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.
This Heart of Mine
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting caught
And when you turn your face your eyes are about
To take this heart of mine
And when you stop and stare long
They're so blind and I can't understand
You take this heart of mine
Hey little boy
'cause I just feel
A little lonely
I've been wandering round again
Getting lost
It's not safe to be near those eyes
Are enough
To take this heart of mine
And when you stop and stare long
Well I could run if there wasn't a chance
You take this heart of mine
Hey little boy
Do you want the same thing as me
'cause I just feel
A little lonely
It's never going anywhere
It's just running away
Just a step outside of our love
Where's it now
To bring it all back again
There's a certain sound you know
Well I could run if there wasn't a chance
You take this heart of mine
Hey little boy
Do you want the same thing as me
'cause I just feel
A little lonely
The lyrics to Tindersticks' "This Heart Of Mine" convey a sense of longing and vulnerability, as the singer describes watching someone they are attracted to, feeling caught and entranced by their gaze. The repeated phrase "you take this heart of mine" reflects the singer's fear of being hurt or vulnerable, while also suggesting a desire to give themselves fully to the object of their affection.
The lyrics also touch on themes of loneliness and uncertainty, with the singer admitting to feeling lost and wandering, unsure of where their love will lead. The line "It's never going anywhere / It's just running away" suggests a sense of futility, as if the singer knows that their love will ultimately be fleeting and unsatisfying.
Overall, the lyrics to "This Heart Of Mine" are haunting and melancholic, reflecting the complicated and often painful nature of love and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been watching you play
I've been observing you from a distance
Getting caught
I noticed you were aware of me watching you
And when you turn your face your eyes are about
When you look in my direction, your eyes sparkle
To take this heart of mine
I feel like you could steal my heart away
And when you stop and stare long
When you pause and glance for an extended time
They're so blind and I can't understand
I can't decipher the meaning behind your gaze
You take this heart of mine
I fear that you might rob me of my emotions
Hey little boy
Addressing the person being watched
Do you want the same thing as me
Are you feeling the same emotions as me
'cause I just feel
Implies uncertainty and insecurity
A little lonely
I am feeling a sense of solitude
I've been wandering round again
I'm back to my usual habits
Getting lost
I'm unsure of my direction
It's not safe to be near those eyes
Being in close proximity to your gaze is risky
Are enough
They hold a strong power over me
To take this heart of mine
They could easily capture my emotional state
It's never going anywhere
This situation will not progress
It's just running away
The emotions are fleeting and not grounded
Just a step outside of our love
This feeling is on the periphery of a romantic relationship
Where's it now
What has become of this fleeting emotion
To bring it all back again
To revive this emotion or feeling
There's a certain sound you know
I recognize something in your presence that elicits emotion
Well I could run if there wasn't a chance
I would have left if there wasn't still hope for something more
You take this heart of mine
You have power over my emotions
Hey little boy
Addressing the person being watched
Do you want the same thing as me
Asking if they reciprocate your emotions
'cause I just feel
Implying that their emotions are not as clear
A little lonely
Feeling a sense of solitude in this emotional situation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STUART ASHTON STAPLES, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, DAVID BOULTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hugh Cansdale
An understated masterpiece...
Brewster Brownville
This song is gorgeous.
ismuro
Precious. A wonder to enjoy again and again.
Gerardo Villegas Editor
Amazing