Former members include co-founder Sam Genders (vocals, guitar), who left the band before the release of "...And Then We Saw Land" (Mar 2010, Full Time Hobby).
Tunng started after Genders and Lindsay met, in the latter's Soho basement studio (below a clothes shop). Genders was a singer-songwriter and Lindsay had the studio (making electronica and living through advertising music production). They found that Lindsay's distinctive way with twinkling sounds, and tight production, significantly enhanced the folky songs they were writing - A signature sound developed.
Tunng's first album was "Mother's Daughter And Other Songs" (Jan 2005, Static Caravan) - However, since Genders made at first the choice not to play live, Lindsay found Jacobs and Bates. to help with live shows. Over time, Winter and Smith became part of the band and have all contributed more to recordings, first on "Comments Of The Inner Chorus" (May 2006, Full Time Hobby), then more so on "Good Arrows" (Aug 2007, Full Time Hobby).
The 2010 album, "...And Then We Saw Land", has been the most successful to date and was recorded in the semi-legendary Play Industries Studio, Shoreditch, with access to its vast collection of vintage synthesizers helping develop a more delicate and inter-woven production style. Glenister added live drums to the gigs, from 2009, for a heavier sound, a long way from the seated studio project Tunng once was.
On "Turbines": "...often beloved for its bucolic oddness and modernist gleam, Tunng's polyphonic future folk blossoms with enchanting melodies, simmering grooves, and found sound that has propelled the band into a paradise of exceeded expectations" (Absolute Punk).
The Pioneers
Tunng Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It if can be fused then it can be split
It's all under control
It's all under control
It's all under control
It's all under control
If it can be lost then it can be won
If it can be touched then it can be turned
All you need is time
All you need is time
All you need is time
All you need is
If it can be broke then it can be fixed
It if can be fused then it can be split
It's all under control
It's all under control
It's all under control
It's all under control
If it can be lost then it can be won
If it can be touched then it can be turned
All you need is time
All you need is time
All you need is time
All you need is time
All you need is
We promised the world we'd tame it
What were we hoping for?
We promised the world we'd tame it
What were we hoping for?
A sense of purpose and a sense of skill
A sense of function but a disregard
We will not be the first
We will not be the first
We will not be the first
We will not be the first
You said you were gonna conquer new frontiers
Go stick your bloody head in the jaws of the beast
We promised the world we'd tame it
What were we hoping for?
We promised the world we'd tame it
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe out, breathe in
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe out, breathe in
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe out, breathe in
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in
So here we are reinventing the wheel
I'm shaking hands with a hurricane
It's a colour that I can't describe
It's a language I can't understand
Ambition, tearing out the heart of you
Carving lines into you
Dripping down the sides of you
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
We will not be the last
In "The Pioneers," Tunng explores the human desire for control and conquest. The lyrics suggest that anything that can be broken can be fixed, and anything that can be lost can be won with enough time and effort. However, the song also speaks to the futility of attempting to conquer the natural world. The line "We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?" suggests that humanity's attempts to control nature are misguided and possibly dangerous.
The song also touches on themes of ambition and the fear of being forgotten. The line "Ambition, tearing out the heart of you, carving lines into you, dripping down the sides of you" suggests that the pursuit of success and recognition can be a painful process. The repeated refrain of "We will not be the first, we will not be the last" suggests that humanity's attempts to conquer nature and achieve greatness are ongoing and cyclical.
Overall, "The Pioneers" is a meditation on the human desire for control and conquest, as well as the limits of this desire in the face of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
If it can be broke then it can be fixed
Anything that can be broken can be repaired
It if can be fused then it can be split
Anything that can be joined together can be separated into its parts
It's all under control
Everything is being managed or handled
If it can be lost then it can be won
Anything that can be lost can be found
If it can be touched then it can be turned
Everything is within our reach and can be manipulated
All you need is time
Patience is required to accomplish anything
We promised the world we'd tame it
We made the claim that we would control nature
What were we hoping for?
What unrealistic expectations did we have?
A sense of purpose and a sense of skill
A feeling of direction and capability
A sense of function but a disregard
Knowing what to do but ignoring the consequences
We will not be the first
We are not the first to try and control nature
You said you were gonna conquer new frontiers
You claimed you would pioneer uncharted territories
Go stick your bloody head in the jaws of the beast
Put yourself in harm's way
Breathe in, breathe out
Take deep breaths
So here we are reinventing the wheel
We are trying to create something that already exists
I'm shaking hands with a hurricane
Facing a force of nature that cannot be controlled
It's a colour that I can't describe
It is something that cannot be fully articulated
It's a language I can't understand
It is something that cannot be fully comprehended
Ambition, tearing out the heart of you
Having excessive or unreasonable goals can be detrimental to oneself
Carving lines into you
Leaving permanent marks or scars
Dripping down the sides of you
Bleeding or draining away from someone or something
We will not be the last
Others will continue to try and control nature
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Sam Genders, Mike Lindsay, Bloc Party
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind