Static I’m going to build a radio with static from the stars / and broadcast at a frequency you’ll pick up in your cars / I’m setting out on airwaves where I will feel right at home / I’m going to call it nothing because you don’t need to be known / my signal will get lost in all the white noise floating by / it drifts above the cities invisible in the sky / and if I transmit long enough someone will roll through the dial /and they’ll stop on some static and they’ll listen for a while / though they’ll feel some mysterious transaction has been made / a message slipped through interference has been received some way / because thoughts don’t need to be worded for you to understand / you listen through your eyes just like you hear through your hands / I’m feeling far away

Bridge over nothing don’t talk about what you thought about alone / it’s not true that you can make it on your own / don’t think about what you heard was true before / nothing’s holding any water any more / don’t be scared by laws that keep you in your lanes / it’s a cruel scheme that’s keeping us the same / don’t be cornered by the corners in your mind / you can’t build bridges or put up barriers inside / bridge going nowhere over nothing / don’t make a sound it’s a moment just for you / a tiny second amplified to hear through / it’s a come on from the force you would deny you can’t bridge the gap or build a wall to hide the lie

Dart I’m neat in cycles / mess on the floor / cram you in twice a day / you ask what for? / with every mention you make and every lesson you take / every question at stake is one big lie / with all the soul that’s on sale and all the lost / ones you bail / every boring detail is one big lie / bite with incisors / try all your might / denial’s exciting / treason’s alright / I’m in denial / losing litres by the mile / I’m cruising up your dial

Bruises Bruises are self-inflicted packets of pain / mysterious punishment reminds you again / I know I know I know I know I know / markings that show the secret feelings below / subconscious condones it but it won’t let you know / I know I know I know I know I know / so I’ll hibernate and sneak right out of the cold / freeze up the hate somewhere and leave it on hold / suppose suppose suppose suppose suppose / when I awake and crawl out into the sun / bruises have faded and resentment is done / suppose suppose suppose suppose suppose / little punishments you don’t deserve but you take / I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t

Explode your Friends Forced to abandon it / competition is stiff / let’s forget talk it’s dead / we’ll talk another day / let’s not compete no more / it’s there to make us sore / I’d rather be let down / but it’s the other way / oh come on / promises never stick / too tired to manage it / I can’t live up to you it makes me feel inferior / everyone knows by name weaknesses guilt and shame / they don’t belong but still they fill up their interior / oh come on / they’re there to fuel the fear / and burn you with embarrassment / they’re there to use their selfish standards as a punishment / explode your friends

Down the Drinker In a second i never fall never fall / looking under me I would always be so small / when is this over? tell me it’s over / coming second is never first never first / beat into my head I could never be so tall / when is this over? show me it’s over / winning doesn’t me anything to me / family policy there’s a plan for me drafted out for me / with all this weight on me no wonder I couldn’t grow at all / when is this over? show me it’s over / winning doesn’t me anything to me

Dead to the World Full moon I look to you / you’ve got time locked / while we’re in the grip of motion sickness / from calendars and clocks / four weeks have gone and been / I can’t believe / the ones you need no distance between are the first to leave / your sight is dull and selective as you move out of range / I ain’t got time to get reflective as focuses change?opinions that you relied upon to save you will be upside down the first / attitudes will vanish and codes of behaviour will be acting in reverse / they’re acting in reverse /the air is filled with canaries / they carry thoughts to think / the room has become the ocean / but you won’t sink / a kitten licks and asks you to hold her / today’s friend has arrived / a small bird lands on your shoulder and whispers “the world is alive”

Gravity I like a warm red glow (i like fast I like slow) / I like you sitting away from me (so I can stretch right out) / I like forgetting my name (and all these things you remember) / I like the smoothness of cheese (the way it slides down) / your tongue is silvery (as it touches mine) / your hands push me to be (they’re pushing me away) / a scared lamb to the slaughter / spiteful and petticoated / waiting for the sentence / is there safety to the silence? / saw the sun go down today (you write my name in the sand) / violent orange turned to grey (the sea turned silver) / gravity is good cos I can’t slip / comfort feels safe but I’m repulsed by it / lick the salt right out of my lips / my teeth sink in but they won’t stick / I like sitting in the dark (no one can see me smile) / I try not to touch the sides (no one can hear me breathe) / I drag it into the air (no one looks at me) / I stick pins inside of me (i just think it feels good) / when I close my eyes I can see the sun

Ant I went to school and I was six / the teacher said “you all must sit” / I didn’t do it so she got a rope / tied me to my chair to keep me there / I will be good I will be good I will be good I will be good / sit down sit down sit down / I am I am a business man / and there’s no time in business land / the sky is blue and I’m an ant / I know I want to but I know I can’t / I wish I could I wish I could I wish I could I wish I could I wish I could / sit down sit down sit down

End of the Wire They took a bird’s egg into space / hatched it out in a brand new place / it was very special as they waited for him to fly / staying up late conducting tests / instincts get lost in weightlessness / where no genetic memory could guide him when he tried / will you be proud will you be proud? / he stretched his damp blue wings and cut a path across the cabin / it was very confusing but he reinvented it all / they filmed him weaving around the room / he didn’t have to fly but he flew / the astronauts were very proud – he got a seed bell for being so brave / would you be proud would you be proud if I learned how to behave? / would you be proud would you be proud if I ever was that brave? / I will try I will try I will try I will try / now gravity has been turned up / unconditional achievement’s too much / it’s very demanding and i’ll make no guarantees to meet your expectations / but I will try to please

Broken Ladder Wrote a letter left it on the shelf / never call me worse things than you get called yourself / listen to you never calm / never realise that words could do such harm / bones can powder blood can catch fire in my veins / it won’t compare to what i’ve carried in my brain / you apologise like it’s an accident / you’re not sorry I know what you meant / every morning nothing’s gone / every part of how you got it wrong / if I told you everything I felt / maybe then a little part of you would melt

Pigtails on a Rock You said hey what’s your name? / coming on like i’ve got an attitude / well that’s news to me / guilty head down I try to escape the power that my words bring / they fly and sting / make us both suffer when I’ve got a problem that I can’t talk through / overdose on power / giving me a lecture saying it’s my attitude / expose my pride I didn’t say you could come inside / naked and unaware of my feet nailed to the floor / it’s weird I can’t conceive it / you swear you can’t believe it / I’m tired I try to break it / I know I don’t deserve this / make us both suffer when I’ve got a problem that I can’t talk through / overdose on power / giving me a lecture saying it’s my attitude / go back and step inside / there’s nothing to see here / pigtails on a rock

Harlan Electric ecstatic into the stratosphere / it leads to admission no destination’s clear / conspire then fire destroy the atmosphere / controller the tower exploit the greatest fear / hate ain’t a part of subversiveness / seems like there’s something amiss / confusion and power keep the people feeding / on poisons and toxins / make sure the poor are needing / diversions diverting paranoid reactions / and channel delusions into a clearer thinking / hate is apart from subversiveness / seems like there’s something amiss / depressing realist acknowledges / what’s going on with his fist / provoke a fear and loathing inside of every home / instill unrest and anger / gun shops on every corner / restrict the information / cos ignorance is bliss / keep hate within religion / then blow the world to bits / hate ain’t a part of subversiveness / seems like there’s something amiss / depressing realist acknowledges / what’s going on with my fist

Summertime Every time I hear another story I could change my mind about you / information’s strange I can’t ignore it / it turns a page to situations new / how can i can I count on what you tell me? forgot it’s true / every time I hear your conversations I could change my mind about you/ I try to disguise all my accusations/ I only ever want you to approve / feels good to pretend so you like it / feels painful too / every time I misread your expression / I could change my mind about you / feelings could be overflowing or they could lessen / or they could just be going away from you / inside of every hour there’s time to die / inside of every flower it’s summertime

All you can Know You can use all the force you can beckon but you’ll never speak to my soul / if you talk 99 words a second and one of them isn’t hello / you can shout about all of your power but doing so leaves you hollow / you can turn up the heat in the shower if you feel you need some kind of glow / all you can know / your touch on my skin is so gentle but your gestures are only cold / while you’re skimming the surface for metal / down deep there are pieces of gold / all you can know

Fooferon Lost all sense of patience I’m so sick of waiting / let me move my leg i feel it’s almost dead / like all your domination it saps my every breath / let’s not call it names cos labels are just frames / I’d rather bit my tongue than try and hide the focus of exactly what I’m saying / I’m saying you let me down / each time another reason I can’t keep playing blind / friends don’t understand / they think I’m playing dumb / they think I’m getting tainted / but I don’t have a plan I don’t need one there is no guilt that I must leave behind / let me move my hand / my technicolour land is waiting to be painted / I can’t keep playing bland I can’t keep playing bland / my technicolour land is waiting to be painted / it’s waiting for me to paint it

Oh Tom Oh tom she didn’t come home again / oh tom you were there to meet the train / oh tom you watched it pull out again / oh tom you walked home alone again / oh tom down the long road again / let’s say maybe she’s there maybe there’s a message / let’s say maybe i could undo some of the damage / oh tom wait for a new day to begin / oh tom what will tomorrow bring? / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom it wasn’t the arguing / oh tom she’s just not coming back again / let’s say maybe she’s there maybe there’s a message / let’s say maybe i could undo some of the damage / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom let’s not go through this again / oh tom it wasn’t the arguing / oh tom she’s not coming back again

Early Talker my eyes are getting watery but you’re not in my way / you were an early talker now you don’t have much to say / but if that’s all you’ve got to give i’ll make sure it’s ok / hello to all the souls who can grab onto every moment / they form a bond with nature and inside they are a giant / but you’ve got to do your homework there’s no time to make a flame and set alight to all the bridges you may need another day, hey! / our heroes are the ones who have conquered all their fears / they escaped the desperation of their timid living peers /but all along the watchtower their sunsets will go grey from friends they’ve alienated or just let slip away / so i’ll ask for your opinion though it holds no real power / but it matters what you think and i feel less of a coward / but i don’t need to climb up to a sunlit mountaintop to die / cos if fulfillment is a ticket then i’m not gonna buy

Liner Notes – featured in Kitten Licks Deluxe

The heavens opened up for thirteen of the fourteen days we were at Rockinghorse studios just outside of Byron Bay. It just wouldn’t stop raining. On the last day, day 14, we had a guy called Luke come down from Brisbane to put some cello on the closing track Pigtails on a Rock. He and I got up early that morning, the sun was out and the sky was blue, it was like a new world we had woken up to. We took chairs out on the lawn and sat in the sun. I played the song on the guitar while he practiced his cello parts. Slowly everyone in the house woke to the haunting tones of the cello and came outside to see the sun and listen to the song. It was magical.. you had to be there.

This is our 1996 album Kitten Licks. This album not only changed our lives, but it seems it had an impact on a lot of other people too. Over the years it’s been noted that this could be the album we’ll be remembered for; it was likely our most successful albums in terms of sales and was widely critically acclaimed, it got us a whole legion of new fans, opened up our worlds and got us out touring solidly for a couple of years in Australia. Because of this album we played a lot of international supports, we got to program RAGE, appear on Recovery 4 times and play about a million festivals over a period of about 5-6 years. In 1999 it was remixed and re-sequenced and released internationally by an American label.

Now it’s being re-packaged and re-released by us. Most importantly for Screamfeeder, this album brought us together as the band we are today. It’s Tim, Kellie and Dean. We hope you enjoy. Kellie

Dragging out my by now well-battered copy of Kitten Licks to write these liner notes immediately brought back a slew of memories – a sure sign of a fine and much-loved part of your record collection. And while most of these recollections harked back to the (seemingly more innocent) time when the album first came out and spawned that incredibly strong string of singles that seemed omnipresent on the radio for ages, the sight of the album cover also – as befitting an album that has subsequently taken on “classic” status – triggered a raft of more recent reminiscences.

In particular it made me remember my time managing bands, when the monotony of life on the road was often alleviated by the addition of Kitten Licks to the stereo, and how the opening salvo invariably assured an onslaught of smiles and singalongs. It’s never easy to get a whole rock band to agree on anything let alone a record that they all like, which is why Kitten Licks quickly became a tour van staple, definitely the benchmark of a great album. But I digress… The mid-90s was something of a golden period as far as the Brisbane rock scene was concerned.

After a period of comparative stasis bands such as Powderfinger, Regurgitator and Custard had begun to make the rest of the nation sit up and take notice of what was happening in the oft-neglected climes of Queensland, and it was in this precise climate – August of 1996 to be exact – that Kitten Licks was dropped on an unsuspecting world. Of course, Screamfeeder had already been local faves for a long time at this point, having released three strong albums as well as a heap of singles, EPs and even compilations, plus they’d accumulated a fearsome reputation for their live shows. But Kitten Licks was something else. To start with, it was the first album to feature eventual band stalwart Dean Shwereb on drums, consolidating what would become to be known as the “classic Screamfeeder line-up”.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it showcased a new maturity in songwriting for the already impressive outfit. T im and Kellie had been writing together and apart for years now by this point, and this collective experience seemed to distil into a burst of songwriting unparalleled in its depth and consistency. It’s not just the radio staples such as ‘Dart’, ‘Static’ and ‘Gravity’ that make Kitten Licks so special, but what’s around them – Kellie’s intoxicating voice coming to the fore on ‘Down The Drinker’, or the gritty introspection of ‘Explode Your Friends’ jump to mind in this regard, but if you’re reading this you have the album in your hands so you don’t need me pontificating about individual tracks.

The collection of songs still had spades of the Screamfeeder indie sensibilities that brought to mind all of those cool overseas bands that were so enchanting at the time, but that was now augmented by a melodicism and pop structure that made the tunes far more accessible without relinquishing any of that hard-earned street cred. Even the album’s title and artwork evoked a warm, fuzzy feeling that complemented the catchy music perfectly… History shows that Kitten Licks was the album that introduced Screamfeeder to the rest of Australia and, eventually, the world, making it the high water mark of the great band’s canon.

Which is why it’s awesome that Kitten Licks is being released in this new, expanded format and is once again available for public consumption – it’s a really important album in the overall scheme of Queensland and Australian independent music history. It’s not the first great music that Screamfeeder released and certainly not the last – and hopefully there’s plenty more to come – but it still exists as a snapshot of a brilliant band in their prime capturing the national zeitgeist perfectly. Plus it goes equally well with either your dancing shoes or your drinking boots…

Steve Bell, Editor, Time Off

It’s Brisbane, mid-1990s. Some long-gone club – maybe it’s the Roxy, or maybe the Crash & Burn, maybe even the improbably named Van Gogh’s Ear Lobe. Or even The Zoo, which somehow still exists in downtown Fortitude Valley. Back then, the Valley was a vibrant inner suburb, yet to be completely sold down the river/sewer of gentrification – or “urban renewal”, as I think the euphemism for it is these days. A few years earlier, there was this old disused warehouse, right in the middle of the Brunswick Street Mall. A weird place – floor plans carpeted in primary colours with windows like submarine hatches.

The old offices were carved into rehearsal spaces. Bands used to practise there. Some of them even got famous, but no one had that much on their minds back then; this was all pre-Nirvana. Anyway, Screamfeeder was one of those bands, and here they are, at the aforementioned forgotten club. One of the River City’s great, yet somehow still underrated groups, maybe even by me back then, and they’re tearing up the stage – Tim Steward, the affable string-bean transplanted Londoner (via Townsville), firing out rounds of guitar that ricochet around the tiny room; Kellie Lloyd, her low-slung bass buzzing like a chopper as she locks in with Dean Shwereb, the band’s great new drummer. He’s a maniac, all over his kit, his dynamic and flat-out musical clatter reminding me, not entirely bizarrely, of the great Rob Hirst…

Listening to Kitten Licks again brings all this back. It’s Screamfeeder’s finest, most consistent album, the band given a new dimension by Shwereb’s addition. It’s energised power-pop with a nod and a wink to the band’s peers (Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom) and forebears (the great Husker Du). It’s got Dart – the great single with its magnificent boy-girl call-and-response chorus (there’s another bonus, a demo that sounds like the band is exploding with the sheer joy of just playing this tricky little number all the way through for the first time – although I’m sure it wasn’t).

It’s everything that’s good about the band – fuckin’ rockin’ with wide-eyed fervour, all powered along a great big beating pop heart. Enjoy.

Andrew Stafford Author, Pig City: from the Saints to Savage Garden (University of Queensland Press) Brisbane, April 2009

2015 Press release

“Whether you want the depravity of the post-punk noise, the sweetness of a soothing pop song, or something in between, on Rocks on the Soul they deliver. I’ll give this an A-“. (In Music We Trust)

Throughout the 1990’s, Australian music in the post-grunge area exploded in popularity, fuelled by the excitement of the new punk DIY ethos and the sheer excitement of independent, non-corporate bands making thrilling new sounds.

Screamfeeder rode that surging wave, producing  four acclaimed albums, enjoying significant airplay and touring relentlessly. Things were looking pretty good.

But by 1999 Screamfeeder found themselves backed into a corner by their American record label at the time, being legally prevented from recording a follow-up album to their 1996 smash Kitten Licks.

The covers EP Home Age had filled the gap, but the band were sitting on an ever-increasing pile of diverse new songs. In the end, they found a way to opt out of the disastrous contract and arrangements were promptly made for a recording session in the winter of 2000.

The studio and producers were an odd choice, a discreet office location in Melbourne’s South Yarra owned by electronic duo The Pound System. It turned out to be perfect – Woody and The Rev could hear new potential for the band’s trademark male-female vocal interplay, sweet yet bruising guitar lines and never-sitting-still song structures.

Together the team proceeded to deconstruct Screamfeeder’s approach while exploring the possibilities offered by the then- new Pro Tools digital recording platform.

It was a bold move; it would have been too easy to make ‘Kitten Licks II’, but instead the band turned a sharp corner and produced a quite-unexpected album.

The songs are sprawling and hyper-melodic, layered, edited and experimented with. Vocals are lush and the melodies emphasised, drum beats are looped and hypnotic. This was the sound of a band confident enough with their songs that it didn’t matter the sonic tangents they took off on.

“…At the time, it sounded like it was too good for a band from Brisbane, which is never true — of anywhere — but that’s how Screamfeeder made me feel. I was excited by it. It was probably the last time I felt truly shocked by what a Brisbane band was capable of. Now everyone knows.” (Ian Rogers)

Tim came up with the album title, a play on The Isley Bros ‘60s LP Soul on the Rocks. The album alienated some of the more change-resistant fan base, while engaging with a whole new one, who were captivated by Kellie’s epic Stopless, or the quasi space-age Above The Dove. Dean explored the local area and added his field recordings to some of the songs, notably If You Lived Here.

Finally released in October 2000 through Shock Records, the album was a masterful return to form, showcasing a set of songs that quite clearly raised the bar, from the first notes of masterpiece Stopless to the emotive closer, Close Again. If there’d been any doubt about the band’s ability to survive the industry travails, Rocks On The Soul proved them all wrong.

And here we are in 2015. Exactly 15 years later and Rocks On The Soul  remains a pre-shoegaze-comeback gem. The songs and ideas are at once confident and assured, but never cocky, with Screamfeeder’s naiveté and wide-eyed wonder and love of the music they were creating shining through.

The Blurb, from 2000

Here’s our new album, it’s called “ROCKS ON THE SOUL”! Two words which are very ambiguous and loaded with meaning in every direction, which is something we like very much over here at feeder HQ.

It’s been 4 years since we released our last full length thing, “KITTEN LICKS”. The first two years after that were spent touring our asses off and releasing singles (“Hi Cs” and “Triple Hook”, which are both included in this package along with all their b sides) and our 10 song covers EP “Home Age”. The next two were spent wrestling with overseas record companies, lawyers and accountants. Very un-rock. We’ve been in the ring, gloves off, and it weren’t too pretty.

Anyway, one day when we were feeling as though we’d never be allowed to go and record an album ever again we went to meet Woody and The Rev, the Pound System lads! Two hours later we had their studio booked for a month, the budget sorted and approved and we were all ready to get amongst it. It was the first time we were to have the pleasure of working with producers as such; we’d always hired someone to record our albums, (and always been satisfied) but never felt compelled to credit them with production. Everyone expected the beat – crazy Pound System to completely techno-fy us.. They DIDN’T!! they acted like two completely mature and sensible gentlemen, recorded our songs for us, very well, offered their opinions on certain musical angles, (as well as telling us that a lot of our parts had “too many notes” or had “more chords than a Levis factory”). Anyway there ain’t a scratching noise or a doof beat in sight. Sure we used loops and filters, but it was all completely in the context of Screamfeeder music.

The Pound System rocked! It was awesome fun recording with them, the smoothest and most inspiring session ever. We were confident enough to be pointed in a new direction and more than ready to be completely taken apart and put back together again in a different way. It felt right, and timely to do that. We’re happy with the direction they pointed us in, and it feels nice to be re-assembled all over again! It was good to have a new focus, to come in from a new angle. We’re steeped in our own past, but not weighed down by it, quite the opposite.. we found we could completely refresh ourselves and our sound with someone else’s influence, and create something outside of any pre-existing genre or set of internal or external rules. We got a ton of caffeine and tobacco on board and did just that. Quite simply, to quote king Woody “we’ve made a fuckin’ RECORD!”

Lyrics

Stopless: Kellie bares her soul and her fears become strengths. Woody assembled this song, Dean sat back and nodded.

if I’m talking in past tense / I have lived a charmed existence / now that change is in the air / another force that we’ll compare / I thought at times I’d been enlightened / to tell the truth I’d become frightened / by all the things I’ve never learned / and all the energy I’d burned / on all those stupid boys that I thought / were worth my time and I would die for / I’d lose my head and when my heart felt / I’d add to my life’s list of disappointment / he sounded good on the phone / I’d walk at night on my own / I knew that it was worth it / and I’d never have to do it again / I’ve been having weird dreams again / I just wanna have the one where I win / all the times they’ve said this job’s for you / some dss guy wouldn’t have a clue / of what I will achieve in my life / it’s not some 9-5 thing or a house wife / not that any of those things are bad / it’s just never been a dream the I’ve had / I’ve got a dark ambition in me / I will be independent and free / and all the stupid things I’ve done / i’ll never have to do them again

Domino: We wrote this in Kellie’s kitchen at Taringa, before she moved to Toowong, before she moved to Bardon. It’s a fun song, so simple it’s hard to believe, and very hard to remember how to play.

domino, domino / didn’t want to let you know / didn’t have to undergo / should have watched the undertow / realised you’d never know / domino, domino / try to recognise the slow / always go against the flow / I would always be shallow / I could never be like domino, domino

Above the Dove: The aliens ain’t coming to save our souls, sorry everybody. Our first single from the record.

we’ve got an intergalactic invasion on our hands / don’t call security because they won’t understand / the doves are nesting in the floodlights on the field / they don’t want to miss the action darkness might conceal / aliens take positions in our libraries one by one / they unwrite our history books with their little laser guns / as we’re deleted word by word it becomes clear / future’s exploded because our past has disappeared / knowing there’s a sign to say they’ll take you when they leave / wearing shirts that proudly state that we believe / confident the continent will surely hear the word / the call’s been made and all the passengers have heard / going to a place where they can walk the streets with pride / the insect world is packed and they all climb inside / the birds can learn to swim and all the fish will fly / above the dove in the safety of the sky / you won’t be proud, but you won’t be allowed / above the dove in the safety of the clouds

14 & 44: Our newest song, we finished it off the week before recording. Pure Rock WILL guide. (By pure coincidence the running time of the Above the Dove single is 14:44.)

on the corner at five to ten / you could have set me on fire again / the record’s spinning slightly slow / I’m out of gear I’m feeling all set to implode / at the speed of sound everything’s alright /don’t feel so down at the speed of light / a restaurant window at four to eight / every move a second late / a clue to move a cue to stay / I never knew what time was meant to mean anyway / at the speed of sound everything’s alright /don’t feel so down at the speed of light / in a foreign car in a borrowed night / in a purer second pure rock will guide / wanna disappear right before your eyes / in a blinding flash of light I will vaporise / I got a ticket to ride I found a new way to glide / I got a sharp little knife for an invisible slice

Deletia: Woody thought it sounded like the Stone Roses, I’ve never even listened to them, neither has Kellie as far as I know. More soulful social commentary though.

I couldn’t see, pressed my face into the glass / transparency up to the sun betrays my past / chances are this has been a big mistake / I have learned to embrace the things I hate / it’s always been the same with you / your lies have always been see through /make lists of things you want to buy /plastic held up into the sky /I forgot what it’s like to write by hand / no one teaches us that glass is made of sand / I’ve trained myself to enjoy what I can’t taste / pre-determined to subconsciously erase / conditioning that will make us /discard the things we know won’t last /restrict what’s in your memory / pretend you don’t act randomly / this is the future purposely / non-interactive apathy / you’ll wait your turn so patiently / undoing your brain like tapestry / instant microwave train of thought /social behaviour is not taught to children who think nintendo’s sport / language and virus, one and naught / avoid your life

Metal Detector: Mixed this ’till 6 in the morning then flew to Sydney at 7.00 to master the record. Didn’t feel too great. The Rev came through like a king with the atmospheric noises.

it was the calmest scene,it was the warmest sea / I could walk ankle deep it was like diamonds / I was lost in a dream of what was to come / I comb the land each day, scraping the sand away / metal detector’s running away with me / bottle caps sending me such a hum / I wrote the rules that say I don’t have to lift my gaze / there is a priceless treasure staring me in the face / and that just makes my work look dumb / so waves do not break for me, diamonds don’t wait for me / I will detect the key that opens the secret door / that’s going to take me from where nothing is mine

Olive: Can’t start a fire. It smoulders for a long time though. Your soul is on the rocks.

started out easy, the kids are alright / they got a natural flavour / the bit is there to bite / I hate waiting, it takes such a long time / when I’m left out to dry / this one’s broken, I gotta get another one / can’t start a fire / can’t start a fire / is there a reason why your head is still on tight? / can you take your time to answer
I found out just in time about / the lies that we wrap around a family just to survive / and I’m left out to dry / even though I’m left out in the sun / I can’t start a fire / can’t start a fire.

Mr Tuba: I wrote this in the garden after watching a Sesame St animation about Mr Tuba, who joins the band but doesn’t listen to what anyone else is playing. Everone’s met someone like this. Dean went out and recorded street noise to go on the end of the song.

mr tuba your sound is beautiful and round but you don’t listen / the rest of the band are tired of only playing your tunes / you should stop being rude, and just be happy with what you’ve been given / a nice big bell an inspired section and a chair to sit on / small prickles grow into rosebushes / we can change anything we feel / how can we love a guy who pushes? / we won’t deny or can’t conceal / that we’re not going to grow to love your presence

If You Lived Here: We almost scrapped this song a year ago. Dean didn’t know what to play even when the tape was rolling. Lucky he’s so obedient. Kel went down to the station and got some more “field noises”. A true “3 chord-er”.

he knows it’s not always out there / he slows, the song on the radio is always on for him / and she’ll turn the light on for him / she knows it’s safe to be sun-smart / sun screen’s on special at k-mart / the summer’s burning in, and she knows she’s not long for this world / but you’d better be patient sister / if you lived here you’d be home now / water’s been flavoured with fluoride / air hums with shiny black powerlines / the neighbourhood’s electric / the reception is just pathetic / he makes his way down the motorway / he takes his hands off the steering wheel / the exit’s gone, it won’t be long / if you lived here you’d be home now

The Singer: I got to use my favourite Bitch Magnet songline in one of my songs after years of trying. The weirdest lyrics on the album, half serious, half funny, half silly, half abstract. A lot like the band really..

what kind of voice did the singer have? / who sang the songs from when you were five? / theme tunes were filling you with life / and words that really dance in your mind / and when you slept did you dream of me? / do I still own a set of keys? / and though that I was sleeping too / I know that I had dreams of you / I’ll tell you yours if you tell me mine / country slipped in my city mind / saw planes flying sideways in the sky / they’re navigating on a butter knife / is this a match we’re holding? / think I just felt a spark / secret language doesn’t need decoding / a maze a letter in the dark / how many misses have you hit bang on? / were you a target or a broken gun? / how many pisses have you ever done / and can you name your favourite one? / got a broken glass and a cloudy lens / got a bucket of bolts and a jar of pens.

Close Again: The surprise package. It ended up so long because it just got better and better. The crazy drums on the end are some mistakes of Dean’s we’d pushed up to the far end of the screen where we thought the song would be over by. It reached all the way, over 10 minutes, so we left them on too. Probably the most fun song to record, it took on a life of its own.

so close today / i’ve been giving into my misconception / and living by your misdirection / crawling around my day / as changes fall through and tumble down / so close again / boredom whispers quietly restless / fidgeter’s fingers i have, i confess / here i lay / a grey hell / i’ve been awake in my sleep again / every crime is intertwined / for every one of your there’s mine / faithless hope, a tight rope or some easy antidote / personal, chernobyl / like entertaining a black hole / entertain, don’t explain / just a band-aid for your pain.

hi cs

smiling stars and musical notes / I can’t read either / on hi cs I navigate by neither / can’t see a pattern forming

triple hook

i know you’ve been banging his drum / I know so does everyone / talk’s cheap, but it’s never free / you shouldn’t trust your secrets with me / so thin that it doesn’t stink / stretching it on top of everything / even your smile hides a bitter tongue / I know what you’re talking about / rumours are getting around / talk low so nobody hears / your body language is loud and clear / is it hatemail that your’e sending? / is it a broken heart you’re mending? / is it your mother’s cash your spending? / is this your get away? / I know what you’re talking about / rumours are getting around / talk low so nobody hears / your body language is loud and clear / I know you’ve been banging his drum / I know so does everyone / talk’s cheap. this advice is free / don’t trust your secrets with me

sparks jump

sparks jump from less than all we have mentioned / bulbs don’t light from just good intentions / a million thoughts will just get ignored every second / lick my phone mouthpiece to colour in the gaps that you discover / taste my words before they’re deleted by others / minutes tap their fingers as their coffee takes a day / seconds dream of being years / where everything they say won’t be erased / used up all of your attention / the more I try the less you’re digesting / and time I lose,  I guess I’m forgetting more every second, every second / big hand chews his nails ‘cos his coffee’s taking years / other hand’s impatient with the motion of the gears / minutes tap their fingers while their coffee takes a day / seconds dream of being years where everything they say won’t be erased

planet matador

can anybody tell me if I’ve been talking in my sleep? / cos cocoons they cook at night while I dream / bad morning to the day when all your days become aligned / you be a passenger? / I’ll be a meteor / you be a telescope / or be an astronaut / will you be planet bull or planet matador? / and nothing excites like when you were a child / and nothing seems to get you feeling wild / like planets we’re attracted but we can’t see the force / will you be a passenger? / or be a meteor / being  a telescope / or be an astronaut / will you be planet bull or planet matador? / or planet matador? / or planet matador? / can anybody tell me if I’ve been talking in my sleep? are the rings that run around me charging in? / and I wake up to find that all my worlds have been aligned

Now I Don’t Feel So Bad

This was the last song we wrote before recording the album. It happened almost all on its own one night as we were absent – mindedly standing around the practice room. 3 chords- you can’t get better than that.

Kicked around and left to drown my collar’s in my mouth / left at home in summer when kids are heading south / I feel I’m on a rope and I’ve got no room to run / and I don’t want the fighting but it’s pastime number one / sometimes I feel like I’m a stranger in my town / I never thought that it could be the other way around / I hear what people say but I try not to care / I can walk down the street with my own sense of belonging somewhere / sometimes I’m immune to my surrounds / but sometimes being young is enough to get you down / I never associated feeling young with being sad / I hated being wrong / but now I don’t feel so bad / wishing for a kissing from the lips of summertime / trying to get my kicks out of wasting all my time / I ain’t seen the sun from December through to May / I couldn’t find a reason I could give to you to stay / I thought you wanted more of summertime’s caress / it never struck me you’d be happier with less / I never associated having less with feeling glad / I read you wrong I guess / but now I don’t feel so bad / now I don’t feel so bad / I lay down and dreamt that I lay down and had a dream / I felt myself dissolving and I don’t know what it means / every second another piece disappears from sight / there ain’t enough of me left to keep you warm at night / I’m gonna get myself back together soon / you can turn a corner in an afternoon / I do believe it’s the worst I ever had / I can’t get back to sleep but now I don’t feel so bad / now I don’t feel so bad / I’m cutting all the corners / but now I don’t feel so bad / I’m busting through the undergrowth / but now I don’t feel so bad / I’m stuck here in the middle / but now I don’t feel so bad

Needles

This one is the oldest song of all of them, we had written it for Rocks O T S but somehow there wasn’t much interest in it at the time. It’s been through various incarnations, but this is its shortest and most concise, and least ‘country”. About a dream I had where a doctor wanted to perform a life – saving operation on me and I wouldn’t let him.

It was hard for me to wake up / I’d just heard the bells / the doctor was alarming me / with trouble making cells / in two places in my heart / that only he could feel / a malevolent intrusion only surgery could heal / he used some poignant phrasing I can’t remember now / to describe the tainted chambers that I was carrying around / he pulled out two long needles to insert into my heart / he said “you might die soon if you do not let me start” / I said “I’ve got things to do I can’t accept your help / I’ll pay the price I’ve gotta pay but I’ll fix it by myself” / he said “you know more things than I do” / I disagreed with him / the things you’ve learned they’re good to purify the world within / I wish I wish I wish I knew what you know / it would help me fight against my impure corners and against the world outside / I wish I knew those things that you know / they would help me fight against my impure corners and against the world outside

I Don’t Know What To Do Any More

A simple song, written around the title, it had been lying around in my head for about 6 months before I actually did anything with it.

I ain’t saving myself for a rainy day / I ain’t saving you up ’til I can pay / you don’t care what I’ve got to say / you tell me that I’m a bore / and I don’t know what to do any more / I called the doctor and he laughed at me like I was on dope / he kept putting me on hold every time I spoke / he’s all booked up and I’m broke / and now I’m feeling sore / and now I don’t know what to do any more / he’s all booked up and I’m broke / and now I’m feeling sore / and I don’t know what to do any more / can’t call me this can’t call me that / but she calls me it all / and I can’t help it I’ve just gotta wait for her to call / she’s the blinding sun in my eyes and I just stand in awe / ’til I don’t know what to do any more / she’s the blinding sun in my eyes / and I just stand in awe / and I don’t know what to do any more

And Tigers They Roam

This one was written in the room we used to share with Powderfinger, along with Make Up, very early on. We demo-d them on the 4 track and the versions on the album are more or less identical.

The street’s full of shooting / and tigers they roam / you could get electrocuted out there alone / I know that you’re angry but pick up a phone / I know you don’t wanna / but if you’d just come home / I’d do whatever it is that I’m supposed to do / though I could count on ten fingers the ways I couldn’t count on you / I don’t wanna be unfair but every time we fight I’m scared I’m pushing you out of my door / it turns me from the man I am to the man I’m not / don’t wanna push my luck any more / now we ain’t criminals / but this is a crime / don’t count on an ambulance to get there on time / I would do anything you ever asked me to though I could count on ten fingers the ways I couldn’t count on you / I don’t wanna be unfair but every time we fight I’m scared I’m pushing you out of my door / it turns me from the man I am to the man I’m not / don’t wanna push my luck any more / I don’t wanna be unfair / don’t want you out of my hair / I don’t care I ain’t a millionaire / ‘cos I’ll still share your taxi fare / even though we swear / I don’t want an intermittent love affair / if we dare to mend the tear / make me don’t be scared any more

Same Mistakes Again

This one’s been through so many changes it ain’t funny, it used to be longer and slower with a great long chorus on the end. It didn’t feel quite right so we cut it back and sped it up, gave it the “soul” feel and it seemed to work best

I’m going back to the city / I’ve gone and made up my mind / ‘cos I’ve seen people from all around / and they’re just cold and unkind / I’m going down to the station / I’m gonna get on a train / ‘cos I don’t know what I’d say / if you asked me to explain / I’ll leave no note and no number / I’ll leave my keys and my chain / I’ll take my chance if I go under maybe I won’t make the same mistakes again / (under maybe I won’t) / make the same mistakes again / I’m going back up my mountain / going back from where I came / ‘cos I don’t care if you don’t understand / I don’t care if you don’t remember my name / down by the banks of the river / it’s gonna wash me away / a drop of water might clean my soul / but hey, that ain’t a reason to stay / I’ll leave the rest of my lumber / just take a pocket of change / I’ll take my chance if I go under maybe I won’t make the same mistakes again / (under maybe I won’t) / make the same mistakes again / I’ll take my chance and I’ll go under if I ever make the same mistakes again / (I’ll leave my keys and my chain)

I’ve Got The Knife

This one was slower originally too. About the second last song written, we were pretty unsure of it for a long time, as it’s pretty ‘straight” for a screamfeeder song. However it’s one of our faves on the album now.

Out in the morning I felt so tall / but down in the playground I couldn’t feel at all / I didn’t feel like talking / didn’t wanna have to take control / I could collect you / I could take you somewhere / or I could connect you with someone who would care / or I could forget you like you were never there / so don’t start without me ‘cos I’ve got the knife / to cut ourselves out from this cardboard kinda life / don’t start to doubt me it’s gonna be alright / I’ve never known the morning to not give up the night / and there must be ways we haven’t discussed / to stop going crazy from doing what we must / had a falling out with love and a falling in with lust / and falling out of favour with the folks on the hill / behaving like a child with your hands in the till / and you’re fuckin’ around with love / and it’s just a fuckin’ bust / so don’t start without me cos I’ve got the knife / to cut ourselves out from this cardboard kinda life / don’t worry about me you know it’s gonna be alright / I’ve never known the morning to not give up the night / I’ve never known the morning to look so fuckin’ bright

You And Me

Another ‘standing around absent – mindedly” song. 3 chords, A, Bm and D. Kel came up with the chorus on the spot and we sat down together and traded lines to make the verses. It was the best fun to record with at least 10 people in the studio singing the ending together, and clapping. The surprise package.

Hey now hey now the devil’s at my feet / hey now hey now it’s time for us to meet / you and me we died a long long time ago / though we tried we couldn’t be high for being low / hey now hey now the devil’s at my feet / hey now hey now I won’t admit defeat / hey now hey now there’s fighting in the street / hey now hey now there’s lying and deceit / you and me we died a long long time ago / though we tried we couldn’t be high for being low / hey now hey now I won’t admit defeat / hey now hey now cos I’m not fuckin’ beat / hey now hey now the devil’s at my feet

Bunny

Came up with the riff waiting outside our practice room in the Valley one night, waiting for the others to show up. We went inside and knocked the chords together pretty quickly and I wrote the words the next day. Like most of our songs it’s in B.

Last night I let myself out in the cold / can’t go back I’m breaking parole / ‘cos I made up a story with some words that I stole / I’m gonna find a chemical to take you apart / I wanna find a way I can appeal to your heart / listen while I dig myself into a hole / got no money now / couldn’t make the bail / just woke up and I’m living in a jail / ain’t so funny now / now you’re on my trail / I’m a little bunny and you’ve got me by the tail / can’t relax cos it’ll be trouble / can’t retract cos I know it’ll be double / I’m just trying to make a living by doing what I’m told / and you can make a killing making love to the world / I heard they made a gun in the shape of a girl / I’m trying to buy something that ain’t being sold / got no money now / couldn’t make the bail / just woke up and I’m living in a jail / ain’t so funny now / now you’re on my trail / I’m a little bunny and you’ve got me by the tail / I’m a little bunny and you’ve got me by the tail / I’m a little bunny and you’ve got me by the tail

On A Plane With Just One Wing

Dean went into a bit of a lyric – writing phase about a year ago, and he came round one night with this. We finished off the music together. Another song which used to have a long intro, and we scrapped that and wrote an outro for it instead. Lucky, it’s the best bit of the song now.

Taken back by the girl I love / I got a message on a ticket stub / she said “ok I’m coming down to land / if you’ll take my bags I’ll let you take my hand” / she’s flying on a plane with just one wing / I sit beneath her and I start to sing / I’m singing “baby just get off that plane” / she said “alright you’ve talked me down again” / taken back in from the cold / taken back we’ve regained control / taken back don’t look down / taken back from the lost and found / 10.11 on the j.a.l / you left me by the baggage carousel / I’ve been so long in the wind and rain / just tell the man he’s gotta land the plane / ‘cos I’ve been singing to a lonely tune / come back over my horizon soon / bring my baby home safe to me / I’m waiting forever at gate 23 / taken back don’t look down / taken back from the lost and found / taken back glad that you’ll be back around / taken back in from the cold / taken back we’ve regained control / I’m singing “baby” / I’m singing “baby just get off that plane”

The Space That’s Left

This song is not autobiographical. I wrote this after I read a book called Intimacy by Hanif Kareishi. It’s about a man who decides to leave his life, his family and everything he knows. Someone made a movie about it and it sucked, but the book is great. So this song came from that. (Kellie)

Have not spoken for more than 3 days / smoothed out even and lies have been laid / there isn’t even anything left to prove / no bones are broken but it’s so hard to move / scratched initials on the bottom of all your things / the kettle’s screaming the phone it always rings / it’s hot inside and the air begins to sear / so many ways in but I want out of here / you and me are silenced because of this / you and me are silenced because of this / you and me are silenced because of this / you and me are silenced because of this / injured hearts they can settle on the dust / just let them lay if you say that’s what they must / we can halve everything we own / but we can’t erase everything we’ve known / given time space and care then we will heal / driven further from memories to feel / can we delve into our heart’s damaged cleft / and jolt some life into the space that’s left / you and me are silenced because of this

Make Up

This is another one which more or less wrote itself, a coupla hours work and it was done. A fave of our live.

Lights are falling but the feeling’s strong / I woke up with my make up on / I’ve been stretching out across the lawn / I’ve been waiting for you much too long / the sky will open and a light will come / I can laugh because I don’t belong / but I will wake up and I’ll find you gone / a lot of time to kill but no more time to run / the future sparkles like a diamond ring / we’ve been so far but our shoes are clean / the sky will open and it won’t mean much / there ain’t nothing that I wouldn’t do to feel your touch / lights are falling but the feeling’s strong / I woke up with my make up on / I’ve been stretching out across the lawn / I’ve been waiting for you much too long / the sky will open and a light will come / I can laugh because I don’t belong / but I will wake up and I’ll find you gone / a lot of time to kill but no more time to run / I will wake up and I’ll find you gone / a lot of time to kill but no more time to run / I’ve got time but now I don’t have fun / a lot of time to kill but no more time to run / I will wake up and I’ll find you gone / a lot of time to kill but no more time to run

12345

Written by me and Kellie Lloyd in the kitchen one afternoon, using repetition in the verses and a simple killer melody in the choruses to make its point. We even played it as an instrumental for a while before I’d written the words we liked it so much. Lyrically simple or complex? Deep or shallow? It’s both at once. Contradictions and dualities abound within Screamfeeder.

1 2 3 4 5 / can’t you tell that I’m alive? / my writing’s bad but here’s my letter / I’ll let you know I wanna make it better / 5 6 7 8 9 / it’s a crime it’s a crime / my talking’s bad / but listen hard / I feel alone when you put up your guard / 6 7 8 9 10 / can’t we just begin again? / my luck was bad / can we go back if I make up for all I lack? / 3 4 5 6 7 8 / it ain’t so hard to get it straight / my life was bad but it was living / now you’ve just gotta come and be forgiving / if I get to 10 I won’t count again / a long time listening to the phone call ring / I’m almost at 9 / I’m almost out of time / and there’s a lot of places that I’ve never been / there’s a lot of places that I’ve never been

Ice Patrol

Almost didn’t make it on the album because we thought for a moment that it didn’t fit. But now we think it does. Almost as old as Needles, another song written for but left off Rocks O T S. The words are inspired by some guys in the arctic circle who have to go out “on ice patrol” to protect themselves from icebergs. (I saw it on telly)

I’m on ice patrol / I’m looking out for ways we could be crushed / I fly above the secret sea checking out what we can’t trust / controlling my balance isn’t instinctual I must remember to really try / I feel if I move I’ll fall like I’ve been shaken loose inside / trying to remember a dream that died / the moment I awake I’m watching it dissolve a split second at a time / here’s my paper back I wrote my name but then I changed my mind / I want to go where there are no dreams / where there are no dreams / by the water’s edge we watch the icebergs flow / they can kill us in a blink although they move so slow / we tried to shoot them up and bomb them / we painted them black / they didn’t break or melt or even acknowledge our attack / by the water’s edge we watch the icebergs flow / they can kill us in a blink / we tried to shoot them we painted them black / they did not acknowledge our attack / the biggest things move slowly you don’t notice them arrive / they’ll dispatch some danger and they’ll sail on by / on patrol there’s too much to know I’ve got too little to lose / I want to know where there are no dreams / I want to go where there are no dreams / where there are no dreams