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
Vampires
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There were a bunch of big names there
I've been conditioned to sell myself
Well, that's not what this is about
So I've got one hand on my neck
To keep all the vampires out
I'm gonna finish this stiff drink and I'll be on my way
No, this isn't you
But I just took one bite and that's all it took
Now write me down in your book, in your book
I say goodnight, I put the keys in the ignition
I think the entire existence is asleep it's so quiet
My headlights dance pictures on the treeline
The song floats out the window into the fog filled night
I'm home now. it feels different
I undress in the dark and find my way to the sheets
My head is light from what you said
You were dead right
Now they're back at my throat and they're thirsty
I haven't proved anything until I've proved them right
This apple in my hand, I just took one bite
I just took one bite
No, this isn't me
No, this isn't you
But I just took one bite and that's all it took
Now write me down in your book, in your book
The lyrics to Umbrellas' "Vampires" describe the feeling of selling out to the pressures of fame and society. The singer attends a party filled with "big names" and feels the need to sell themselves, even though they know it's not who they truly are. They describe the feeling of being preyed on by "vampires" who want a piece of them and how they try to keep them at bay by holding onto their own identity. They eventually leave the party, feeling the weight of the situation, and return home but are haunted by the feeling that they need to prove themselves to those who were at the party. The metaphor of vampires and the idea that the singer just took "one bite" suggests that giving in to societal pressures can be a slippery slope and lead to losing one's authentic self.
The line "I've been conditioned to sell myself" speaks to the way that society has taught us to constantly market ourselves and our personal brands. The metaphor of vampires aligns with this idea because they are often portrayed as seductive and alluring, much like the allure of fame and success. The line "Now write me down in your book, in your book" is a reference to potentially being seen as a successful or important figure, but at the cost of losing one's true self.
Interestingly, the song also touches on the idea of mortality and the pressure to leave a lasting legacy. The line "They're back at my throat and they're thirsty / I haven't proved anything until I've proved them right" suggests that the singer feels pressure to prove themselves and leave a mark on the world, to the point that they feel like they might be "preyed on" by those who expect great things from them.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night we went to a party
I went to a party last night
There were a bunch of big names there
Many famous people attended the party
I've been conditioned to sell myself
I've been taught to promote myself to others
Well, that's not what this is about
However, this is not the purpose of my presence here
So I've got one hand on my neck
I'm apprehensive and cautious
To keep all the vampires out
To protect myself from those with harmful intentions
I'm gonna finish this stiff drink and I'll be on my way
I plan to leave the party soon
No, this isn't me
This behavior is not typical of me
No, this isn't you
This behavior is not typical of you either
But I just took one bite and that's all it took
Despite this, I gave in to temptation and allowed myself to indulge
Now write me down in your book, in your book
I regret my decision and feel as if I have failed, marking myself as guilty
I say goodnight, I put the keys in the ignition
I leave the party and get ready to drive home
I think the entire existence is asleep it's so quiet
It is eerily quiet as I drive home
My headlights dance pictures on the treeline
My car lights create a flickering pattern on the trees
The song floats out the window into the fog filled night
The music from my car drifts out into the misty night
I'm home now. it feels different
Upon arriving home, I feel as if something has changed
I undress in the dark and find my way to the sheets
I go to bed in the darkness
My head is light from what you said
I feel uneasy from your previous words and actions
You were dead right
You were correct in your warnings
Now they're back at my throat and they're thirsty
Those with harmful intentions are once again close to me
I haven't proved anything until I've proved them right
I feel as if I must satisfy their desires to show my worth
This apple in my hand, I just took one bite
I allowed myself to give in to temptation once again
No, this isn't me
I struggle with my actions and wonder how I could have let this happen again
No, this isn't you
I also question how you could have allowed this to happen
But I just took one bite and that's all it took
Despite these feelings of guilt, I submitted to temptation once again
Now write me down in your book, in your book
I accept the responsibility for my actions and the consequences that follow
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SCOTT WINDSOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind