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.
www.warpaintwarpaint.com
Warpaint
Warpaint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The water, getting deeper.
The wall, the wall, the falling wall,
The wall is busting open.
The wall is busting open.
In like a dull knife
Pulls out all the stops
Time running out
(Even when I was whispering
You hold on, the water was slippery
You listen, the weather was answering
I let go, I wanna get into it)
You've got your reasons that, hey hey,
Turned by the seasons and long days gone
Too many minds in my, I don't know,
Got in the way of my busting out
Cold and under, I almost forgot to
Face up to what I ought to.
Willing and I do give offering to you
Willing and I do give offering to you
Don't know why I feel so different
Feel just like a different person
Willing and I do give offering to you
You're tied in a knot, can't throw you back here.
You've got the floor, they say. You gotta lock it up.
Late into the night you wore off that fever.
That fever.
You've got your reasons that, hey hey,
Turned by the seasons and long days gone.
Too many minds in my, I don't know
Got in the way of my busting out.
I'm over here by your way.
Tight as a knot, I want to fade.
I'm over here by your way.
Tight as a knot, I want to fade.
The song "Warpaint" by the all-female band Warpaint presents an intriguing combination of lyrics that seems to reflect a psychological struggle between the self and the external world. The opening lines "The war you fight is underneath / The water, getting deeper" invoke a sense of inner conflict that is becoming more intense and harder to hide. The reference to a "falling wall" that is "busting open" could suggest a breaking down of the protective barriers the persona has built around herself. Along with the image of a "dull knife" that "pulls out all the stops," these lines suggest a state of vulnerability and a need for self-expression.
In the next stanza, the lyrics reflect the persona's attempt to communicate and connect with others but also their sense of frustration and alienation. The line "Too many minds in my, I don't know, got in the way of my busting out" expresses the tension between the persona's desire to break free from their limitations and the external pressures that impede their progress. Throughout the song, there is a sense of uncertainty and unease, juxtaposed with moments of clarity and conviction. The repetition of the phrase "willing and I do give offering to you" could suggest a spiritual or emotional surrender to something or someone.
Line by Line Meaning
The war you fight is underneath
The water, getting deeper.
The conflict that you are experiencing is hidden from plain view but is becoming more intense.
The wall, the wall, the falling wall,
The wall is busting open.
The wall is busting open.
The barrier that was holding everything back is crumbling down.
In like a dull knife
Pulls out all the stops
I fall out like
Time running out
It feels like something is slowly pushing you towards the edge until you finally give in to the pressure.
(Even when I was whispering
You hold on, the water was slippery
You listen, the weather was answering
I let go, I wanna get into it)
Despite my hesitations and inner conflicts, you persevered and kept holding on to me until I finally let go and embraced something new.
You've got your reasons that, hey hey,
Turned by the seasons and long days gone
Too many minds in my, I don't know,
Got in the way of my busting out
You have your own personal motivations for your actions, which have changed over time while I have been held back by other people's opinions and unable to break free.
Cold and under, I almost forgot to
Face up to what I ought to.
Willing and I do give offering to you
Willing and I do give offering to you
Don't know why I feel so different
Feel just like a different person
Willing and I do give offering to you
I was in a state of defeat and almost forgot to acknowledge what I had to do. Nevertheless, I am still willing to give my best, even though it feels like my personality has undergone a complete transformation.
You're tied in a knot, can't throw you back here.
You've got the floor, they say. You gotta lock it up.
Late into the night you wore off that fever.
That fever.
You are struggling to break free from a complex situation that seems impossible to resolve. However, you need to take control and make progress, which may require considerable effort and sacrifice.
I'm over here by your way.
Tight as a knot, I want to fade.
I'm over here by your way.
Tight as a knot, I want to fade.
I am still nearby and support you, but I feel like I am being held back and crave release.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: EMILY CAMILLE KOKAL, JENNIFER LEE LINDBERG, STELLA ZOFIA MOZGAWA, THERESA BECKER-WAYMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elliotscullion1238
That bassline at 3.25 makes the song for me. Puts such a sexy dark spin on the song. The greatest tune by far 👍🏻
@9102Grammie
I LOVE the complexity and build of this song! It makes me feel the lyrics, it is what I feel at times...I LOVE this song!
@proserpinehymn
only a good few realize how genius this album is
@makerrtheus
lemme guess.. you're of those good few, right.. yeah.. whatever...
@MahakaSwaggg14
Most people realise how cringe this comment is
@christinahannahroberts6137
@Danté Black it's cringe but it's kind of true
@beatassassin5270
@Christina Hannah Roberts its pretentious and cringe. Just cause you like something doesn't make it a work of genius lmfao.
@christinahannahroberts6137
@Beat Assassin and I suppose your music taste is quite unique in comparison?
@justinkwiatek7403
That bass is perfect 😍
@alexanderdahoola8188
Great track and Warpaint's best song. Plays like an eerie, fascinating and haunting amalgamation of Curve, Garbage, Mazzy Star, Slowdive and Red Hot Chili Peppers but has enough unique style and vibe to stand on its own. Excellent.