that they feel safe when they are unable to make decisions or take actions, indicating that they have lost trust in themselves
These days I'm only happy when I'm tied down
The person feels content when restricted or unable to move without guidance
Not with my strings cut
The person does not want to repeat the same mistake again
When I'm flying around
The person is still acting recklessly
Not with my strings cut
The person does not want to repeat the same mistake again
When I'm not coming down
Again, indicating the aftermath of the consequences
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STUART ASHTON STAPLES, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, DAVID BOULTER, NEIL TIMOTHY FRASER, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, ALASDAIR MACAULAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind