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
June Summer Rose
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and one july she waved goodbye
i remember finding her curled up on an old box spring
she said
“i'm gonna make mistakes, I just hope you notice”
i once spoke to a girl named summer
and one fall she stood so tall
she found some confidence and some wings
she sang
“you can't hold me down any longer”
what a beautiful song it was
i once love a girl named rose
and one sunny day she began to wither
so she took a dip in the pool and felt restored
she said
“i hate these thorns”
so she cried
“one day i'll be beautiful and one day you'll love me”
but i already do
The song "June Summer Rose" by Umbrellas is an emotionally evocative piece that delves into the themes of love, loss, and hope. The lyrics narrate the stories of three girls named June, Summer, and Rose, and their respective journeys. The singer previously knew these girls and witnessed crucial moments in their lives. June was a girl who made mistakes, and the singer was hopeful that she would recognize them. Summer struggled with being held down and eventually found her wings to fly away. Rose was once beautiful but began to wither and wished to be loved again.
The lyrics symbolically represent different stages of life, where people make mistakes, find their confidence, and face struggles. The box spring in which June was found curled up represents the comfort zone that people can get trapped in, while Summer spread her wings to soar above it. Rose's thorns represent the hardships that people face in life, and her wish to be loved represents the universal desire to be accepted for who we are.
Overall, the song's message is that life is full of ups and downs, but there is always hope for a better tomorrow. The rhythmic guitar and piano score, combined with the poignant lyrics, create an ethereal ambiance that emotionally captivates the audience.
Line by Line Meaning
i once know a girl named june
I have previously known a girl whose name was June.
and one july she waved goodbye
In the month of July, she had said goodbye to me.
i remember finding her curled up on an old box spring
I recall discovering her in a curled-up position on an old mattress foundation.
she said
“i'm gonna make mistakes, I just hope you notice”
She had shared with me that she was bound to make errors, and she hoped I would take note of them.
i once spoke to a girl named summer
I have conversed with a girl called Summer.
and one fall she stood so tall
During one autumn, she stood incredibly tall and confident.
she found some confidence and some wings
and she flew away
She had eventually gained some self-assurance and courage, and flew away with them.
she sang
“you can't hold me down any longer”
She sang a song conveying that I couldn't keep her captive any longer.
what a beautiful song it was
It was a very lovely song that she had sung.
i once loved a girl named rose
There was a girl named Rose who I had loved.
and one sunny day she began to wither
One bright day, she had started to deteriorate.
so she took a dip in the pool and felt restored
She had taken a swim in the pool and had felt rejuvenated as a result.
she said
“i hate these thorns”
She expressed her displeasure with her thorns.
so she cried
“one day i'll be beautiful and one day you'll love me”
She had cried while saying that she would be beautiful someday and that I would love her someday.
but i already do
However, I already love her.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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