It’s no secret that I am in total love with Warpaint. From the way they play to reading their interviews. I just find them utterly fascinating and a band that I hope, will influence others (especially females) to pick up an instrument and start a band. They make me want to start a band, but alas, I am not musically gifted. I’ll stick to writing songs that nobody will ever see (or needs to see for that matter.)

Although my love for Emily, Stella, Jenny and Theresa doesn’t need justifying- it’s an excuse to link you to a few videos that just make me love them more than one probably should.

I love this clip of Stars so much. I think Theresa’s voice here is stunning, and Stella’s drumming as usual blows my mind.

The jam at the end of this is brilliant. I think it’s probably my favourite performance of Undertow. When I first heard this song I think a whole world of nonsense just filled my head. I couldn’t believe something so perfect could be created. I love EVERYTHING about this song. I love the way each instrument is so played so clearly. I love Emily’s vocals on this. I could probably write thousands of words as to why this song is one of the greatest things I have ever heard. I won’t. Not yet anyway….I must add, my favourite part is when Emily sings “I went running running running running” and Jenny comes in and harmonises. I think it’s gorgeous.

This is the most beautiful song off The Fool. It’s so simple but powerful By powerful- I mean the lyrics hit you in the gut. “Don’t you call anybody else baby, ’cause I’m your baby still.” It is impossible to hear this song without thinking of someone you don’t want to think about. However, I can fortunately listen to it and have no emotional connection to it anymore. I think if I let a person get close enough to ruin Warpaint for me, I’d be a mess! This song is so moving. This and Stars are the two songs I play when I can’t sleep. They just ease me into sleep and off into a dream. Beautiful.

When I interviewed Theresa, I told her this was my favourite song off the album. There’s something about this which everyone can relate to. You know what it’s like- you have something, you think you want and need it- then you think about it, and it’s not for you. It’s just not right. Everyone has felt like that at some point. “When it all falls into place, could it be that I don’t want it anyway. Could it be as sad as that.” The sheer honesty and directness of this feeling here is overwhelming. I love this version of it. Acoustic Warpaint is always wonderful.

The intro to this is out of this world, then Emily’s haunting voice kicks in, “I’ll break your heart….” I adore this song SO much. Whatever I write about this does not do the song justice. Again, like Undertow- I could write thousands of words about this song. I’m sure the song speaks for itself. It’s brilliant.

This song feels like a monster emerging from water. It has this grip over you as soon as you hear it. Everything about it is amazing. I love how each band member shines here. It’s a personal favourite.

I feel this song and Lissie’s Heart Murmur are highly underrated. The atmosphere these two songs create is inexplainable. You just have to lay down, close your eyes and truly listen. Cut the world off, and fall into your own.

Is there really a more peaceful song? I don’t think so. The vocals here are perfect. The song is perfect. Also, naming the song after one of the greatest singers ever is a plus too. It’s truly truly wonderful.

This is a beast of a song. It is so heavy, dark, cryptic and just everything I want in a song. You can totally lose yourself in this song. Nothing else really matters. Just play it and lose your mind. You’ll feel better. Then have a glass of water afterwards- you’ll probably need it.

I think I’ve exhausted most of their amazing live performances. However, there is one performance by Warpaint that I will always remember where I was when I saw it. I will remember watching it, mouth open and in awe of the performance. In awe of the talent- especially Stella using a studio prop (a box) as a drum. I think that performance showed them to be passionate performers that needed you to allow them to take you in. To take you into this magical, mystical world of Warpaint. It’s been over 2 years since they did that to me- I never want out. Ever. So, the final video is Warpaint performing Undertow acoustically at Reading from 2010.

On the off-chance that Stella, Emily, Theresa and Jenny should see this- thank you. Just thank you for creating something a music lover like myself can believe in.

This video is well and truly worth the wait. They all look stunning.

There are so many songs that give me this feeling inside my stomach, my heart and cause my brain to just explode. It just blows my mind. I listen to a certain song, and I notice different parts of it. I study the layers of it intensely, to the point where I just annoy myself and think, “Olivia can’t you just listen to a song without wanting to pull it apart and analyse every part of it.” Well, most of the time I am not so obsessive. If I’m out and I hear a song I love, I will have a bit of a dance (by dance I mean my limbs just decide to do what they want.) I don’t stand arms folded thinking about key changes and the way a word is sung. Far from it. But, when I’m on my own listening to music- especially through headphones, I just notice so much. When I close everything off and concentrate, I notice so much. Maybe too much, and this doesn’t just apply to music. However, as this is a music based blog- I will keep it on music.

This song I want to write about is Undertow by Warpaint.

I had been a fan of Warpaint before Undertow. It was Billie Holiday that got me hooked. Heart first. It was like falling in love, but better. Better because there was no hurt. I heard Undertow last year and I have no idea what happened. All I know is that nothing mattered. I felt like I was being thrown into a dreaming state. Warpaint’s music makes you feel like you are constantly floating. It makes you feel so weightless yet at the same time invincible. There’s something about their music that grips you. When you listen to them, you are in this trance. You are in a state that you never want to leave. It is euphoric, it is divine. To feel this is to love Warpaint with all you have- and that I do.

What is it about Undertow that makes me feel this way? I have no idea where to start so I will start with….THE LYRICS! The lyrics when I first heard the song, well they just caused me to stop what I was doing. I thought “Fuck……” I was in awe of such words. How could a band put forward how I felt in such a mindblowing way? Simple really. When a band is THAT good, they can do anything. “Your brown eyes are my blue skies. They light up the rivers that the birds fly over.” That is just so poetically gorgeous. Someones eyes can either make you feel entirely loved or disgustingly broken. “Open your eyes and there was someone else.” We’ve all felt like that. We have all, at some point felt like someone or something other than ourselves. It’s like your reflection just isn’t you anymore, but it is okay.  There is one part of the song that, lyrically, I find to be so beautifully stunning. Every time I hear it, I just find a part of me break yet fix itself at the same time: ” I lay on the floor, pressing in my eyes. Seeing little lights. Please light these decisions that only one could make. I wanted to stay home, but I went running running running running from the troubles.” There is something about how Emily sings this line, the words, that just make it feel like a blanket of reassurance covering me. This part just makes me feel, as daft as it sounds, alive. I’m not saying I feel dead or anything- far from it. But there is something about this song that just wakes up a dormant part of me.

Now for how the lyrics are sung. The way Emily and Theresa sing with each other is stunning. It sounds so pure and angelic. I love the clarity in Emily’s voice. I love how certain words are sung. I love how at the end Theresa sings over Emily. It’s just so so beautiful. It is inspiring. Warpaint are inspiring. They make me wish I could play an instrument so I can start a band. A girl can, as ever, dream. The way Emily sings is like something just falling so freely and gracefully. The way she signs the chorus and Theresa’s voices echoes underneath is beyond description. I feel that whatever I write about this song, or anything to do with Warpaint just does not do them justice. I hope dear reader, if anyone actually sees this, you go and listen to the song after you’ve read this. Just so you can see what I mean.

I have so many favourite parts of this song. I’ll try limit it. I bloody love at 2.44 when Emily sings, “Nobody in my mind.” and Stella’s drums really kick in. The drums on this are perfect. You know how sometimes you think, “Oh maybe if it was done that way….” NO. Not here. This song is utter perfection, nothing needs adjusting at all. It is so perfect. Oh god, Jenny’s bass playing. It’s so free. It is like a waterfall. In fact, that’s how I wish to compare Warpaint’s music- like a waterfall. So beautiful, so relaxing. From the 3 minute mark, it just becomes so euphoric. You feel like your head is tripping out. You can’t control yourself. Yet the best way to listen to Warpaint is to just lay in the dark in a room with your headphones in so you can hear everything so clearly. Theresa’s guitar on this is heavenly. It’s astounding. From 4.44, HOLY HELL! Emily’s voice, Stella’s drums, Theresa’s guitars and Jenny’s bass just come alive. They reach a point where you are stunned. Jaw dropping, euphoric and electrifying. I just don’t think a song has done anything like this to me in such a long time. The way the vocals are layered over each other and the music is so, I hate the word, but it is so “dreamy.” It’s a dreaming state. That’s the only way to describe it.

So there you have it, over a thousand words to describe how this one song just stole my heart. How one song has affected me in a way that I’m not sure even I understand. The album has done something to me that I only thought Morrissey and The Kills could. But Warpaint? Oh Warpaint, you have caused a whirlwind in my heart, body, mind and soul. You’ve given me faith in music and maybe in myself.

I will leave you with this version of Undertow that won so many hearts last summer, enjoy!