Industry Demos is a collection of four songs from 2001 that Dredg recorded before they were signed to impress record labels. The four songs are "Of the Room", "Redrawing the Island Map", "Running Through Propellers", and "The Papal Insignia." Despite the fact that the band has not spoke out about these songs, and has not played them as of late (although "Propellers" has made an appearance on setlists prior to the release of CWOA), these songs remain very popular with fans. Of the Room was rerecorded and released on Dredg's second album El Cielo.
El Cielo, their second album, which was released on October 8, 2002, is also a concept album. Prominent influences on the album's concept and themes are painter Salvador Dalí's life and a particular painting, Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate One Second Before Awakening (the first track on the album is named "Brushstroke:dcbtfoabaaposba").
On June 21, 2005, Dredg's third album, Catch Without Arms, was released. A video for the single "Bug Eyes" was released. For the spring of 2006, Dredg played on the Taste of Chaos tour, which also featured Deftones, Atreyu, Thrice, and Story of the Year as headlining bands. Also, Dredg headlined their own tour with Ours and Ambulette to hit cities that they did not tour in during the TOC tour (they came on the TOC tour about mid-way through).
Dredg also composed the score for the 2006 independent film, Waterborne. [1]
In addition to music, Dredg also creates artwork, which is available for viewing on the band's official website. Drew Roulette's works have twice appeared on shirts released by Artus.
On May 11, 2006, Dredg recorded their performance for a live CD entitled "Live at The Fillmore". Dredg announced in a MySpace bulletin on October 9, 2006 that the CD is available for pre-sale [2] and that it will be released on November 7 2006. Remixes that currently exist are Dan The Automator's "Sang Real" and Serj Tankian's "Ode To The Sun." Both songs are off Catch Without Arms. The "Sang Real" remix is being made available as an added bonus for purchasing "Live at the Fillmore" off of iTunes. It is currently unknown what will become of the "Ode to the Sun" remix, or if the "Sang Real" remix will see wider release.
In the beginning of August 2006, Dredg announced that they would be playing two "special events" back-to-back on September 14 and September 15, 2006 at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California. It was later revealed that the special events would be Leitmotif performed in its entirety on the first night and El Cielo in its entirety on the second night. Both nights would also features selections from Catch Without Arms. Recordings of these shows can be obtained via archive.org in FLAC format (the links can be found on the news page of traversing.net). Videos of the two shows are currently being edited by fans who recorded the shows. An early version of "It's not worth it" was performed on each night.
On November 7 through November 10, 2006, Dredg debuted a new song, "Ireland," at instore performances that were held in California to promote the release of their first live album, Live At The Fillmore. Along with the new song, selections from Catch Without Arms & El Cielo were played, as well as "The Warbler," which has only been officially released as a live track on the Fillmore CD.
The band appeared in the 2007 membership list for The Coterie with honorary membership.
The name Dredg comes from the English word dredge, which in its verbal usage, means to unearth or widen/deepen a river or channel (the device used for doing this is also called a dredger). The band picked the name in its earlier, heavier days, when they thought it was very descriptive of their sound.
* Gavin Hayes - Vocals, Slide Guitar, Guitar
* Drew Roulette - Bass, Synthesizer
* Mark Engles - Guitar
* Dino Campanella - Drums, Piano, Organ
Convalescent
dredg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Resting grey hairs on wrinkled arms
With nothing but a stool to hold up his back
Skinny legs with Japanese mileage
Crossed at the ankles
He's unaware
Maybe you've never seen it
It's the only way to understand it
Unaware of his surroundings
Youth, it passed
Swarming like wolfs to a fresh kill
The scented tracks
He's just scared about dying
Maybe you've never seen it
Maybe you've never been through it
It's the only way to understand it
Save your clever statements
Braid your severed view of it
It's the only way to understand it
Too bad
Too bad
Too bad
So sad
Days have come to an end
Where all
Where all has been lost
Maybe you've never seen it
Maybe you've never been through it
It's the only way to understand it
Save your clever statements
Braid your severed view of it
It's the only way to understand it
To understand it
The lyrics of Convalescent by dredg are a poignant portrayal of aging and the fear of death. The song opens with a description of a lonely old man, whose physical attributes are emblematic of the wear and tear of a long life. His restful grey hairs contrast with his skinny legs, which show the evidence of 'Japanese mileage,' suggesting a life of travel and experience. Despite this, the man's only companion is a stool, and he is unaware of his surroundings, perhaps lost in his own thoughts. The contrast between his internal and external worlds is striking, reflecting the process of aging in which the memory and experience of a lifetime come up against the decline of the physical body.
The song continues with a sense of urgency, highlighting the fear and desperation that can come with old age. The young are described as 'swarming like wolves to a fresh kill,' suggesting a predatory quality that the old may feel in the face of their own mortality. The old man's fear of death is palpable; he is 'just scared about dying,' and the repetition of 'too bad, so sad' amplifies the sense of regret and finality. In this way, the song creates a powerful sense of empathy for the old man and his struggle.
Overall, Convalescent is a moving meditation on the human condition and the inevitability of aging and death. The lyrics are masterfully crafted, painting a vivid picture of an old man's life and his existential fears. The song is a reminder of the importance of empathy and compassion, as we all face this shared experience of mortality together.
Line by Line Meaning
This lonely old man had heart
Despite being alone and aging, this man still possesses a strong spirit and determination
Resting grey hairs on wrinkled arms
The man shows the signs of age, with grey hair and wrinkles, but he is still resting and taking a moment to gather himself
With nothing but a stool to hold up his back
The man has very little to support him physically, but he is still standing and persevering
Skinny legs with Japanese mileage
The man's legs seem frail and worn from a lifetime of hard work and determination, possibly suggesting a connection to Japanese culture and values
Crossed at the ankles
The man is sitting down and resting, crossing his legs to find comfort and balance
He's unaware
The man is lost in thought and doesn't seem aware of his surroundings or what is happening around him
Maybe you've never seen it
The singer acknowledges that not everyone has experienced the struggles of aging and isolation like this man has
Maybe you've never been through it
The artist again highlights that some people may not have gone through the same struggles as the old man, making it difficult to truly understand
It's the only way to understand it
The only way to truly understand the old man's struggles is to experience them firsthand
Unaware of his surroundings
The man is so lost in thought that he is not paying attention to the world around him
Youth, it passed
The singer acknowledges that the man's youth has passed, and he is now in a different phase of life
Swarming like wolfs to a fresh kill
The younger generation is compared to a pack of wolves, hungry and aggressive, and the old man is their prey
The scented tracks
The singer is implying that the old man is standing out to the younger generation as someone who is vulnerable and easy to take advantage of
He's just scared about dying
The old man is afraid of his mortality, and what will happen to him when he is gone
Save your clever statements
The singer is dismissing any attempts at intellectualizing or explaining away the old man's struggles
Braid your severed view of it
The artist is suggesting that anyone who hasn't experienced aging and isolation themselves will have a difficult time understanding it fully
Too bad
The artist seems to be implying that the situation is unfortunate and difficult to change
So sad
The singer could be expressing empathy and compassion for the old man's struggles
Days have come to an end
The old man's time on this earth is coming to a close
Where all has been lost
The artist is suggesting that the old man has lost everything that once mattered to him
To understand it
The repeated phrase serves as a reminder that the only way to truly understand aging and isolation is to experience it firsthand
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DINO CAMPANELLA, DREW ROULETTE, GAVIN HAYES, MARK ENGLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jakerocksteady
It's unbelievable how nostalgic this album is.
Reflection1989
Fun fact - If you watch the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" on mute, and then start track 2 of this album at the very moment Jim Carrey's feet touch the ground when he gets out of bed at the beginning of the movie & let the album play through it with the tracks fading into the next it synchronizes perfectly
SharkVac
Agreed!
Miss Vincent
It’s the only way , to understand it! Still good tbis many years a
Later. I was so young when this came out. But I still love it! Thanks to some dude from the mall named Travis who showed me this. Band. Saw Them live. Was dope
Reflection1989
Fun fact - If you watch the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" on mute, and then start track 2 of this album at the very moment Jim Carrey's feet touch the ground when he gets out of bed at the beginning of the movie & let the album play through it with the tracks fading into the next it synchronizes perfectly