Violent Soho toured with Faker and Grafton Primary in May 2008, playing songs from their first full length album We Don't Belong Here, which was released on 7 June 2008 on the Emergency Music label. Following the release they toured all around Australia, then played shows in London, New York and Los Angeles in November 2008 before returning home to play more shows and summer festivals, such as Homebake, The Meredith Music Festival, Falls Festival and Southbound Festival.
On 20 February 2009, Violent Soho announced on their MySpace page that they had signed an "overwhelmingly exciting" deal with Ecstatic Peace! Records, a record company headed by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, a hero of the band. They also signaled their intention to spend much of 2009 touring Australia, touring and recording in the US, and mentioned that a new album that "elaborated" on the material recorded for We Don't Belong Here was due for worldwide release in the third quarter of 2009. On 19 December 2009, the band announced that they would release a limited-edition EP containing re-recorded versions of "Bombs Over Broadway" and "Son of Sam", which would initially only be for sale at US tour dates.
The band would later part ways with Moore's label and in 2013 Boerdam stated:
Being on Thurston Moore's label doesn't happen that often for an Australian band. It gave us a great sense of validation as a band. Just being able to quit your day job and tour for 18 months made us better. Whether it results in Facebook likes or record sales I don't care, the real impact was more personal.
On 9 March 2010, Violent Soho released a second, self-titled album on Ecstatic Peace! The album was produced by Gil Norton, who previously worked with the Pixies, and the single "Jesus Stole My Girlfriend" was released from it.
Violent Soho performed at the 2011 Laneway Festival, followed by an Australian tour supporting Australian alternative rock band Jebediah in mid-2011. The band was then chosen by Les Savy Fav to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead, England, UK.
The band toured with English band Arctic Monkeys in early 2012 during the same period that the band members returned to Australia. Violent Soho was nominated for an ARIA Award that year and Tidswell revealed in an October 2013 interview that he received congratulations from friends while on his way to seek employment at a local McDonalds store, as the band was no longer signed to a label and was without any financial support at the time.
The band then signed to the Melbourne-based Australian independent record label "I Oh You" and released a new single called "Tinderbox" on 27 August 2012. In November 2012, an Australian tour coincided with the release of the double-single "Tinderbox"/"Neighbour Neighbour".
In April 2013, the band revealed via their Facebook account that they were in the process of recording their next full-length album. The album was produced by Brisbane producer Bryce Moorhead and recorded at Moorhead's Shed Studios.
In July 2013, Violent Soho announced that their next album is entitled Hungry Ghost and will be released on the I Oh You label on 6 September 2013—the first single, "In The Aisle", was released on 8 July 2013. Regarding the sound of the album, Boerdam asserted in an October 2013 interview: "There's no reason to lock the band down to that grunge label which we were constantly given, despite us never using that word. We realised that we didn't care, as long as we were happy with the music we were making."
A video for the song "In The Aisle" was released on 16 July 2013. Directed by Tristan Houghton, the video documents a nude cyclist riding around Brisbane distributing flyers for a nude bike ride event. A video for the song "Covered In Chrome", filmed in bass player Luke Henery's house, was released on 16 October 2013. Ideas and imagery in the lyrics for the song were informed by a Wikipedia article about the Hungarian uprising in 1956 which vocalist and guitarist Luke Boerdom had been reading.
The album title was inspired by the book "Culture Jam" by Kalle Lasn. As Luke Boerdom explained in a September 2013 online article, "From memory the term went something like this: “We sit around on couches, buying what we think makes us who we are, like a hungry ghost”. I looked up hungry ghost and it actually comes from traditional Chinese Buddhism. It means to have a non-shakable addiction/desire, and you lose yourself to that desire, you lose your identity." Regarding the general themes of the album's lyrics, Boerdom said: "Throughout the record I play with the idea of escaping a masked reality. I like to explore this concept that we live in a form of hyper-consumer reality and we lack an authentic human experience. In a few songs I try and focus on outsider suburban characters that are usually hidden and outcast by society, reenacting tapping into their reality and what they view as normal."
Canada
Violent Soho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere I could never worry
Screaming while you' re thinking
Kickin' at the screen
Guess it's just another hobby
The sun
Will burn
Don't let me get so high
I'll burn
The crown
It's weighing me down
Beautiful, Jericho
Let me be so free
Take the time, fall out of line
Let me be so free
Dear fortitude
What happened to my cup of coffee
Summer is a loner
All I got is warmer
All my thoughts have kept me sorry
The sun
Will burn
My eyes
Don't let me get so high
I'll burn
The crown
It's weighing me down
Beautiful, Jericho
Let me be so free
Take the time, fall out of line
Let me be so free
Don't let me get so high
Oh Canada
The lyrics to Violent Soho's song "Canada" revolve around themes of escapism, feeling trapped, and the desire for freedom. The mention of Canada in the title serves as a metaphorical representation of a place where the singer could escape to, a sanctuary where they could forget their worries and be free.
The opening lines, "Oh Canada, somewhere I could never worry," express longing for a place where there are no concerns or anxieties. The following lines, "Screaming while you're thinking, kickin' at the screen, guess it's just another hobby," suggest frustration and a need to release pent-up emotions. It seems like the singer is engaging in some form of rebellious behavior to cope with their circumstances.
The chorus further emphasizes the desire to escape and the need to avoid getting too high or overwhelmed. The lines "I'll burn the crown, it's weighing me down" suggest a desire to let go of a burden or responsibility that is holding them back. The mention of "Beautiful, Jericho" could be interpreted as the singer seeking solace in a place that is both beautiful and distant.
The verse that follows talks about the loss of motivation or drive symbolized by the question, "What happened to my cup of coffee?" It indicates a sense of disillusionment or disappointment. The line "Summer is a loner, all I got is warmer, all my thoughts have kept me sorry" conveys a feeling of isolation and introspection, with summer being portrayed as a lonely season where the singer is left alone with their thoughts.
Overall, "Canada" delves into the yearning for freedom, the desire to escape from personal burdens, and a longing for a place where worries can be left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Canada
The singer is addressing Canada as a symbol of escape and freedom.
Somewhere I could never worry
Canada is portrayed as a place where the singer can be free from worries and stress.
Screaming while you're thinking
Expressing one's thoughts and emotions loudly and without inhibition, even while contemplating deeper matters.
Kickin' at the screen
Engaging in acts of rebellion or frustration, symbolized by physically kicking at a screen.
Guess it's just another hobby
Treating these acts of rebellion as a casual pastime or habit.
The sun will burn my eyes
The intensity and brightness of life's experiences may cause discomfort or pain.
Don't let me get so high
Asking for restraint or guidance to avoid becoming excessively intoxicated or overwhelmed.
I'll burn the crown, it's weighing me down
The artist desires to let go of societal expectations and responsibilities represented by the 'crown', which feel burdensome.
Beautiful, Jericho, let me be so free
Referencing the city of Jericho as a symbol of liberation and desiring to experience the same level of freedom and beauty.
Take the time, fall out of line, let me be so free
Encouraging the listener to embrace their individuality, deviate from societal norms, and experience authentic freedom.
Dear fortitude, what happened to my cup of coffee
Addressing the concept of strength and resilience, questioning the loss or absence of a source of comfort or stability.
Summer is a loner, all I got is warmer
Describing the isolating nature of summer and how it only provides temporary comfort or warmth.
All my thoughts have kept me sorry
Feeling remorse or regret due to the singer's thoughts or reflections.
Don't let me get so high
Reiterating the request for guidance or restraint to avoid becoming overwhelmed or lost.
Oh Canada
Reaffirming the desire for Canada as a symbol of escape and freedom.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Luke Henery, Michael Richards, Luke Boerdam, James Tidswell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
izzynobre
I'm Brazilian, and I've lived in Canada since 2003. I'm in the process of moving away, and watching this video made me nostalgic for Canada even though I haven't even left yet 🥺
Btw, this isn't quite my style (I'm more of a metalhead myself) but this song is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
King - Bird
listen to all of hungry ghost.
Braden Davies
I'm a metalhead and love these guys so much I got a tattoo of their album cover for Hungry Ghost, I'm an Aussie though, a lot of their music makes me feel nostalgic
Raphael Pedroso
Salve izzy essa banda é muito boa! escuta o album novo A-OK e o Hungry Ghost que tu vai amar!
Connor Iquada
I was not expecting an Australian band to make a song about my motherland
Matt McWhae
Great to see Alanis Morissette reprising her role as God. Great vid guys
gijoel
Yeah, I pissed myself laughing about that.
Kevin Tyerman
Wasn't that ironic?
VoxRatio
didn't have my glasses, thought it was macaulay caulkin with jesus hair
Sailor Song
0:39 The Smashing Pumpkins vibe on vocals.