Molina played in various D.I.Y. hardcore acts starting in his teenage years, while at the same time recording short songs that varied from acoustic ballads to almost symphonic metal, none of them lasting much more than a minute. This work was released under the name Ovens, beginning in 2006 with the "Beau Goes to the Hospital" single. He kept up a prolific pace, both as a member of bands and as Ovens, and in 2009 released the first music under his own name, the 12-song Embarrassing Times cassette. As the 2010s began, he continued recording as Ovens, joined the lo-fi punk band Violent Change and played on their self-titled album, and fronted the hardcore band Caged Animals. In 2013, Molina released his second solo album, Dissed and Dismissed, a collection of 12 short and fuzzy tunes that took notes from '90s indie and power pop acts like Weezer, Redd Kross, and Dinosaur Jr. What was intended as a demo caught the attention of fans of melodic guitar pop and hooked two legendary American labels, Matador and Slumberland. The former released the Six Tracks EP later in 2013; the latter signed him and reissued Dissed and Dismissed in 2014.
While playing guitar in the hardcore band Scalped, Molina began work on his first Slumberland record. He wrote and recorded over 40 songs, feeling pressure to make the record just right and wavering about which musical direction to take. In the end, he pivoted from making an album to releasing an EP instead. Stripping away the power and guitars from his pop sound, the eight-song Confront the Truth featured Molina playing acoustic guitars, adding keyboards, and channeling his love of the Beatles. His next album, 2018's Kill the Lights, came about much more naturally. He worked on some songs with a friend, Jasper Leach, and they decided to make a record out of the demos they had started. Recorded in two studios and a bedroom, the album was again built around Molina's acoustic guitar and winsome pop melodies, but this time featured some folk-rock-ready 12-string electric, a full-band sound, and Leach's keyboards. The next year, the Smoking Room label convinced Molina to put together a collection of previously unreleased songs from throughout his career. Titled SONGS FROM SAN MATEO COUNTY, the 14-track album was released in July 2019, just about the time Molina was wrapping up a U.S. tour with Culture Abuse. When he began putting together another album, along with writing new songs, he also dipped back into the vaults to extract a few demos that were written during the Ovens era, but never finished. Once he had a batch ready, he braved the COVID lockdowns to head to the studio with long-time collaborator Leach at his side. Also helping out were drummer Josh Mendoza and Sarah Rose Janko, his partner in the folk-rock duo the Lost Days, who provided harmony vocals. The finished album, In the Fade, was released by Summer Shade, an offshoot of Run for Cover, in August of 2022 and was the first of his solo records to contain all the sides of his musical personality under one roof. ~ Fred Thomas & Tim Sendra, Rovi
Nowhere To Go
Tony Molina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause all my friends
They like me more when I am not around
You've got to plan it on your own
At best it'll take it's toll on you
There's nowhere else to go
The lyrics of Tony Molina's song Nowhere To Go reflect a sense of alienation and dissatisfaction with one's surroundings. The singer is expressing his desire to leave his town because he feels that his friends only like him when he's not around. This suggests a sense of loneliness and disconnection from his social circle. The second verse reinforces this sense of isolation by noting that in order to make a change, you have to plan it on your own and that it will take a toll on you. The sense of isolation is compounded by the repetition of the phrase "nowhere else to go," which suggests a feeling of being trapped.
The song is a powerful reflection of the human experience of feeling isolated and disconnected. Many people can relate to the feeling of not fitting in with their social circle or wanting to escape their current situation. Molina's lyrics capture this feeling in a poignant and relatable way. The melody and instrumentation of the song are also melancholic, further emphasizing the emotional weight of the lyrics. Overall, the song offers a powerful commentary on the human experience of longing for connection and the difficulties of pursuing change.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got to leave this town
I can no longer stay in this town
Cause all my friends
My friends are the reason for my departure
They like me more when I am not around
My absence makes them appreciate me more
You've got to plan it on your own
You have to figure out your own way
At best it'll take it's toll on you
It will be exhausting and taxing at best
There's nowhere else to go
There are no other options or alternatives
Contributed by Kylie F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.