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

Love
Umbrellas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well love's a word I could never really get
To roll off my tongue,
So I'm done with hope and certainty

Well your a girl I could never really quite figure out
So I've dealt without pleasantries

So if you come to me and I'm not conscious

Lie down with me,
Just know your staying busy
If I won't calm down
Tell me to behave and I'll listen,
Ohh, I'll listen

Well loves a word I didn't ever really quite figure out
What it's all about
Forever, or just right now

Yeah you paid an for it but I lost my way
I just couldn't have that money in my reach

So if you come to me and I'm not conscious,
Lie down with me
Just know your staying busy
If I won't calm down

Tell me to behave and I'll listen,
Ohh, I'll listen [x3]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Umbrellas' song Love speak of the complexities of love and relationships, as well as the difficulties of understanding and expressing one's feelings. The singer mentions that love is a word that they could never quite 'get' to roll off their tongue, suggesting that they struggle to express their emotions. They talk about giving up on hope and certainty, which could indicate a sense of disillusionment with the idea of love and the challenges of pursuing it.

The singer then addresses a girl who they could never quite figure out, indicating a sense of confusion and uncertainty in the relationship. They mention dealing without pleasantries, perhaps showing a sense of frustration or disillusionment with the sometimes-superficial aspects of romantic relationships. However, despite any issues, the singer indicates a desire to be with the girl, stating that if she comes to them and they're not conscious, she should stay and they will listen.

The chorus repeats the idea that love is a word that they couldn't quite figure out, suggesting that the singer still struggles with understanding the concept. They mention the idea of 'forever', indicating perhaps that they are unsure about the longevity of the relationship. The line "yeah you paid for it but I lost my way, I just couldn't have that money in my reach" is intriguing as it suggests a financial transaction, but potentially in a metaphorical sense. Finally, the chorus reiterates the singer's willingness to listen if told to behave, indicating some sense of self-awareness or maybe even submission.

Line by Line Meaning

Well love's a word I could never really get To roll off my tongue, So I'm done with hope and certainty
The singer struggles to truly understand and express the concept of love, leading to a loss of faith in hope and certainty.

Well your a girl I could never really quite figure out So I've dealt without pleasantries
The subject of the song, a mysterious girl, remains puzzling and inaccessible to the singer, leading him to avoid trying to interact with her.

So if you come to me and I'm not conscious Lie down with me, Just know your staying busy If I won't calm down Tell me to behave and I'll listen, Ohh, I'll listen
The singer assures the girl that, even if he is unresponsive, he still values her presence and will obey her commands to calm down and behave.

Well loves a word I didn't ever really quite figure out What it's all about Forever, or just right now
The artist remains uncertain and confused about the nature of love and its duration, whether it is forever or only temporary.

Yeah you paid an for it but I lost my way I just couldn't have that money in my reach
The girl may have invested in the relationship, but the artist became lost and unable to access the rewards of that investment.

Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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