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
The City Lights
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know it's me for I cannot sleep
I've pushed away the dreams, and spoiled the quiet
I'm propelled by fear, and not the righteous
So have you been to a place like this?
To see your breath as it paints against the sky
The fever is near
I'm thinking ambitious
I've got this feeling that things will be alright
So go break a leg now
Been given the green light
So go entertain them
They're waiting for you
They're waiting for this
So have you been to a place like this?
To see your breath as it paints against the sky
Feeling so right and things will run
The fever is near
I wish you here
"The City Lights" by Umbrellas is a song that is filled with introspection, anxiety, and a desire to succeed. The opening lines of the song talk about wandering alone at midnight which suggests a sense of solitude and restlessness. The persona talks about insomnia, a condition where one has difficulty sleeping, which could be attributed to their overthinking and anxiety. The lyrics imply that the persona might be running away from something that haunts them as they have "spoiled the quiet" and feel "propelled by fear", indicating that they are not at peace.
The chorus of the song asks if the listener has ever been to a place where the ambient temperature is so low that one could see their breath as they exhale. This suggests that the persona is outside on a cold night, most likely in a city, where the sky is lit up with its artificial lights. The sense of being cold and alone is emphasized with the persona wishing someone was there with them. The second half of the chorus hints at the persona's desire to be successful, as they feel that their ambition will lead them to a place where everything will be okay. The persona mentions being given the green light which could be a metaphor for an opportunity, and they implore the listener to seize it.
Line by Line Meaning
If you see me at midnight walking the streets
I am out at night and restless, unable to sleep
You know it's me for I cannot sleep
My insomnia is so bad that it's identifiable
I've pushed away the dreams, and spoiled the quiet
I deliberately avoid dreaming and peace to avoid my fears
I'm propelled by fear, and not the righteous
Fear is the driving force behind my actions, not righteousness
So have you been to a place like this?
Have you experienced this kind of environment?
To see your breath as it paints against the sky
The cold air forms clouds as you exhale, creating a beautiful sight
The fever is near
Excitement and anticipation are building up
I wish you were here
I desire your presence
I'm thinking ambitious
I am feeling confident and driven
I've got this feeling that things will be alright
I am optimistic about the future
So go break a leg now
Good luck with your endeavors
Been given the green light
Permission or approval has been granted
So go entertain them
Go and impress your audience
They're waiting for you
People are eagerly anticipating your performance
They're waiting for this
They are eagerly waiting for this moment to happen
Feeling so right and things will run
The situation feels perfect and everything will go smoothly
The fever is near
Excitement and anticipation are building up
I wish you were here
I desire your presence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kathleenlouisecabucos6561
If you see me at midnight
Walking the streets
You'll know it was me for I cannot sleep
I've pushed away the dreams
And spoiled the quiet
I'm propelled by fear
And not the righteous
So have you been to a place like this?
To see your breath as it paints against the sky
The fever is near
I wish you were here
I'm thinking ambitious
I've got this feeling things will be alright
So go break a leg night
Been given the green light
So go entertain them
They're waiting for you
They're waiting for you
So have you been to a place like this?
To see your breath as it paints against the sky
Feeling so right and things will run
The fever is near
I wish you were here
So have you been to a place like this?
To see your breath as it paints against the sky
Feeling so right and things will run
The fever is near
I wish you were here
@dianehbunn
The scene this song played in on Grey's Anatomy is the first scene I cried on.
@anietytretra7168
Drum&Bass Couture sammmmmme
@VoidHereICome
yup was kinda sad
@VoidHereICome
didnt finish the episode to come listen to the full song
@cheechee6473
Why they do the blonde haired girl like that 😢😢
@user-ui2zl3is9p
"Umbrellas" is my comfort zone, they're so underrated and i like it so much, their songs feel so private and special to me
@heathledger8082
bonnie brought me here ❤️
@JessicoUomorosa
I occasionally return here to listen this song, and I love to read the comments of people that have nice memory to it. Give me some nostalgic/ happy vibes
@Tpashano
I miss bands like this
@jillmayer9501
When I was 16 I told my friends to play this at my funeral. Still stand