The embers of '60s garage rock and the flaming-hot fire of the 2010s garage… Read Full Bio ↴The embers of '60s garage rock and the flaming-hot fire of the 2010s garage punk sound burned bright in the earliest releases of Chicago's Twin Peaks, including their second album and proper studio debut, 2014's Wild Onion. Meanwhile selling out rock clubs and earning a reputation as a good-time live band, they issued the more reflective Down in Heaven in 2016, which concentrated on later British Invasion influences. Still loose and thriving in a live setting, by 2019's Lookout Low, the group was exploring the territory of '70s roots rock and jam bands.

Twin Peaks was formed by four young Chicago natives -- vocalist/guitarist Cadien Lake James, guitarist Clay Frankel, bassist Jack Dolan, and drummer Connor Brodner -- in the early 2010s. The guys had known each other and been friends since elementary school, but only formed a band after the duo James had with his brother Hal split up so Hal could join the Smith Westerns. They began playing together near the end of high school, then went on tour during their senior year. Before heading out on the road, they had quickly and cheaply recorded an album in James' basement to sell in order to keep them in gas and beer. Titled Sunken, the album caught the ear of Autumn Tone, which issued it in the summer of 2013. After graduating, James, Dolan, and Brodner headed to Olympia to attend Evergreen College, but they decided school wasn't for them, so they swung by L.A. to get Frankel and headed back to Chicago.

Once there, they began working on a second album with producers Andrew Humphrey and Colin Croom. Taking more time to craft their sound but never losing the wild and loose feel of their live set, the album showed that the bandmembers' decision to quit school and stick together was wise. Wild Onion was issued by Grand Jury in summer 2014, just a few weeks after Twin Peaks wowed the crowd at the Pitchfork Festival with their set. More festivals, including Lollapalooza, followed amid a relentless touring schedule with multiple trips across the U.S. and forays into Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Western Europe before their third LP, Down in Heaven, arrived in spring 2016. With Croom joining the lineup on keyboards, the album retained Twin Peaks' rough edges while drawing inspiration from the reflective tone of favorite works from the late '60s (the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Beatles). The following year, they delivered the double-live album Urbs in Horto, recorded over three nights at Chicago's Metro and Thalia Hall in 2016. Over the next year, the band toured and released a series of 7" singles that were then compiled on 2018's Sweet '17 Singles. Also in 2018, Frankel released an eponymous album as Grapetooth with his then-roommate Chris Bailoni (Home-Sick) that combined garage punk and new wave influences.

Twin Peaks regrouped in the studio, this time with producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, Ray LaMontagne). Featuring guests such as Ohmme on backing vocals and Kyle Davis (Cage the Elephant, Evangelicals) on auxiliary percussion, Lookout Low saw release in 2019.

Biography by Tim Sendra

There are other artists with the same name:

2) Twin Peaks are a four piece rock or whatever band from Denver. http://twinpeaksdude.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/twinpeaksdude http://www.reverbnation.com/twinpeaksdenver

3) Twin Peaks are a Polish alternative/electronic rock band from Cracow, formed in October 2008.

4) Twin Peaks is a Toronto based hip hop group made up of Ghettosocks & Muneshine.

It may also be an incorrect artist tag for Angelo Badalamenti who made the soundtrack to the TV series.

Téléphone
Twin Peaks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I heard the ringing on the telephone
Set aside a dream and we were on our own
I can't seem to understand
A word came through from the other end
And now I would lie to you alone

I heard the ringing on the telephone
I heard you ringing on the telephone

I can't seem to understand
A word you've said since you've been gone
But I keep hanging on, oh oh

I went out to the wasteland, had no means or end
I got brains, but the quake man, need love to lend a hand
I went out to the wastes, man

Looking for a friend and when you leave for your own plans
I hope that this don't end…

Overall Meaning

In "Telephone," Twin Peaks reflects on the difficulty of communication in a relationship that is falling apart. The ringing of the telephone represents the attempt at connection between the two parties, but ultimately it is unsuccessful, leaving the singer feeling alone and unable to fully understand the other person. The lyrics "Set aside a dream and we were on our own" suggest that the dream of a perfect relationship has been abandoned and they are left to navigate the harsh reality on their own.

The chorus repeats the motif of the ringing telephone, emphasizing the distance and inability to communicate. The line "But I keep hanging on" suggests that the singer is still holding onto the hope of making things work, even though it seems unlikely.

The second verse describes the singer going out to the "wasteland" of the world, searching for someone to connect with. The line "I got brains, but the quake man, need love to lend a hand" acknowledges the intelligence and capability of the singer, but also their need for emotional support and love. The final line "I hope that this don't end" shows that despite the difficulties, the singer is still clinging onto the hope that the relationship will survive.

Line by Line Meaning

I heard the ringing on the telephone
The singer received a call on their phone

Set aside a dream and we were on our own
The singer had to put their current aspirations aside to deal with the phone call and is now separated from others

I can't seem to understand
The singer is having trouble grasping the situation

A word came through from the other end
The artist heard something from the person on the other side of the call

And now I would lie to you alone
The artist is now left to deal with the aftermath of the call by themselves

I heard you ringing on the telephone
The singer heard the person they were hoping to hear from calling them

A word you've said since you've been gone
The singer hasn't been able to hear from the person on the other end for a while

But I keep hanging on, oh oh
Even though the artist is struggling to understand the situation, they are determined to hold on and keep going

I went out to the wastes, man
The artist ventured out into a barren and empty area

Looking for a friend and when you leave for your own plans
The artist is searching for companionship, but those around them are setting off on their own paths

I hope that this don't end…
The singer is worried about the possibility of their search coming to an end

Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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