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.
Opening Titles
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see trouble every day
It?s on the inside
So don't try to understand
I get on the inside of you
You can blow it all away
Such a slightest breath
Look into my eyes
Hear the words I can't say
Words that defy
And they scream it out loud
I get on the inside of you
You can wave it all away
Such a slightest thing
It?s just the raise of your hand
And there's trouble every day
There's trouble every day
There's trouble every day
There's trouble every day
In Tindersticks' Opening Titles, the opening lyrics, "Look into my eyes, You see trouble every day," sets the tone for the melancholic lyrics which addresses the singer's internal conflicts. The song is a reflection on the importance of emotions and the futility of trying to understand them. The line "It’s on the inside, so don't try to understand" suggests that emotions are a personal experience that cannot be easily explained or understood by others. The singer challenges the listener to go deeper, to look into his eyes and see the vulnerability and pain that he carries.
The repeated line "I get on the inside of you, You can blow it all away" suggests that the singer wants to create a connection with the listener, to be understood through shared experiences. This connection creates a sense of release - the ability to "blow it all away" and move beyond the struggles that define our daily lives. The song is a poignant reminder to embrace our emotions, no matter how painful, and to connect with others in order to find healing.
Line by Line Meaning
Look into my eyes
As the singer requests, they desire the listener to make eye contact with them.
You see trouble every day
The singer acknowledges that the listener may perceive them as suffering or being tormented on a daily basis.
It?s on the inside
The source of the trouble resides within the singer's inner self.
So don't try to understand
The artist knows that the listener will not be able to fully comprehend their struggles.
I get on the inside of you
The artist somehow gets emotionally close and familiar with the listener.
You can blow it all away
The listener has the power to take the singer's stresses away with the slightest of gestures.
Such a slightest breath
The act of breathing alone can signify the listener's ability to alleviate the singer's troubles.
And I know who I am
The artist gains clarity with the aid of the listener in understanding their own self.
Hear the words I can't say
The artist wishes for the listener to hear the thoughts and feelings that they have difficulty expressing verbally.
Words that defy
The artist has a sense of defiance that they express without words.
And they scream it out loud
Despite a lack of vocalization, the singer's defiance can be heard and felt by those around them.
You can wave it all away
Similar to the previous lines, the listener has the ability to relieve the artist's troubles with minimal effort.
Such a slightest thing
Just the faintest of motions can help the singer forget or overcome their internal turmoil.
It?s just the raise of your hand
As simple as lifting a hand, the listener can provide the singer with solace and peace.
And there's trouble every day
Repeating this refrain twice more than the initial line, the singer emphasizes that their struggles continue on a daily basis.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STUART ASHTON STAPLES, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, ALASDAIR MACAULAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind