The band weaves intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving post-punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between the soundscapes of psychedelia and intimacy. The group has gone through many line-up changes, including actress Shannyn Sossamon and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.
In early 2009, their self-released debut EP "Exquisite Corpse" soared straight to #1 on legendary Los Angeles Amoeba Records’ local artists chart. By September 2009, Manimal Vinyl reissued it on CD and vinyl, complete with a new bonus track, ‘Krimson’. Mixed by John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), the EP successfully captures the band’s sonic textures and playful dynamism that they’re notorious for creating in a live setting. With a buzz already in the air, Warpaint is now beginning to stir the masses with praise in the US and abroad. Dazed and Confused calls "Exquisite Corpse" "a collection of magical psychedelia drifting over sublime moments of raw melody courtesy of the three free ethereal vocalists,” while The Independent adds, “They make a quite lovely sound with dreamy vocals, off-kilter hazy guitars.”
On October 25, 2010, the band released their debut album, The Fool. The album received a glowing review in the NME. Prior to the album's release, the band contributed a cover of the David Bowie song "Ashes to Ashes" to We Were So Turned On, a Bowie tribute album released in conjunction with War Child.
"Shadows", the first single from their debut album, was released as a digital download and 12" vinyl on January 10, 2011. A remix of the single, "Shadows (Neon Lights Remix)", proved popular; managing to be playlisted by BBC Radio 1 as part of the In New Music We Trust.
Warpaint toured the United States and Europe in the spring and summer of 2011 to promote the album. They played at various major festivals including Bonnaroo, Glastonbury Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Rock Werchter and Electric Picnic.
In 2011, the rerelease of Undertow charted in the UK at number 92 and also in Australia at number 75. On September 25, 2011 they played the prestigious Hollywood Bowl (as a support act).
As early as 2011, drummer Stella Mozgawa, in an interview with NME, expressed the band's intention to "experiment and write with one another" as the current line-up had never composed songs "from the ground up" together. Bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg further indicated that most of the newer songs were written by "just jam[ming] and free-flow[ing] onstage".
In February 2013, Guitarist Theresa Wayman confirmed to NME that the band intended to create a minimalist sound on Warpaint, revealing that the band developed songs at soundchecks, and experimented more with acoustic guitars and percussion instruments on the album. Lead vocalist Emily Kokal noted that R&B and rap music was an influence on Warpaint and stated that on the album there are "things that have drum machines and ambience, music that's more than standard rock." Kokal added that the album is largely keys-based, which contributed to the overall sound being "definitely different" from the band's previous album The Fool (2010).
Produced by Flood and mixed by Nigel Godrich, Warpaint is due to be released in Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and Switzerland on January 17, 2014; January 20 in Denmark, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom; and January 21 in Spain and the United States on Rough Trade Records. A snippet of the album's lead single, "Love Is to Die", was featured in an advertisement for Calvin Klein on September 25, 2013 and later as part of a teaser for an upcoming documentary of the same name about the recording of Warpaint. The single was released on October 28 with the pre-ordered digital version of the album.
On November 20, Warpaint performed "Composure," from The Fool, as well as new songs "Love Is to Die" and "Keep It Healthy" on BBC 6 Music with Steve Lamacq in the United Kingdom. The next day, an article from the December 2013 issue of Dazed & Confused magazine appeared online, providing insight into the making of the new album, as well as the accompanying documentary, filmed by Jenny Lee Lindberg's husband and filmmaker, Chris Cunningham. Lindberg later confirmed in a November 24 interview on XFM that Cunningham's documentary would be made available shortly after the album's release.
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Burgundy
Warpaint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than anyone ever wanted anyone before
If you want to hold me, I'll hold you back
If you want to hold me, then hold me down
I'll need a little room to sway
You hold me anyway
All my life, well I can't take you on my own
I always hoped
I always hoped it would be
Be easy, half of what you are and half of me so
Hold me closer but now where do I go to find you?
Now where do I go to find you?
Now where do I go to find you, now?
I see your faceless stars
Shine in my dream tonight
I see your love inside
And it's starting to all make sense
I am a lion
A tiger sleeping under my skin
A tiger sleeping under your skin
Not afraid to fight
Disappear here with love
I see your faceless stars
Shine in my dream tonight
I see your loving eyes
We will watch a little sunrise
The lyrics of Warpaint's song Burgundy express the complexity and intensity of a relationship. The lines "If you want to hold me, I'll want you more than anyone ever wanted anyone before" and "If you want to hold me, I'll hold you back" demonstrate the fear of vulnerability and the struggle to balance the desire for intimacy with the need for personal space. The singer acknowledges that she needs "a little room to sway", but also craves connection with her partner. The repetition of the line "Now where do I go to find you?" communicates the sense of confusion and disorientation that can come with romantic attachment.
The lyrics also contain references to animalistic instincts and imagery. The singer describes herself as a "lion" and a "tiger sleeping under my skin", suggesting a wildness and power that she can tap into. This contrasts with the vulnerability expressed in other parts of the song, and perhaps reflects the struggle to reconcile different aspects of the self in the context of a relationship. The lines "Disappear here with love" and "We will watch a little sunrise" evoke a sense of intimacy and shared experience, while the use of dream imagery throughout the song highlights the importance of imagination and fantasy in navigating the complexities of love.
Overall, Warpaint's Burgundy is a song that explores the tensions and contradictions of romantic relationships, from the desire for closeness to the need for independence and the struggle to find balance between these two forces.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want to hold me, I'll want you more
If you express a desire to be close to me, I will feel closer to you and want you even more.
Than anyone ever wanted anyone before
My desire for you will be stronger than any love someone has felt before.
If you want to hold me, I'll hold you back
If you express a desire to be close to me, I will reciprocate that desire and hold you back.
If you want to hold me, then hold me down
If you desire to hold me, do it passionately and hold me tightly.
I'll need a little room to sway
In order to fall in love with you, I need a little space to move and explore my feelings.
You hold me anyway
You hold me close and tight regardless of the space I need, which shows your own love and desire for me.
All my life, well I can't take you on my own
Throughout my life, I have realized that I cannot handle my love for you on my own; I need your support and love in return.
I always hoped
I have always had a hope and desire for you.
I always hoped it would be
My hope has been that our relationship would work out beautifully.
Be easy, half of what you are and half of me so
I hope that our relationship is easy and flows as a perfect combination of half of you and half of me.
Hold me closer but now where do I go to find you?
I want you to hold me close, but I am struggling to find where you are and how to reach you.
Now where do I go to find you?
I am lost and uncertain about where to find you and how to get closer to you.
Now where do I go to find you, now?
My desperation and anxiety to find and be close to you grows with this repeated question.
I see your faceless stars
I envision your presence and your love as bright and star-like, even if I cannot see your face.
Shine in my dream tonight
My subconscious mind is filled with thoughts of you and the love we share, which shines bright in my dreams.
I see your love inside
I recognize and feel the love you have for me within your being and your actions towards me.
And it's starting to all make sense
As I observe your love and our relationship, everything starts to fall in place and make sense to me.
I am a lion
I am fierce and strong, like a lion.
A tiger sleeping under my skin
I have an untamed and ferocious side to me, like a tiger that is laying dormant.
A tiger sleeping under your skin
I sense a similar hidden side within you as well.
Not afraid to fight
I am determined and ready to fight for my love and relationship with you.
Disappear here with love
Let us escape from the world and be consumed with our love for each other.
We will watch a little sunrise
We can spend time together and enjoy the beauty of a sunrise, content and in love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Orlando, Emily Camille Kokal, Jennifer Lee Lindberg, Theresa Becker-Wayman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
narlus
that point where Stella pushes the beat at 2:24 and then it accelerates at 3:04 is nothing short of spectacular.
John Thorne
Warpaint crafts their songs like a damn movie script!!! It's amazing.
David Smith
The long tempo changes remind me of Medeski Martin and Wood's "Bubblehouse" - just a triumph of tight musicianship.
Robert Seddon
I still listen to this at least once a week. Always, always will.
Teresa Pantaleon
With you on that!
Janaina
Same here, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever listened to...
Mae-Lynn Morel
Ditto! 🖤
JBomb82
Same!!!
Andy Panda
Same 🤝
Flor Garrido
Emily's voice and Theresa backing vocals in this song are just amazing.