(August 2017 "FROM THE ARCHIVE") - "Zero Wave"

In the fall of 2006 we went into Big Blue Meenie studios to begin pre-production with legendary producer Tim Gilles for what would become our first album, "General Winter's Secret Museum." By that point the band had been together for 3 years and had songs dating back from before the band's formation all the way up until a month or two before entering the studio. We decided to record demo versions of just about everything we had.  After finishing worthy versions of over 20 songs we went through and selected the material we thought would make the best record. We narrowed it down to 12 songs and in the summer of 2007 we went back into the studio to begin tracking the new record.

By the spring of 2008 the record was finished. We were beyond thrilled but there were a few problems. To start with, the album was too long. It was almost 70 minutes in total running time and we felt this was just too long for a debut record. There was also the concern that some of the songs felt a little out of place. This seemed reasonable enough since some of the material dated to before the band was even formed. So we decided to do a final cull. Three songs got relegated to The Archive and the song we're sharing with you today, Zero Wave, is one of them.

Zero Wave is one of the earlier songs. I wrote it in 2004 and initially didn't think much of it. I eventually showed it to Dan who thought it was great and promptly wrote a very catchy guitar melody to it which made me like it much more (a pattern that has repeated itself many times throughout the band's history!).

Zero Wave does appear, albeit in slightly different form, on the "Stehm-O", one of 4 now out-of-print EP's we made between 2003 and 2007. (Fear not, material from these recordings will certainly find their way right here in the coming months!)

Lyrically the song is about love, particularity young love, and how it might not be all it's cracked up to be. A fairly gloomy topic from a fairly gloomy young man. Listening back to it now, a good 10 years later, it seems just a bit naive while also being strangely prophetic. But that sounds just like Youth, doesn't it?

Enjoy!

-Pat

(The drawing accompanying the song is one of the The Tea Club's old "band logos" from around the time Zero Wave was written, drawn by Pat.)

Take a load off, stay a while, stay a while
Built a bridge and built a boat through the night
But the monster stands his ground
Caught him sleeping but woke him up
Now he covers me, stifles my chance
A distant lover, he smiles and laughs,
"You should've known better"

There's no one strong enough here
There's no one strong to throw you out
I let the devil play
Where the sugar cane grows

Almost let me out with no place to be
Still I knew the answer from the start
Am I ready, ready for love?
Is it okay to feel this way
Am I ready, ready for love?
Is it okay for me to feel this way?

There's no one strong enough here
There's no one strong to throw you out
I let the devil play

This recording of “Zero Wave” was performed by:

Patrick McGowan - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass

Dan McGowan - Guitar, Vocal Harmonies

Kyle Minnick - Drums