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

Idle & Waiting
Umbrellas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Play that chord one more time
you know I'm waiting
it's the quiet that makes the song
no, its the absence of light that makes it
play that chord and I'll fall asleep
I will, I will but my heart is racing
and my mind wont shut down

play that chord one more time
cause I'm singing, we're singing
laughter fills the room
and pulls towards another nights' close
and I'll fall asleep
I will, I will but my heart is racing
and my mind wont shut down

everyone is idle and waiting
I'm waiting, I'm waiting

Overall Meaning

The song "Idle & Waiting" by Umbrellas seems to be a contemplative and introspective piece that focuses on the sensation of waiting. The lyrics portray waiting as a personified entity and highlight the conflicting emotions it can stir up within an individual. The singer requests the guitarist to play a single chord one more time, suggesting they are waiting for something to happen or for a specific feeling to emerge. The song’s gentle melody and simple guitar riff creates a calm and reflective mood that underscores the lyrics' themes.

The opening lyrics "Play that chord one more time, you know I'm waiting" sets the tone for the song, highlighting the idea of waiting for something. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is struggling to find peace in the waiting with lyrics such as "play that chord and I'll fall asleep" followed by "my heart is racing, and my mind won't shut down." The song seems to suggest that even when waiting for something we want, or something good to happen, the anticipation, and unknown can cause distress and anxiety.

In the chorus, the song takes a more optimistic turn as the singer recognizes the communal nature of waiting. Singing together and filling the room with laughter helps us forget the waiting and enjoy the present moment. However, the final line of the chorus "everyone is idle and waiting, I'm waiting, I'm waiting" shows how the waiting remains, regardless of the joy of the present moment.

Overall, "Idle & Waiting" by Umbrellas is a song that captures the conflicting emotions of waiting through both lyrics and melody. It highlights the idea that waiting, regardless of the circumstances or outcome, can be challenging and anxiety-inducing. However, the song also suggests that communal experiences and joy can provide a temporary release from this anxiety.

Line by Line Meaning

Play that chord one more time
Please strum that cord again

you know I'm waiting
I'm ready for you to perform

it's the quiet that makes the song
The silence contributes to the music

no, its the absence of light that makes it
Actually, it's the darkness that creates the atmosphere

play that chord and I'll fall asleep
The music will soothe me to sleep

I will, I will but my heart is racing
I want to sleep, but I'm feeling restless

and my mind wont shut down
I can't stop thinking

cause I'm singing, we're singing
I'm enjoying the music along with others

laughter fills the room
The sound of laughter echoes throughout the space

and pulls towards another nights' close
The joy of the moment indicates the end of the day

everyone is idle and waiting
Everyone is patiently anticipating something