The duo got back from tour and played shows around their hometown, before releasing a much-acclaimed EP on local imprint, Dare To Care Records. In 2003, they released the bilingual acoustic folk-punk Onze chansons pour faire pleurer les morts-vivants, still on Dare To Care, adding to their line-up Louis Valiquette (guitar and vocals) and Marc-André Beaudet (bass and vocals) of The Sainte Catherines. After a cross-Canada tour, some East Coast US dates and some European shows, they released in 2005, El Rancho, which really established them as one of the top alt-country band to ever come out of the Province of Québec. Mixing their old love of the punk-rock energy with their new dedication to the country and folk tradition, the band really founded a new sound that they were more comfortable with. Adding drums, electric guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica, banjo, mandolin and horns, the band sounded a lot better live. “When El Rancho came out, people started to take us more seriously. We had written all those songs on the road with Ste Cath, but we knew a bit more about the style of music we were trying to play and we were just older, I guess.” The album was rough around the edges, but altogether singalong-able and energizing, and it garnered a great deal of praise from zines, magazines, blogs, and fans alike.
The increasing attention was enough to score them gigs with similarly-minded bands like Lucero and The Real Mackenzies, and by 2008, Yesterday’s Ring had played over 200 shows around Canada, the United States and Europe. They recorded the four-song EP Back From El Rancho in 2006 and continued to play dates around the hectic touring schedule of The Sainte Catherines (Fat Wreck Chords, 600 shows in 14 countries since 2000).
Now with Mathieu Guilbault (Bass, Fifth Hour Hero/Mi Amore/Rudy Caya) and Ryan Battistuzzi (Guitar, Banjo, Pedal Steel) and with featurings from well known and talented musicians like Malcolm Bauld, Mara Tremblay, Béatrice Martin of Coeur de Pirate, Keith Douglas and Chuck Robertson of Mad Caddies, they might have just wrote the best country-influenced album to ever come out of the city of Montreal. “We really wanted to make an album that we would be proud of. We didn’t limit ourselves to write country songs or folk songs, we just wrote pop songs, great songs I think, that are far away from the heavy music we make with The Sainte Catherines, but closer to what we actually listen to at home and in the van.”
Diamonds in The Ditch was produced and recorded in their hometown, by the band and features heartfelt and catchy songs that people will have problems getting out of their heads. Country, Folk, Rock, Pop, Punk and influenced by the greatest songwriters of our time like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Shane Macgowan and more. “This album is like a road trip. It’s really a story about someone that leaves Montréal to get away from drugs, alcohol and…a girl, of course. The hero drives all the way to Florida and realizes that it’s all the same over there and comes back home, to find better things even though nothing has changed. He realizes that where you live doesn’t bring you happiness, you bring it to yourself.”
They will tour the world with Diamonds in The Ditch and everywhere they will go, people will just wonder: “Why haven’t I heard of this band before?” People and critics used to call them one of the best side projects around. With the new record they will simply be one of the best band around.
Now joined by Mathieu and Ryan and featuring talented musicians like Malcolm Bauld, Mara Tremblay, Béatrice Martin, and Keith Douglas and Chuck Robertson of Mad Caddies, “Diamonds in the Ditch”, their 2009 release on Suburban Home Records, is the album they’ve been striving to create over the past nine years. Heavy doses of country, folk, punk rock, and traces of zydeco meld with traditional rock and roll swagger to create a country-rock opera that’s both eclectic and anthemic, firmly defining Yesterday’s Ring’s unique position in today’s music scene.
http://www.myspace.com/yesterdaysringmtl
Looking for You
Yesterday's Ring Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But what I said finished it off
I know I am never here
And when I am I'm never there for you
You say all you want is the truth
Well it's the truth my dear that you hate so much
I would love to stay with you
If I lied about the past or if the truth was really sad
And if we fight almost every night then I'm to blame
But I swear if you weren't there it wouldn't be the same
Honey you're the best so gimme another chance
I'd be living all my life yeah baby
I'd be living every second of my live looking for you
September I'm leaving again
Singing sad songs about being away from you
I would love to stay with you
But I have to sing along with my boys on the road
I'd walk one thousand miles looking for you
The song "Looking for You" by Yesterday's Ring is a poignant reflection on the struggles of maintaining a romantic relationship while being a touring musician. The singer laments that his mistake led to the demise of his relationship, but acknowledges that his words were the final blow. He acknowledges that he is often absent, both physically and emotionally, and understands that his partner wants honesty, even though the truth may be painful for her to hear. He wishes he could stay with her, but duty calls and he must join his bandmates at the bar, or on the road, singing songs of heartache and yearning.
The second verse provides a glimpse into the heart of the matter - the frequent fighting and the singer's culpability in the relationship's struggles. He implores his partner to give him another chance, acknowledging that she is the best thing in his life. He speaks directly to her, swearing that she is the reason why he continues to look for someone to love, as he'd be lost without her. However, the final verse indicates that the singer will be leaving again, this time in September, to continue touring and singing about his heartache. He concludes that he would walk one thousand miles looking for her, but the reality is that his career will always come first, and his romantic relationships will likely suffer as a result.
Overall, "Looking for You" is a beautiful and honest portrayal of the complex emotions that come with balancing a career in music and a romantic relationship. It speaks to the struggles of being vulnerable and present in a relationship, while also needing to satisfy the demands of the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
My mistake was half the kill
I only took partial responsibility for the damage I caused.
But what I said finished it off
The words I said made the situation worse and ultimately led to its downfall.
I know I am never here
I am aware that I am often absent or unavailable.
And when I am I'm never there for you
Even when I am physically present, I still neglect to be there for you emotionally.
You say all you want is the truth
You claim to value honesty above all else.
Well it's the truth my dear that you hate so much
However, when I tell you the truth, you are unable to handle it and reject it outright.
I would love to stay with you
I have a desire to be with you.
But I have to sing along with my boys at the bar
Unfortunately, I have prior commitments with my friends and cannot spend time with you as a result.
If I lied about the past or if the truth was really sad
If I told you a falsehood about my past or if the truth about my past is legitimately upsetting.
And if we fight almost every night then I'm to blame
If we argue constantly, it is my fault.
But I swear if you weren't there it wouldn't be the same
However, I am grateful for your presence in my life and know it would not be as fulfilling without you.
Honey you're the best so gimme another chance
You are the best thing in my life and I'm asking for another opportunity to make things right.
I'd be living all my life yeah baby
I am aware that my life would be incomplete without you in it.
I'd be living every second of my life looking for you
I would spend every moment searching for you if I lost you.
September I'm leaving again
I have to leave again in September.
Singing sad songs about being away from you
I will be melancholic while I'm gone, lamenting about being apart from you.
I would love to stay with you
I would much rather be with you than elsewhere.
But I have to sing along with my boys on the road
Unfortunately, I must uphold my commitments to my friends and the tour schedule.
I'd walk one thousand miles looking for you
I would travel a great distance to find you.
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.