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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drive
Warpaint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drive myself crazy
But at this time
I want to listen
I want to stay
Inside this visions
I see them at the table
Go off the wall
And fall
To the other side
Into that eye, into the storm
Into that eye, into the storm
Into that eye, into the storm
Into that eye, into the storm
Up in my eyes
Sitting alone
And waiting all by myself
Where all goes
And I am not waiting
For somebody else
And I wanna believe it
I want it, I need it
I guess when I looked at the truth
I was surprised
To find this feeling
That I'm a lucky charm
You shift me over
I'm a lucky charm
I'm a lucky charm
I'm a lucky charm
I'm a lucky charm
The lyrics to Warpaint's song Drive are poetic and introspective, exploring the singer's desire to stay present in the moment and embrace the unknown. The opening lines, "I could drive, drive myself crazy, but at this time I want to listen," showcase a sense of self-awareness and the willingness to surrender control. The singer expresses a desire to stay inside their own mind and visions, and there is a sense of urgency and excitement as they proclaim that "we gotta go, go off the wall, and fall to the other side."
The refrain of "Into that eye, into the storm" creates a powerful image of diving headfirst into the chaos and taking risks. The repetition of these lines throughout the song serves as a sort of mantra, encouraging the listener to fully embrace the unknown and the intensity of the experience. The outro of the song features the repeated refrain of "I'm a lucky charm," perhaps serving as a way for the singer to express gratitude for their own resilience and ability to thrive amidst uncertainty.
Overall, Warpaint's Drive is a deeply introspective and poetic song that encourages listeners to take risks and embrace the unknown, while also recognizing and celebrating their own inner strength and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
I could drive
I could take the driver's seat and do everything my way
Drive myself crazy
I could take control of my life and lose my mind in the process
But at this time
However, in this moment
I want to listen
I would rather listen to what the universe has to say, and go with the flow
I want to stay
I prefer to stay in the safety of the world inside my head
Inside this visions
Here in this mental world, my imagination runs free
I see them at the table
I sense the presence of people around me, without physically seeing them
We gotta go
It's time to take action and move forward
Go off the wall
Break the rules, be unconventional, and unleash creativity
And fall
Take a risk, even if it means falling down or failing
To the other side
To get to where I want to be, on the other side of my struggles
Into that eye, into the storm
Face challenges head-on, be brave and confront the eye of the storm
Up in my eyes
I see the world through my own perspective
Sitting alone
Being by myself, with my thoughts
And waiting all by myself
In solitude, to act on my own behalf
Where all goes
Wherever my path leads me
And I am not waiting
I am taking charge of my own destiny
For somebody else
Without expecting anyone else to do it for me
And I wanna believe it
I have faith in myself
I want it, I need it
I feel a yearning for something more, something that ignites my passion
I guess when I looked at the truth
When I faced reality head-on
I was surprised
I realized something unexpected
To find this feeling
To discover the sensation that I'm about to express
That I'm a lucky charm
To understand that I bring good fortune to those around me
You shift me over
You make me stronger and more confident in myself
I'm a lucky charm
I am a blessing in disguise to those who know me
I'm a lucky charm
My energy and presence bring positivity and good vibes
I'm a lucky charm
I bring good luck and happiness to those who cross my path
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