In 2009, they toured Europe and the USA and spent a lot of time in the studio, with producer Gareth Jones. At Glastonbury they won "Emerging Talent Competition 2009" & now, hoping to prove the critics correct, with their début album, "WHB" (Apr 2010). A new album "Movements" (28 Apr 2014) is planned, produced by band member Thomas and co-produced and mixed by Tim Goldsworthy (DFA Records, LCD Soundsystem, Unkle, Mo'Wax).
Drawing from a well of influences that include ESG, Animal Collective and The Rapture, the band created their own sound - a 21st Century mixtape that defies categorisation or pigeonholing. With the prime focus on making people dance, they quickly took the big step of taking their music to the stage, despite having little to no previous experience between them. “We learnt quickly” says Dede, “I never thought I’d be in a band, I definitely didn’t ever see myself on a stage! But after the first few shows you get over the scary bit and the buzz just took over – there was no looking back.”
‘The snowball effect’ is a fitting description for the band’s first year; play a few shows in London, play a few more outside of London, start getting a lot more hits on MySpace, NME and Dazed & Confused get in touch about doing ‘ones to watch’ features, label’s start calling and before you know it they have their first release. Early singles like the vibrating punk funk monsters 'Oh!' (released on 50 Bones records) and ‘You Came Out’ (released on Kill Em All) as well as the fuzzy, descending disco of 'Hear It In The Cans' (available on the sixth Kitsuné Maison compilation) showed the trio's playful, disco side but those looking for 12 identical tracks on ‘WHB’ may be in for a surprise.
"The singles are poppy, danceable and catchy but there's another side to us," says Thomas. Indeed tracks like 'Buffet' and 'Piano' hint at a rougher, more complex element to the discoball dream. "We like a lot of dark music. Joy Division, early OMD, and Talking Heads are just some of the things that we listen to,” adds Darren. "The three of us have lots of different influences and they’ve all come out on ‘WHB’."
The DIY ethos of the band has meant that they've succeeded without being tied to a record label. "We didn't want to focus on getting a deal, we went out and did everything ourselves. We got on with existing as a band on our own terms," says Darren. This has meant the freedom to tour extensively around the world. "If we were signed to a label, the record company wouldn't have allowed us to tour as much as we have," says Thomas. "I was looking at my passport today and I thought that I needed to get a new one soon, it's nearly run out of pages!" Thanks to this, Dede says, the band have a large international fan-base. "When you go to France or Russia and fans who don't necessarily know English are singing your songs back to you word for word, that's an amazing feeling. You just think 'how do they know the songs?!'"
From the humble beginnings of 'WHB', the trio wrote the rest of the 11 sonically diverse songs that make up their brilliantly eclectic album in between touring, over the course of 2009. The final product is much bigger than their singles and beloved MySpace songs suggest. Beat heavy, yes, but also warm, organic and much more complex, melody driven and beautiful than you would expect.
So here you have it, ‘WHB’, the debut album from We Have Band that really is the full story of everything they’ve achieved as a band, from the very beginning up until now.
Site: MusicBrainz, YouTube & Twitter.
Divisive
We Have Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were looking at me
It was easy to see
That it was one of your lies
Is it working for you?
Cause it's working for me
Let's count to three
No it's not hard to disguise
Taking me by the hand
Being one of the damned
On this merry-go-round
It's not hard to explain
Don't hide your shame
Just play the game
You're one of many we've found
Crystal
You take me out this way
You take me out
I was looking at you
You were looking at me
It was easy to see
That it was one of your lies
Is it working for you?
Cause it's working for me
Let's count to three
No it's not hard to disguise
We're all divisive
We're all
You take me out this way
You take me out
I'll take you deep down now
I can take you deep down now
All hands down
Don't make a sound
Your heart pounds
Can you take anymore?
I think you'll know that it's true
When it comes into view
No matter what you do
You're just the same as before
We're all divisive
We're all
You take me out this way
You take me out
The lyrics of "Divisive" by We Have Band present a scenario of deceit and manipulation, possibly within a romantic relationship. The singer observes the other person looking at them, and while it may be easy to see that it is one of their lies, it also appears to be working for both of them, suggesting a mutual agreement to play this game. The singer questions whether this behavior was part of a plan or just a consequence of the relationship's dynamic, where both of them are part of the damned ones on a never-ending merry-go-round. While it may not be hard to explain, there is still no need to hide shame or resist playing along, as they are just one of the many found in this situation.
The chorus asserts that we are all divisive, suggesting that these kinds of manipulations and deceitful behavior are common in all types of human relationships, not only romantic ones. The repeated phrase "you take me out this way" may refer to the way in which the deception takes both parties "out" of reality and into a fabricated world where the rules of the game are different.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that there is a certain acceptance of these behaviors as inevitable and that everyone is to some extent accountable for not resisting them. However, the use of the word "divisive" implies that these behaviors also create separation and division, suggesting an underlying critique of such dynamics.
Line by Line Meaning
I was looking at you
I was observing your behavior
You were looking at me
You were observing my behavior
It was easy to see
It was apparent
That it was one of your lies
That your behavior was dishonest
Is it working for you?
Are you benefitting from your dishonest behavior?
Cause it's working for me
Because I am benefitting from your dishonest behavior
Let's count to three
Let's prepare to act together
No it's not hard to disguise
It is not difficult to conceal our true intentions
Was it part of the plan?
Was your deceitful behavior intentional?
Taking me by the hand
Leading me on
Being one of the damned
Being a victim of deceit
On this merry-go-round
In this endless cycle
It's not hard to explain
It's not difficult to understand
Don't hide your shame
Don't conceal your guilt
Just play the game
Just go along with it
You're one of many we've found
You're not the only one who behaves this way
Crystal
Clear
You take me out this way
You affect me in this manner
I'll take you deep down now
I'll take you to a hidden place
All hands down
Everyone calm down
Don't make a sound
Be quiet
Your heart pounds
You feel fear or excitement
Can you take anymore?
Are you able to handle more of this?
I think you'll know that it's true
I believe you'll recognize the truth
When it comes into view
When the reality becomes clear
No matter what you do
Despite your actions
You're just the same as before
You're fundamentally unchanged
We're all divisive
We all have a tendency to divide
You take me out this way
You affect me in this manner
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RMJ1984
This is one of these few songs in a lifetime i'm so happy to discover. It just makes me relaxed and happy.
@epicm999
It took me a while to realize why they made the words, and that the people were organized like a piano. This video is absolutely incredible.
@damondefranco
Spotify just recommended this and I'm shocked it's 13 years old. It hits so hard.
@hdng1984
Just discovered this band for the first time.
When I was listening I thought "Man, I bet they have really creative and memorable music videos" - good to see I was right!
@davidmaddox9119
What a cracking tune.🎵👍Underrated band.😀
@LuisBrandaoPereira
Divinal! Nice sound, you guys must thank me: i'm turning all my friends fans! :)
@ShelLuser
Brilliant. I like the music, I like the video and I like the synth-kind stuff (like the 'step sequencing feet' animation). Sorry to say but I don't like "we have band''s other work so far. But this is brilliant IMO! Not going to get a CD, but a single is soon coming ("support what you like" is my motto!).
@alessandrapereiradeoliveir4380
I've watched their show a few years ago here in Brazil, when I was waiting for Franz Ferdinand. Incredibly amazing <3
@emilrr
I live in Brazil
@emilrr
Tu é BR?