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.
Trying to Find a Home
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still trying to find a home
Just some place to spread my things in
A place from where I can run
Came from so far so silent
You saw the stars above
Your smiling faces cheer up (?)
Take what we never had
[Chorus]
The lowered sun
Brings another memory
I held in my head
So I can see
Every color you were wearing
Every color in your eyes
Came from far so silent
You saw the stars above
Your smiling faces cheer up (?)
Take what we never had
And I hear you whisper
Where are you?
And I see my hand
Upon your skin
I can feel me searching for you
Still trying to find a home
And there'll come a time
When everything's so tough (?)
Everything's apart
Trying to find a home
We're so near (?)
We're so apart
The lyrics of "Trying to Find a Home" by Tindersticks are a reflection of the singer's self-discovery journey to find a place where they belong. The song's first two lines, "Still trying to find a reason, still trying to find a home" signify the singer's existential crisis and their longing for a sense of meaning and a place where they can establish roots. The next few lines, "Just some place to spread my things in, a place from where I can run" is a curious juxtaposition. The singer wants a sense of permanence, but they also want to be able to leave whenever they need to. These lines can be interpreted as a reflection of the singer's internal conflict – wanting the comfort of a home but also wanting the freedom to move around.
"Came from so far so silent, you saw the stars above, your smiling faces cheer up - take what we never had" suggests that the singer has experienced a sense of displacement or lack in their life, but they are now in the company of others who cheer them up. This line may also imply a feeling of solidarity with the people around them who may be sharing the same experience of trying to find their place in the world.
The chorus expresses a sense of yearning as the singer longs to find the person who they have lost touch with. "And I hear you whisper, where are you? And I see my hand, upon your skin, I can feel me searching for you" suggests that the singer has a deep longing for someone who is no longer with them. The chorus concludes with the lines "Still trying to find a home, and there'll come a time when everything's so tough, everything's apart, trying to find a home, we're so near, we're so apart." Here, the singer realizes that the search for a home and a sense of belonging is not an easy one, and there may be times when everything feels difficult and falls apart. However, the singer has hope that they are not alone in their search and will eventually find a place where they belong.
Line by Line Meaning
Still trying to find a reason
I am still searching for a purpose or a justification for my existence.
Still trying to find a home
I am still trying to find a place where I belong and where I can be comfortable and safe.
Just some place to spread my things in
I just need a simple place to call my own and to feel settled in, where I can unpack my belongings and relax.
A place from where I can run
Although I want a home, I also want to have the ability to wander and to escape if I need to, without any permanent ties holding me down.
Came from so far so silent
My journey to find a home has been long and quiet, perhaps lonely and full of uncertainty.
You saw the stars above
Someone else (possibly the listener) witnessed my journey and saw the beauty and awe of the world around us.
Your smiling faces cheer up (?)
The sight of other people being happy and friendly gave me hope and lifted my spirits.
Take what we never had
We should cherish and appreciate what we have in the present, instead of striving for things that we have never experienced or owned.
The lowered sun
The setting sun represents the end of something, perhaps a day, a memory or a period of time.
Brings another memory
The sight of the sunset triggers another recollection or feeling in me, reminding me of something from the past.
I held in my head
The memory I recall is something that I have stored in my mind, and it continues to impact my thoughts and emotions now.
So I can see every color you were wearing
The memory I have is visual and sensory, capturing the specific hues of what someone was dressed in at a certain moment.
Every color in your eyes
I also remember the colors of someone's eyes, perhaps reflecting their emotions, personality or depth.
And I hear you whisper
Where are you?
The memory involves hearing someone speak, asking me where I am and perhaps feeling alone or lost.
And I see my hand
Upon your skin
The memory also involves a physical connection, where I touch or hold someone's skin, indicating intimacy or tenderness.
I can feel me searching for you
The memory and the sensory experience make me yearn for that person again, and I long to find them once more.
And there'll come a time
When everything's so tough (?)
Everything's apart
Despite my desire for a home and a connection with someone, there will be moments in the future where things will be difficult and chaotic, when things fall apart.
Trying to find a home
The search for a home and belonging is a recurring theme and a constant challenge in my life.
We're so near (?)
We're so apart
Although we may feel close to someone, there is always a distance between us, and we may never truly find the comfort and connection that we crave.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALISTAIR MACAULEY, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, STUART ASHTON STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind