I had a dream I met a girl,
With brunette curls and nature faults,
She didn't seem to care (not) all like me,
Like holding hands and falling backwards on your knees.
And man I loved her like it hurt,
When being buried I'd prefer she be the dirt.
She didn't seem to care (not) all like me
He started making music by writing a song for his girlfriend.
Wow, that is cool.
I wish my boyfriend could do that too ;)
Being asked in an SSG Music interview whether he would have started playing music if there hadn´t been a girlfriend at that time, he gave the response: “I would have found another reason probably, maybe like a dead pet ... there could have been a million reasons. [...]”
You don´t know who I am talking about?
Well, then have a look.
Source: Facebook
Do you recognize this guy?
Well, maybe not at first sight.
But I bet you know the lines of the following song
“My old man he kicked me out
He kicked me out
When I told him I lived this way “ ~ Arrows
Oh, yeah that was the guy who made this song with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
You´re right. The guy I am talking about is called Chris Mansfield. Never heard of him?
Well, he is better known as FENCES, a nom de plume which he has taken from an August Wilson play.
FENCES is a band consisting of lead vocalist Chris Mansfield, Ben Greenspan at the guitar, Lindsey Starr playing the bass and last but not least the drummer Elliott Chaffee.
At the beginning of his career, Mansfield was invited to record some songs at the studio of the Candadian duo Tegan and Sara. The beginnings of the band started off in Nashville with the producer Jacquire King who worked for "Of Monsters and Men" and the drummer of "Death Cab for Cutie" Jason McGerr.
Ben Greenspan and Chris Mansfield wrote a bunch of songs ... but in which direction should this whole stuff go?
At that time, the producer Chris Walla (who is also the guitarist of "Death Cab for Cutie") showed up and with a lot of talent he managed to turn songs into that which we now know as the latest album “Lesser Oceans” which was released in 2014.
Source: iTunes
The album “Lesser Oceans” contains a lot of catchy lyrics and music which will be stuck in your ear for a long time.
“Well this life can be such a devil.
So I wrote the songs about angels.
I took my coat, I went to the city. [...]”
With this lines the album´s opener “Songs about angels” is introduced. I think he is right with saying that life can be a devil ... well, it can. It might also be beautiful and colourful. The music is simple and the lyrics go deep. Somewhere in the song the says “For you I would do anything” which is followed by the line “I think that death is coming around and I like it.”
It may sound strange but I´ll leave it to your own interpretations ;)
“I confess that I love you more than the dogs at the table.”
“Dogs at the table” is considered being a love song as well as several others like “Sunburns” in which he described him dreaming of a brunette with curly hair. Besides, it is a nice thing to know that a girl is prefered to dogs ;)
“And man I loved her like it hurt. When being buried I´d prefer she be the dirt.”
~ Sunburns
Although both songs include lyrics which deal with the topic of love, “Sunburns” is a faster song and with more rock elements in it whereas “Dogs at the table” is something to come down and just chill and listen to the lyrics.
“Running Off The Gods” is the most emotional song on the whole album.
“People all around me / are telling me I'm so damn lucky / In getting what I wanted / I became so goddamn ugly.”
Underlined with smooth guitar sounds the song invites the listener to dream and maybe let his own thoughts flow.
Hard words though. Most people hide this weakness from others but Fences clearly points it out loud. Sometimes it is better to face the problems and the things you are worried about and start doing something to make you feel better :)
In “Lesser Oceans”, the titletrack, Chris Mansfield becomes melancholy “I know, I know, that I'm getting older. I don't think they really like me. If I could just stay a little longer”. He also pulls out nostalgic memories “Think back, to the time we drove to Park Slope for a walk. It's okay, it's far away.”
“I know this body isn´t my real home. But skin and bones.”
In “Temple Dreaming” he reflects a lot about other people and about himself. Maybe you´ll also think about yourself and about the fact that music can change a lot when it has good lyrics. It can affect your life and you can become stronger by inhaling the messages the songs want to give you.
Source: billboard.com
The song “Arrows” I mentioned above came into being because he asked his friends Macklemore and Ryan Lewis if they were interested in working with him on that song and so they worked together a third time after having produced several other songs like “Otherside”. It is something like one of the best tracks on the whole album.
It is about making your own way and doing your own things no matter what other people say.
To conclude this in an appropriate manner:
Check out Fences on his official website www.fencesmusic.com as well as on Facebook and listen to his music via YouTube or Spotify where he also has a lot more to offer than I´ve just shown you.
So have fun with the album!
“The cameras off, the show is over.
You close the curtains and just escape.”
