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.
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Shift
We Have Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll never master
Black like a forest
Creeping like ivy
It's everywhere
No way to stop this
Only goes one way
Try to remember
Shifting from face to face
I decided in time and space
Say you wanna feel it
Feel it
You hold me tender in your arms
How does the feeling
We'll never master
Constantly moving
Shifting from face to face
I decided in time and space
In We Have Band's song Shift, the lyrics describe a feeling of being overwhelmed and defeated by something that seems impossible to control. The singer questions how they can ever truly understand or "master" this feeling, which is represented as black and creeping like ivy, something that is all-consuming and "everywhere." Despite feeling helpless, the singer reminds themselves that they have made a choice to pursue this feeling, even though it is constantly shifting and moving from one experience or person to the next.
The song seems to capture the complex emotions and conflicting desires that come with chasing a feeling that is always just out of reach. The lyrics suggest that it is not just the feeling itself that is important, but the journey of trying to capture it, even if it ultimately leads to a sense of loss. Ultimately, the lyrics remind us that even though we may never fully "master" these shifting feelings, it is important to keep striving towards them, as they define us and shape our experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
How does the feeling
The singer is questioning the feeling they are experiencing
We'll never master
The feeling is one that can never be fully understood or controlled
Black like a forest
The feeling is dark and overwhelming, like being lost in a dense forest
Creeping like ivy
The feeling slowly and steadily takes over, much like how ivy can slowly crawl and take over a building
It's everywhere
The feeling is all-encompassing and cannot be escaped
No way to stop this
There is no way to halt or prevent the feeling from taking hold
Only goes one way
The feeling only moves in one direction, and cannot be reversed
Try to remember
The artist is attempting to recall something important in relation to the feeling
It's your desire
The feeling is something that the artist desires, despite its overwhelming nature
Shifting from face to face
The feeling is constantly changing and evolving, affecting different people in different ways
I decided in time and space
The singer has made a decision regarding the feeling, after considering various factors
Say you wanna feel it
The artist is addressing someone who has expressed a desire to experience the same feeling
Feel it
The singer is urging the other person to fully embrace and experience the feeling
You hold me tender in your arms
The other person is providing comfort and support to the singer, who is struggling with the intensity of the feeling
Constantly moving
The feeling is always in motion, never staying still or static
Contributed by Bella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@marcelotulio
Beautiful