Umbrellas is an indie rock band fronted by Scott Windsor, of Lyndsay Diarie… Read Full Bio ↴Umbrellas is an indie rock band fronted by Scott Windsor, of Lyndsay Diaries fame. The band signed to The Militia Group in 2005, following Windsor's departure from his solo work. Umbrellas currently has two records out, a self-titled release in 2005, and "Illuminare," released in 2006.

UMBRELLAS’ ILLUMINARE
(Latin; meaning to light the way or illustrate.)

When Scott Windsor and the timeless yet refreshing band Umbrellas released their debut self-titled record in 2005, they may not have guessed that one year later, they’d find themselves livening-up a drab, abandoned comedy club—recording songs on giant stages and in refrigerators for their follow-up, Illuminare. Umbrellas’ sophomore Militia Group release was recorded in two solid weeks of near fifteen-hour recording sessions, where Scott and his band’s musings were tested and brought to life.

When Umbrellas’ debut hit the shelves, it was recognized as a dynamic, eager offering. The band toured heavily and new ideas began swimming inside Windsor’s head. Those ideas formed icebergs—and the only option was to dismantle and re-conduct the near-avalanche of visions, abstractions, melodies and structures. The debut, birthed in decidedly artistic, collaborative ways, proved to be an even more cautious outing compared to Illuminare.

Hanging blankets across the empty, dusty and evocative shell of an old comedy club, Scott and his Umbrellas started tracking their new record Illuminare. They went forth in unsafe, less-than secure scenarios with nearby ‘06 tornados in Oklahoma. Scott recalls: “The old comedy club had an odd feel to it. Grossly low-lit, strange hallways, off-color backrooms good for nothing—right there in the middle of downtown Tulsa—dodging tornados in the midst of recording. We constantly heard sirens going off, went outside to piss-green skies, sideways rain and I thought to myself ‘maybe they’ll find these recordings someday after we were all carried off.’ One of the band members’ car was stolen during the recording process by homeless people who stole it just to impress their friends. The van got broken into- we had a stolen hard drive. But bad luck could not stop this record.”

James McAlister (Ester Drang, Sufjan Stevens) played the drums, percussion, programming, and added lively, innovative ideas like sampling Scott’s voice as the keyboard parts for the song “Again and Again.” On the song, Scott sings: “Where’s the piano? The big, big bass drum?” Well, in that song, the piano’s right there in his vocal chords—which were adamantly, angelically bared just as they are on Illuminare. “Most of these songs only had one take on vocals—80% of the record. Every record nowadays, it seems you can find some pretty blonde, put auto-tune on it and just go with it.” Scott modestly adds: “I’m not the best singer but at least when you see us live, what you see is what you get and I’m not lying to fans.” And it seems that’s what the general mood and stance of this record: reality, and a sense for the organic, raw, forgotten sentiments. In the song “Tests on My Heart, Windsor sings of ‘getting over the self,’ recording in the aforementioned refrigerator with cold vocal-shadows and a Vaudevillian piano interlude. Illuminare grapples with notions of solitude, life, death, and the plain old blues. Scott sings of realistic love, infatuation, satisfaction, disappointment, life-balance, the letting-go, appeasement, idealism, and grace—all with a backdrop of blustery fall-out tunes with strange swirls of sound, smatterings of echoes and pulsings, huge bass hammerings and bells to chime the gladness in being right there where one’s supposed to be. Weathering the storms, and taking on the shadows and memories of calmer times and warmer rooms.

The players: Chad Copelin (producer, keys, guitar, bass), Nathan Price (drums, percussion), Eric Arndt (bass), Scott Windsor (vocals, guitars, percussion) James McAlister (drums, percussion, programming), Ryan Lindsey (piano, background vocals)
Scott 09 Sep 2006

Taken from their Website:
www.umbrellasmusic.com

Again & Again
Umbrellas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So where is the piano and the big big bass drum?
And the clashing of cymbals
I need some running frantic notes
Some lines of panic and desperation
'Cause your infatuation demands satisfaction
I'm trying my best. I won't quit.
I'm trying not to disappoint.

Again and again
Here we go, just to balance you out
I'm on fire and this is about how our song came on
And we sang along, so sing along

The pictures are all falling down
The ground started shaking without you around
So where are you? I'm so lost

I'm running through town screaming curses
And you cleared out all the poison

Overall Meaning

The song "Again & Again" by Umbrellas is a reflective and emotional piece about the struggles of trying to satisfy the demands and expectations of a loved one. The opening lyrics express a longing for a dramatic musical accompaniment, with the singer seeking the intensity of "running frantic notes," "panic and desperation," and the "clashing of cymbals." These musical elements represent the singer's desire for a grand gesture, a way to prove their commitment to their loved one's infatuation. The verses go on to express the singer's determination to try their best and avoid disappointing their partner. The chorus, "Again and again / Here we go, just to balance you out," suggests a pattern of the singer striving to meet their partner's needs repeatedly, even if it feels impossible.

The second verse brings a shift in tone, with the singer confessing that everything is falling apart without their partner. The imagery of falling pictures and shaking ground depicts the chaos and instability that comes with being separated from someone important. The singer's desperation is evident in their running through town and screaming curses. However, in the final lines, there is a glimmer of hope, as the singer acknowledges that their loved one has cleared out the poison, implying they have rid the singer's life of negativity or toxic influences.

Overall, "Again & Again" is a raw and honest exploration of the complexities of relationships, particularly when it comes to trying to meet someone else's expectations. The song's dynamic shifts and emotive lyrics capture the rollercoaster of emotions that accompanies the pursuit of love and the struggle to maintain that connection.

Line by Line Meaning

So where is the piano and the big big bass drum?
Where are the loud and intense musical instruments?

And the clashing of cymbals
Where are the crashing and clashing sounds of cymbals?

I need some running frantic notes
I need some fast and erratic musical notes.

Some lines of panic and desperation
I need musical lines that convey panic and desperation.

'Cause your infatuation demands satisfaction
I need to satisfy your infatuation with me.

I'm trying my best. I won't quit.
I am doing my utmost and refuse to give up.

I'm trying not to disappoint.
I am attempting to avoid disappointing you.

Again and again
Repeating the same thing multiple times.

Here we go, just to balance you out
We are doing this to balance things between us.

I'm on fire and this is about how our song came on
I am motivated and this is about how our relationship started.

And we sang along, so sing along
We harmonized and we should do it again.