The group's origins trace back to their history of playing concerts together in Christchurch. However, the band did not begin writing music together until multiple members moved abroad and began collaborating over email following the events of the Christchurch earthquake. This early material gained attention within the musical blogosphere and encouraged American label Cascine to sign the band before they had played live or held a band practice.
Between 2014 and 2015, the group released two EPs (EP I, EP II). The band's debut album Yoncalla was released in 2016, including the singles "Keep It Close To Me" and "Barricade (Matter Of Fact)". In 2017, the band released their second album, Willowbank, and the singles "December", "Depths (Pt. I)", and "Half Hour". EP III was released in 2018, including the singles "In Camera" and "Crush (It's Late Just Stay)". In 2020, the band signed to labels Polyvinyl Record Co. and Inertia Music, and released their third album Truth or Consequences, which featured the singles "Right Track / Wrong Man", "Cool For A Second", "Southwark", "Lonely After", and "Sage".
Founded by Burgess, Ryder, and vocalist Kim Pflaum, the group began writing music using file-sharing services when Burgess left New Zealand to work at New York-based record label Captured Tracks. The band's first release, EP I, debuted in early 2014, after the single A Long Walk Home For Parted Lovers appeared on several blogs before being quickly taken down. The band was positively reviewed by Pitchfork and profiled by The Guardian, leading to the group signing with Brooklyn-based record label Cascine. In mid-2014, the band began playing live, touring with singer Lorde, and collaborating with other acts, such as the Swedish band Air France. Guitarist Sam Perry[ and vocalist Christie Simpson joined the group in 2015, while Pflaum left and started the solo project Madeira (later renamed Laumė). The band released a second EP, EP II, in early 2015, and proceeded to tour extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, with the likes of Jamie xx and Lower Dens.
The band quickly released their first full-length album, Yoncalla, the following year. As opposed to the long-distance writing of the band's earlier releases, Yoncalla consisted of material that had been finished during tours for EP II. The majority of the album's final material was recorded in Paris, France, following an American tour that stopped by the city of Yoncalla, Oregon. The band produced the album at electronic musician Philippe Zdar's Motorbass studio in Paris, enabling them to achieve a sound more akin to classic synth-pop than their previous records.
After a year of heavy touring in support of Yoncalla, the band traveled home to record in New Zealand for the first time. A limited edition cover of the Oasis album (What's The Story) Morning Glory? was distributed on vinyl in early 2017, before the release of the band's second album, Willowbank, in October. The sessions for Willowbank marked the first time that the group had worked together in a professional studio, with the band initially questioning whether they should "all move into separate rooms" to recreate the remote songwriting process from previous records. However, the sessions allowed for stronger collaboration and more organic instrumentation compared to earlier material, leading to jazz musician Olivia Campion joining the band as a live drummer. The lead single "Depths (Pt. I)" became a success on streaming platforms, and was accompanied by a video created by illustrator Frances Haszard. Following the completion of touring for Willowbank, Perry left the band in order to concentrate on his Serbia-based musical project DOG Power.
In wake of the departure of Perry, the remaining four members of the band proceeded to return to the methods of long-distance writing that had inspired their earlier material. This process led to the creation of a third EP, released in October 2018. A video for the lead single "In Camera" was released in early 2019, directed by Pavel Brenner. A video for the second single "Crush (It's Late, Just Stay)" was also released in 2019, directed by Robbie Barnett.
After signing to Polyvinyl and Inertia Records, Yumi Zouma released their third studio album Truth or Consequences on March 13, 2020. The album features the singles "Right Track / Wrong Man", "Cool For A Second", "Southwark", "Lonely After", and "Sage". Along with the album, Yumi Zouma is set to release a unique line of merchandise which includes a candle, bandana, and enamel pin. The band announced a reimagined edition of the album named Truth or Consequences - Alternate Versions, which was released in October 2020.
On March 18, 2022, their fourth full-length release Present Tense was recorded remotely with some in-studio sessions in Los Angeles, London, Florence, New York, and New Zealand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Brae
Yumi Zouma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a call about to happen too
Drowning in the punch bowl
She's got an eye for a big bruise
So go on read it on the TV's
Ladies smell it on the passion
I got the time so I can't lose it
Choose when to lose it
I call you up when you're not around
Insisting on listening to the same old hag
Calling on the souls in your defenses
Try these words and try again
Talking to yourself and not to notice
Seems your getting very far from your problems
Go ahead, take that pill
You know that I'm used to it
Take your time, see me go
Know you're caught and I’ll never know
Go ahead, take that pill
You know that I'm used to it
Take your time, say goodbye
When your limit and your mine
I might have fallen stuck in love skies
Just look ahead, do you see us?
And nothing ever makes sense
When your secrets always stay crush
So wake me up from my deep dreams
I was summer with the small home
Threw me and you screw me and you fed me to the fishes
Like we've never been together and I'm only just a vision so
I call you up when you're not around
Insisting on listening to the same old hag
Calling on the souls in your defenses
Try these words and try again
Talking to yourself and not to notice
Seems your getting very far from your problems
Go ahead, take that pill
You know that I'm used to it
Take your time, see me go
Know you're caught and I’ll never know
Go ahead, take the hit
You know that I'm used to it
Take your time, say goodbye
When your limit and your mine
Go ahead, take the hit
You know that I'm used to it
Take your time and talk this out
Feelings that are underground
The lyrics to Yumi Zouma's song The Brae are quite cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to mainly touch on themes of love, conflict, and the struggle to communicate effectively. The first few lines of the song paint a picture of someone intentionally causing pain in deep wounds, and then a call (perhaps a phone call) that is about to happen. The idea of drowning in a punch bowl suggests being overwhelmed by something negative, and the mention of a big bruise indicates that someone is intentionally causing harm. The lines "ladies smell it on the passion" suggest that this negative energy is somehow tied to passion or desire.
The next verse shifts to a more personal tone, with the singer expressing a desire to keep their heart in check and not lose it too easily. They call someone who isn't there and insist on listening to the same old things, perhaps indicating a desire for comfort and familiarity. There's also a sense of conflict, with someone's defenses being called upon and the idea that they are getting further from their problems by talking to themselves instead of reaching out.
The chorus repeats the lines "go ahead, take that pill" several times, which could be a metaphor for something that numbs or dulls pain, but also leads to detachment and distance. The final lines of the chorus are "feelings that are underground", perhaps indicating that the real emotions and struggles are buried beneath the surface.
Overall, the song seems to be exploring the ways that people cope with pain and conflict, and how those coping mechanisms can create distance and detachment from others. There's a sense of longing for connection and understanding, but also a feeling that those things are hard to come by.
Line by Line Meaning
Shaking salt in your deep wounds
Causing pain to someone who is already hurting
It's a call about to happen too
Anticipating some significant event
Drowning in the punch bowl
Feeling overwhelmed
She's got an eye for a big bruise
Being attracted to people who are emotionally damaged
So go on read it on the TV's
Seeing news stories and analyzing them in your mind
Ladies smell it on the passion
Women can sense emotional intensity
I got the time so I can't lose it
Having time to invest in a relationship
You keep my heart
Being in love and committed to someone
Choose when to lose it
Being aware of the risks and deciding when to take them
I call you up when you're not around
Trying to connect with someone who is absent
Insisting on listening to the same old hag
Being obsessed with something or someone
Calling on the souls in your defenses
Trying to get through to someone who is guarded
Try these words and try again
Persistently attempting to communicate
Talking to yourself and not to notice
Being distracted and self-absorbed
Seems your getting very far from your problems
Becoming disconnected from reality
Go ahead, take that pill
Indulging in coping mechanisms
You know that I'm used to it
Expecting certain behaviors from someone
Take your time, see me go
Feeling ignored and neglected by someone
Know you're caught and I’ll never know
Feeling trapped in a one-sided relationship
Go ahead, take the hit
Taking emotional blows
Take your time, say goodbye
Ending a relationship on your terms
When your limit and your mine
Being aware of someone's emotional boundaries
I might have fallen stuck in love skies
Feeling euphoric and infatuated
Just look ahead, do you see us?
Fantasizing about the future
And nothing ever makes sense
Feeling lost and confused
When your secrets always stay crush
Being unable to communicate openly and honestly
So wake me up from my deep dreams
Needing someone to pull you out of fantasy
I was summer with the small home
Feeling nostalgic for a simpler time
Threw me and you screw me and you fed me to the fishes
Betrayal by someone you trusted
Like we've never been together and I'm only just a vision so
Feeling insignificant and unimportant to someone
Go ahead, take the hit
Taking emotional blows
Take your time and talk this out
Encouraging open communication
Feelings that are underground
Unspoken emotions
Contributed by Gabriella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@raghelramadhan4156
!!!please like this comment if it helps you.
"shaking salt in your deep wounds
it's a call about to happen too
drowning in the punch bowl
she's got an eye for a big beau
so go read it in tea leaves
lady smiling under pressure
(i got a tongue so i can a use it)
you keep my heart
choose when to bruise it
i call, you out
when you're around
sleeping off into the same old habits
calling others fools when you're defenseless
try, this once
and try again
talking to yourself out lout to no one
seems you're never very far from your problem"
"go ahead
i'll take the hit
you know that i'm use to it
take your time see me go
know you could've never know"
"go ahead
i'll take the hit
you know that i'm use to it
take your time, say goodbye
when you leave me late at night"
"am i a fool stuck in love scarves
just look ahead, do you see us
and nothing ever makes sense
when your secrets always stay crushed
so wake me up from my deep dream
i was someone with a small heart
(you threw me and screw me and you fed me to the fishes like we've never been together and i'm only just a vision so)"
"i call, you out
when you're around
sleeping off into the same old habits
calling others fools when you're defenseless
try, this once
and try again
talking to yourself out lout to no one
seems you're never very far from your problem"
"go ahead
i'll take the hit
you know that i'm use to it
take your time see me go
know you could've never know"
"go ahead
i'll take the hit
you know that i'm use to it
take your time, say goodbye
when you leave me late at night"
"go on then, i'll take the hit
you know that i'm use to it
take your time to talk this out
feelings that are underground"
@jeanthill7497
one of the best thing I have heard since a log time...I'm 59 and have heard everything since funk and that is good..thanks
@YumiZouma
yes Jean! thank you!
@suncity22001
check out indie music new zealand they all have a knack for it
@puppyent
same here I've been listening to Pop Jazz but this band is a cut above the rest.
@socalsp3
this is first song ive heard from yz 8 yrs ago, got me hooked. theyre the best secret in music.
@osure27
It's like I want them to make it, but I also want them to still be just for us.
@evgeniaantoniadou166
Dasha <3
@user-bz9xd4ss7p
Dasha is MID!
M- magnificent
I - intelligent
D - dashing
@zwide4
who's Dasha??
@luisgonzalez1637
Every time I listen to this song it takes me to a better place