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."
Gold Coast
Violent Soho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like plastic
And you're drowning
So cable tied and worn
Cause its visions
On visions
Like hollow hungry wolves
Pay taxes
To a leader
So shaken to the bone
Cause its liars
Pushing liars
Throwing feeling out the door
Where did you go now
Where did you go
Right through the walls
Where did you go now
Where did you go
I'm on my own
When you're able
So civil
Screaming angels
Scratching at your door
Cause its layers
On layers
They'll drop on you like stones
Be quiet
And drive
I just want to hear the song
Feels mild
So awake
I'll put my toes back on
Cause its visions
On visions
Like hollow hungry wolves
Cause its liars
Pushing liars
Throwing feeling out the door
Where did you go now
Where did you go
Right through the walls
Where did you go now
Where did you go
I'm on my own
Where did you go now
Where did you go
Right through the walls
Where did you go now
Where did you go
I need to know
I'm not asking
I'm not asking
I'm not asking anymore
Where did you go now
Where did you go
Right through the walls
Where did you go now
Where did you go
I'm on my own
Where did you go now
Where did you go
Right through the walls
Where did you go now
Where did you go
I need to know
The song "Gold Coast" by Violent Soho appears to address feelings of disillusionment with the state of society and frustration with politics and leadership. The lyrics are full of imagery that conveys a sense of being overwhelmed and trapped, with lines like "drowning" and "so cable tied and worn" painting a picture of helplessness. There is a sense of anger and disbelief at the amount of lies and corruption, with lines like "paying taxes to a leader so shaken to the bone" and "its liars pushing liars, throwing feeling out the door".
The repetition of the lines "where did you go now" and "right through the walls" almost feel like a desperate plea for answers and the need for change. The last verse, with the repeated line "I'm not asking anymore", feels like a resignation to a certain degree. Overall, there is a feeling of frustration and disappointment with the state of things, but also a sense of determination to keep pushing forward and not lose hope.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're cracking
When you're breaking down emotionally
Like plastic
Easily and in a fragile manner
And you're drowning
Feeling overwhelmed and helpless
So cable tied and worn
Feeling trapped and exhausted
Cause its visions
Because of the constant stream of images
On visions
One after another
Like hollow hungry wolves
That are consuming and never satisfied
Pay taxes
Having to contribute to society
To a leader
To someone who may not have their best interests at heart
So shaken to the bone
Feeling very afraid and uncertain
Cause its liars
Because there are many dishonest people
Pushing liars
Encouraging others to also be deceitful
Throwing feeling out the door
Not valuing emotions or empathy
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
Right through the walls
Completely gone and unreachable
I'm on my own
Feeling alone and abandoned
When you're able
When you're capable and functioning
So civil
Appearing calm and collected
Screaming angels
Internal struggles and chaos
Scratching at your door
Demanding attention and acknowledgement
Cause its layers
Because there are many levels of complexity
On layers
Building up and overlapping
They'll drop on you like stones
Becoming too heavy and suffocating
Be quiet
Just be still and silent
And drive
Focused on moving forward
I just want to hear the song
I want to escape by listening to music
Feels mild
Feels gentle and soothing
So awake
Feeling very alert and present
I'll put my toes back on
I'll regain balance and footing
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
Right through the walls
Completely gone and unreachable
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
I need to know
I'm desperate for answers
I'm not asking
I'm not begging for information
Anymore
I've given up on trying to find out
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
Right through the walls
Completely gone and unreachable
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
I'm on my own
Feeling alone and abandoned
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
Right through the walls
Completely gone and unreachable
Where did you go now
Where have you disappeared to
I need to know
I'm desperate for answers
Contributed by Muhammad H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Leo t
we need more songs like this
western woods
this is just so good. it's like my ears are being caressed by four young Australian punks.
Aus_037
I love this band
Vervet01
i know. Im not sure if i this is my favorite band or cage the elephant is.
Michael Covacevich
Aahaha i love it.
JcKramer1991
Same
Zach North
Its Good.
quentinateacid
0:47 deftones homage?
Vincent
@Jonarts CC Hell, the opening riff itself could be a homage to "Bored" by Deftones. Just listen to the chorus riff of the Deftones song and see how similar it is.
Jonarts CC
Most definitely. I think it's quite obvious that deftones are a huge influence on their music. Especially in songs like Tinderbox or Evergreen