In early 2004, they self-recorded and released their debut EP I Am for You. Simultaneously, the line-up was completed by guitarist Nick Rucker and bassist Derek Vaughn, replacing Teegarden. However, the two soon left the band, and a permanent bassist was found in Andrew Grosse, frontman Jones' former bandmate in their Christian accented high school band Formula316.[2] Without record label distribution and solely through word of mouth promotion, the CD's first pressing of 1,000 copies (being only available through the band's website and at their concerts) sold out within a month.[3] To date, the six-song CD managed to sell over 10,000 copies.[4] Its success landed the band a booking agent and allowed them to drop out of college, to pursue a career in the music industry. As the result of their constant touring and — due to lucky circumstances — their participating in 2004's Warped Tour, word spread fast and garnered the attention of several record labels, including Tooth & Nail Records, home to such bands as Further Seems Forever, Mae and Underoath. Tooth & Nail signed Waking Ashland and released their first full-length album Composure — produced by Lou Giordano — in May 2005. The album scanned 2,400 units within its first week of sales, debuting at #19 on Nielsen SoundScan's Alternative New Artist chart and at #53 on their Top New Artist Album chart.[5]
On September 5, 2005, a statement on the band's website announced that Grosse and Lee had left the band due to in-band conflicts. Temporary touring members included drummers Joe Greenetz from Sherwood and Rob Lynch from Harris, as well as bassists Jon Sullivan from Jack's Mannequin and Trevor Sellers from Number One Gun. On February 8, 2006, Waking Ashland released a nine-song EP, titled Telescopes, only in Japan. Immortal Records released Telescopes in the United States on June 13, 2006. The Japanese release had two bonus tracks, which were acoustic versions of "October Skies" and "I Am For You" from Composure. While the release featured session musicians to back up Jones and Lallier, a permanent rhythm section was finally announced in a blog on the band's MySpace profile as Nate Harold and Tim Very.
Part of the band's success can be attributed to their pages on MySpace and PureVolume. As of September 2006, Waking Ashland's songs have been played over 1.3 million times on MySpace and over 1.2 million times on PureVolume. Their song "I Am for You" appeared on the first MySpace Records compilation and the Drive Thru Records/PureVolume compilation, "Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know".
Waking Ashland's second album, The Well, was released by Immortal Records on April 17, 2007.
On July 9, 2007, Jones announced on their MySpace page that the band had broken up, citing irreconcilable differences. Jones is currently working with his newly formed band We Shot the Moon, consisting of him and two other musicians from the band Sherwood, Dan Koch and Joe Greenetz. Jones and Lallier are also currently working on solo projects.
Reseda
Waking Ashland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But there might as well be an ocean
It's hard to believe we lost everything
We might as well be strangers
Cause I'm flying kites into the wind
And watching my life fall to pieces
And I'm painting pictures with all your lost letters
And hoping to just carry on
I'm crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams
And all I can say is I'm sorry
For two broken dreams that meant everything
A promise that I couldn't keep
A five minute drive between you and I
But I think I just might take a plane
To wake up and find you're not by my side
But to see your coat up on the wall
As clear as it seems, oh I still can't believe
But now we just float along
And sidewalks and streets, rhythm gone from our feet
The winter's going to be cold
I'm crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams
And all I can say is I'm sorry
For two broken dreams that meant everything
A promise that I couldn't keep
She says kiss me before you go through with this
Kiss me before you go through with this
And I couldn't do it, she just isn't me
She says kiss me before you go through with this
Crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams
And all I can say is I'm sorry
For two broken dreams that meant everything
A promise that I couldn't keep
Crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams
And all I can say is I'm sorry
For two broken dreams that meant everything
A promise that I couldn't keep
The lyrics to Waking Ashland's song "Reseda" depict the feeling of separation and distance between two individuals who were once close. The first few lines, "Two miles between you and me, but there might as well be an ocean," establish the emotional barrier that has been created. The singer laments the loss of their relationship and how they now feel like strangers. The metaphor of "flying kites into the wind" is particularly poignant as it highlights the sense of hopelessness and futility the singer feels in trying to salvage what’s left.
The second verse escalates the sense of despair as the singer reflects on how they could have kept their promise but failed to do so. The line "I'm crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams" evokes the idea of being trapped in the past, unable to move on from what could have been. This sense of regret is even further amplified by the repeated "I'm sorry" which serves as an apology for the broken dreams and inability to keep the promise made. The final lines offer a glimpse into a moment where the singer was confronted with a choice to either rebuild their relationship or let it go. Despite the heartfelt plea from their partner, they ultimately couldn't bring themselves to follow through, acknowledging that their relationship had already been irreparably damaged.
Overall, "Reseda" presents a poignant and vivid portrayal of the emotional turmoil that comes with the loss of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Two miles between you and me
You and I are physically apart, and the distance feels insurmountable.
But there might as well be an ocean
The emotional distance between us is so great that it feels like an insurmountable gulf.
It's hard to believe we lost everything
We had something that was precious and valuable, but we lost it due to our distance.
We might as well be strangers
We are emotionally disconnected and unfamiliar with each other.
Cause I'm flying kites into the wind
I am trying to connect with you, but my efforts are futile.
And watching my life fall to pieces
My life is in shambles because of the distance between us.
And I'm painting pictures with all your lost letters
I am trying to recreate our connection by immortalizing the past.
And hoping to just carry on
I am trying to cope with the reality of our separation and move forward.
I'm crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams
I am stuck in the past, unable to move on.
And all I can say is I'm sorry
I apologize for not being able to keep our relationship alive.
For two broken dreams that meant everything
Our shared aspirations were shattered when we became distant.
A promise that I couldn't keep
I made a commitment to maintain our relationship, but I failed.
A five minute drive between you and I
We are geographically close, yet emotionally distant.
But I think I just might take a plane
I am willing to go to great lengths to be with you.
To wake up and find you're not by my side
I want to be with you so badly that I would rather face the disappointment of not being able to stay with you than not seeing you at all.
But to see your coat up on the wall
Seeing your physical belongings reminds me of your absence.
As clear as it seems, oh I still can't believe
The reality of our separation is still difficult to accept.
But now we just float along
Our relationship is taking a passive, directionless course.
And sidewalks and streets, rhythm gone from our feet
We used to walk together, but now we walk alone.
The winter's going to be cold
Our separation will be particularly difficult during the winter, a symbol of desolation.
She says kiss me before you go through with this
She wants me to prove my love for her.
And I couldn't do it, she just isn't me
I cannot connect with her on an emotional level.
Crowding the streets of yesterday's dreams
I am still stuck in the idealized past.
And all I can say is I'm sorry
I regret the loss of our connection.
For two broken dreams that meant everything
Our shared aspirations were shattered when we became distant.
A promise that I couldn't keep
I was not able to live up to my commitment to maintain our relationship.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JONATHAN WESLEY JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Mays A Cappella Hymns and more
I stumbled upon this song on MySpace many years ago. Occasionally it waltzes into my memory uninvited. I'm totally cool with that. Amazing song. Such pure vocal delivery. Thanks for posting!
Paul Mays A Cappella Hymns and more
Dudes, please get this on Spotify!
chabrastamepues
One of Waking Ashland's best songs! Sad they're not together, but Jonathan Jones continues to make music which is always a good thing!