Formed in 1995, Twothirtyeight released three independently produced EP albums before signing with the now-defunct Takehold Records. In 1999, Twothirtyeight released their first full length album Missing You Dearly on Takehold Records. The band line-up featured Chris Staples, Kevin Woerner, Owen Grabo, and DJ Stone. The album was dedicated to Kevin Glass, the band's former bass guitarist, who died in a tragic car accident in 1997. Weeks before Glass was killed, he taught Owen Grabo the bass parts for most of the songs in the Twothirtyeight catalogue.
In 2000, with Owen Grabo having left the band, Twothirtyeight recorded their next EP, Matter Has A Breaking Point, as a 3-piece outfit with Chris Staples on bass guitar and lead vocals. With the addition of Jake Brown, former frontman of the band Driven, on bass guitar, Twothirtyeight wrote and recorded their second full-length album Regulate the Chemicals. Chris Carrabba, notable as the former lead vocalist of Further Seems Forever and principal artist of Dashboard Confessional, contributed backing vocals to two of the songs from Regulate the Chemicals, "This Town Will Eat You" and "Coin Laundry Loser."Following the album's release DJ Stone, who had played drums for the group since the beginning, left the group to focus on his family. Regulate the Chemicals was released on Takehold Records and followed by a summer of extensive touring. In January 2001, Jake Brown left the band.
In 2002, Takehold was acquired by Tooth & Nail Records, and the record label would re-release the band's second album, remastered with additional tracks added. You Should Be Living, the group's final album, was released in 2002, produced by James Wisner, who has also worked with Further Seems Forever and Dashboard Confessional.
In April 2003, Twothirtyeight disbanded on good terms; members choosing to pursue their individual dreams. Notably, lead vocalist Chris Staples went on to front the indie rock band Discover America.
Missing You Dearly lineup:
Chris Staples - guitar / vocals
Kevin Worner - guitar
DJ Stone - drums
Owen Grabo - bass
Matter Has a Breaking Point lineup:
Chris Staples - bass/vocals
Kevin Woerner - guitar
DJ Stone - drums
Jason Anderson - touring drummer
Regulate the Chemicals lineup:
Chris Staples - guitar/vocals
DJ Stone - drums
Kevin Woerner - guitar
Jake Brown - bass
Jason Frazier - touring drummer
You Should Be Living lineup:
Chris Staples - guitar/vocals
Kevin Woerner - guitar
Dylan Roper - drums
Ben May - bass
Daniel Lamb - touring guitarist
Other projects the members have been involved with since Twothirtyeight's demise:
Chris Staples is the chief singer/songwriter for Discover America, which put out a full-length record on Tooth and Nail Records. He also plays guitar in the Merge Records band, Telekinesis. Kevin Woerner has played guitar in Tarantula, Gileah and The Ghost Train and With Hatchet Pike & Gun. He currently plays guitar in Discover America. DJ Stone occasionally plays drums for BEC Recording artist Chris Taylor. Owen Grabo has played drums for Gileah and The Ghost Train and Tarantula. Jake Brown played bass in Moments in Grace and Decahedron. He currently is the chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of The Eastern Wave and plays bass in Frodus. Dylan Roper plays guitar and sings in Roper Electric Company.
Trials
Twothirtyeight Lyrics
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Of rainy days hold to me the painful cost of memory.
And the tears we cried for the times we tried.
Now feeble flame we hold you near.
With faith and hope we rise again.
We fight the flesh that lives within.
And the tears we cried for the times we tried.
Deliver me by your strength.
Place in me a fear of you.
I've fallen closer Lord to you.
The song "Trials" by Twothirtyeight is a reflection on the struggles and challenges that come with the human experience. The lyrics speak to the idea that actions and words must work in harmony and that painful memories are a necessary and important part of growth. The tears shed from failed attempts are valuable, as they show that the effort was there and that there was a desire to succeed. The line "we fight the flesh that lives within" speaks to the ongoing, internal battle that every person faces, between what the heart and mind want and what the body and instincts demand.
Line by Line Meaning
Of words and action now we keep.
We prioritize both our words and actions equally now.
Of rainy days hold to me the painful cost of memory.
During difficult times, I hold onto the painful memories to remind me of the cost of past mistakes.
And the tears we cried for the times we tried.
Our tears are a reminder of the effort we put forth in the past.
Now feeble flame we hold you near.
We are nurturing a weak situation so that it may become stronger again.
With faith and hope we rise again.
We have faith and hope which propel us to stand up again.
We fight the flesh that lives within.
We resist giving in to our physical desires.
And the tears we cried for the times we tried.
Our tears are a testament to the persevering effort from the past.
Deliver me by your strength.
Please grant me the fortitude to survive through all these.
Keep me patient in my wait.
Help me be patient during the waiting period.
Place in me a fear of you.
Please instill in me a sense of awe and reverence for you.
I've fallen closer Lord to you.
I feel that I am closer to the Lord now than before as I go through these difficult times.
Contributed by Sydney E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.