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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No Way Out
Warpaint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got caught up again in a moment, more than I wanted to
Once said I should′ve kept things all to myself
Now I say it loud as the words rain down
I can't find my way
I can′t find my way
I thought I was strong, I guess I was wrong
Once said I should've kept things all to myself
Now I say it loud as the words rain down
I can't find my way I can′t find my
I can′t find my way
I don't like this, You can′t take the fallout
I like things when there's nothing left to follow
Once said that I should′ve kept things before they fell, they fell, they fell
I don't like this, You can′t take the fallout
I like things when there's nothing left to follow
So now I say it loud as the words rain down
Now I say it loud as the words rain down
I can't find my way
I can′t find my
I can′t find my way
I can't find my way I can′t find my
I can't find my
Never again will I play that game with you
Thought I was done
Got caught up again in a moment
I took more than I needed to, Took more than I wanted to I can′t find my way
I can't find my
I can′t find my way
She said, she said, she said, she said, she said do what you want
She said, she said, she said, she said, I'm sorry
She said I'm sorry, So sorry!
The lyrics to Warpaint's song "No Way Out" depict the struggle of a person who has repeatedly found themselves entangled in a toxic relationship or situation. The opening lines suggest a feeling of regret and realization about the consequences of playing a certain game with someone. The singer acknowledges getting caught up in a moment that was more than they desired. They express their previous belief that they should have kept their thoughts and emotions to themselves, but now they find the need to vocalize their feelings loudly, almost as if the words are raining down on them.
The repetition of the phrase "I can't find my way" reflects the singer's sense of being lost and unsettled. They thought they were strong and had moved on from the person or situation, but it turns out they were wrong. The lyrics imply that the fallout or aftermath of the relationship is something the singer dislikes, as it reminds them of their vulnerability and the inability to find closure. They find solace in situations where there is no need to follow or be followed, but instead prefer to exist in a state of freedom and independence.
The closing lines of the song introduce a new perspective. The singer mentions a "She" who said they can do whatever they want. It seems like this person has inflicted pain or hurt, and their subsequent apology is met with skepticism. The inclusion of "I'm sorry, so sorry!" emphasizes the insincerity or lack of genuine remorse in their words.
Overall, the lyrics of "No Way Out" convey a sense of frustration, self-discovery, and the longing for a release from toxic cycles.
Line by Line Meaning
Never again will I play that game with you
I have decided to never engage in that destructive behavior with you ever again
Got caught up again in a moment, more than I wanted to
I became entangled in a situation again, but this time it went beyond my desires or intentions
Once said I should've kept things all to myself
Once I believed that it would have been better to keep everything to myself
Now I say it loud as the words rain down
Now I proclaim it loudly, expressing it with overwhelming force
I can't find my way
I am lost and cannot find my path
I thought I was done with you
I believed that I had finished my connection with you
I thought I was strong, I guess I was wrong
I believed I possessed strength, but now I realize I was mistaken
I don't like this, You can′t take the fallout
I do not appreciate this situation, you cannot bear the consequences
I like things when there's nothing left to follow
I prefer situations where there is no further course of action required
Once said that I should've kept things before they fell, they fell, they fell
Previously, I acknowledged that it would have been wise to prevent the deterioration, but it still happened
So now I say it loud as the words rain down
Therefore, I now declare it with great intensity as the words metaphorically pour down like rain
I can't find my
I'm unable to locate
I don't like this, You can′t take the fallout
I dislike this situation, you are unable to handle the negative consequences
So now I say it loud as the words rain down
Therefore, I now proclaim it with great intensity as the words metaphorically pour down like rain
I can't find my way
I am lost and cannot find my path
I can't find my
I'm unable to locate
I can't find my way I can′t find my
I am unable to discern my way, I cannot find my
Never again will I play that game with you
I have decided to never engage in that destructive behavior with you ever again
Thought I was done
I believed that I had finished
Got caught up again in a moment
Yet, I once again became entangled in an instance
I took more than I needed to, Took more than I wanted to I can′t find my way
I acquired a surplus of something, beyond what was necessary or desired, thus leading to my confusion
I can't find my
I'm unable to locate
I can′t find my way
I am lost and cannot find my path
She said, she said, she said, she said, she said do what you want
Repetitively, she expressed the instruction to act according to my desires
She said, she said, she said, she said, I'm sorry
Repeatedly, she declared her regret and offered an apology
She said I'm sorry, So sorry!
She apologized emphatically, expressing deep remorse
Writer(s): Emily Camille Kokal, Jennifer Lee Lindberg, Theresa Becker-wayman, Stella Zofia Mozgawa
Contributed by Samantha N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.