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."
Fur Eyes
Violent Soho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
I was sucked to the river but the river was hung dry
High up in the clouds the stars raise their glass to you
Yeah
Visions of light stream down from the afterlife
It heals my eyes
It leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Stay up all night so dark I get warm with you
Yeah
Drunks in the street making video game noise
Dust in the city blew into my eyes I get high with you
Yeah
Claws digging deeper and deeper into the earth
Hum at night that feels so right
It heals my eyes and leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
The lyrics of Violent Soho's song Fur Eyes contain strong imagery and symbolism that suggest a deep emotional connection with the subject of the song. The opening lines "When I wake up in the morning get close to you, yeah, I was sucked to the river but the river was hung dry," may refer to the forceful attraction that the singer feels towards the person he wakes up with, despite encountering a major obstacle in his path.
The lyrics evoke a feeling of transcendence, as the singer describes being lifted up to the clouds where the stars hold a toast in honor of the beloved. The imagery of light streaming down from the afterlife suggests a spiritual dimension to the relationship, and the humming at night that "feels so right" is a poignant expression of the powerful emotional connection between the two people.
The repeated refrain "Fur eyes don't feel the earth move" suggests a detachment from reality and a profound sense of oneness with the beloved. The line "Claws digging deeper and deeper into the earth" may represent the intensity of the emotions and the desire to hold onto the moment forever. The song ends with the repetition of "So right it leads a cavalcade," which reinforces the idea that this emotional connection is a source of strength and inspiration for the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up in the morning get close to you
I feel content and comforted when I wake up next to you
I was sucked to the river but the river was hung dry
I felt drawn to something that couldn't provide what I was seeking
High up in the clouds the stars raise their glass to you
You are highly regarded and celebrated by those who look up to you
Visions of light stream down from the afterlife
There is a spiritual presence that is watching over and shining upon you
Hum at night that feels so right, It heals my eyes, It leads a cavalcade
The soothing sounds of the night bring a sense of healing and guidance
Fur eyes Fur eyes, Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
The sense of calm and security that comes from being with you is so strong that it blocks out external chaos and upheaval
Stay up all night so dark I get warm with you
The connection with you provides comfort even in the darkest times
Drunks in the street making video game noise
The outside world can be loud and unpleasant, but that doesn't matter when I'm with you
Dust in the city blew into my eyes I get high with you
Through the difficulties and hardships, I find a sense of euphoria when I'm with you
Claws digging deeper and deeper into the earth
The grip of reality and the struggles of life are becoming more and more intense
Fur eyes Fur eyes, Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
The bond with you is so strong that it blocks out the chaos and turbulence of the world
Fur eyes Fur eyes, Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
The connection with you is so profound that it transcends the physical world
So right it leads a cavalcade
The sense of peace and direction that comes from being with you inspires and guides me
Fur eyes Fur eyes, Fur eyes Fur eyes
The bond with you is deep and unbreakable
So right it leads a cavalcade
The sense of purpose and direction that comes with being with you is undeniable
Fur eyes Fur eyes, So right it leads a cavalcade
Being with you brings a sense of connection and guidance that is unlike anything else
Fur eyes Fur eyes, So right it leads a cavalcade
The bond with you is so strong that it provides a sense of clarity and direction
Fur eyes Fur eyes, Fur eyes Fur eyes, So right it leads a cavalcade
The profound connection with you provides an unshakeable sense of purpose and direction
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LUKE BOERDAM, LUKE HENERY, MICHAEL RICHARDS, JAMES TIDSWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alfonsocabrera801
When I wake up in the morning get close to you
Yeah
I was sucked to the river but the river was hung dry
High up in the clouds the stars raise their glass to you
Yeah
Visions of light stream down from the afterlife
Hum at night that feels so right
It heals my eyes
It leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Stay up all night so dark I get warm with you
Yeah
Drunks in the street making video game noise
Dust in the city blew into my eyes I get high with you
Yeah
Claws digging deeper and deeper into the earth
Hum at night that feels so right
It heals my eyes and leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes don't feel the earth move
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
Fur eyes Fur eyes
Fur eyes Fur eyes
So right it leads a cavalcade
@pastyaussie123
Still sad these guys aren’t together anymore, this album was a defining soundtrack of my early 20’s
@palapa1265
Ill always shred their tracks
@kylieford546
I literally just started listening to them...):
@nickba9037
This song brings back great memories. I’m only 14 years old,, and my parents just separated. This song reminds me of my dad - and how we used to like long car drives to my soccer matches, and at the time I always told him to turn this off. I now only wish for another minute of that with this song on.
@samprintup6442
Know that feeling all too well myself. stay strong, kid
@dariowestern
Sorry to hear this. Stay strong and walk tall. ❤️🙏
@ryanaalberg7644
Your dad had great taste
@intenseanimalfights3607
I hope you and your family are doing well now my brother. Stay strong and support your mum, I’ve learnt that you have to appreciate time with everybody you hold close.
@dariowestern
Thanks for your awesome message to me just now, Nick. It’s given me a warm fuzzy feeling to know I have helped make a difference to someone’s life, as well as VS’ music. :-)
@TheSnagglebitch
Absolute badass! I reckon if the band were around in the 90s they would have got regular spins on radio! So glad to discover bands like this, they offer an alternative to the soul -less fucking shite I see on TV/Radio....