Is that the charging whites, the horses of the Atlantic tides, like thunder, they crash and ride.
I feel the oceans spray, a salt that’s sweet, a smell stored deep to remind us,
That freedom is free, if you’re willing to reach.

You’ll be the last to know, you’ll be the last to go, be the last to know that the first is the longest stride.
Every step after slips in time and sets your inner rhythm.
You’ll be the last to know, you’ll be the last to go, be the last to realise dreams that surface,
when you’re years behind.

So rise up, see the world you’re in,
You don’t want to be told, you don’t want to be old,
And realise you’re old before you‘ve lived in it.

Iron out the folds and creases sinking keeping focus on the old,
A wilderness of horrors haunting the known,
So you can learn from it and not touch it again.
Sell what you’ve stored, misguided intuition, wiping the board, substitute your focus
On the unknown for the adventurous bliss as it swallows your limbs.

So light up, light up, light up. This is your gamble.
So light up, light up, light up. This is direction.
So light up, light up, light up. This is your chance now.
So light up, light up, light up.

So rise up, see the world you’re in,
You don’t want to be told, you don’t want to be old,
And realise you’re old before you‘ve lived in it.

Sink in, sink under the surface, sink in and cleanse your wounds from the other.

01. WarHorse
“We had just finished a spring and summer promotion of our ‘Past And Present’ mini album when we sat down to write our next ep/album/rock opera…pretty much as many songs we could creatively and physically get out of ourselves. Martin [Murray, guitar] came in with this riff (the opener) and we knew it was nothing like anything we had written before. What formed around it was so pop punky it became clear the direction our music should take…pop punky. From day one there was no question that this song would do anything other than open
the album. The lyrics can be summed up by a simple quotation: Thought without action is merely dreaming, Action without thought is passing time.”

02. The Arts Factory
“We feel this song is the closest to our older material. It took us a lifetime to write the music but love how the chorus is the only repetitive section. Being a three piece we have always tried to make ourselves sound bigger than what we are, the loop at the end and the build up of guitars is something we would happily write a whole album of, I think it worked out great on this song. Lyrically it’s about distance and how it affects a relationship. Losing faith in the idea that if you want something bad enough you can have it. In the end of the day you act, say and do things that make irreversible changes and the song is about acceptance. If it’s right it’s right, what’s for you won’t go by you.”

03. Crookshanks
“We tend to write by starting with a riff or a chord progression and building around it. Martin has a loop station and he writes loads of thirty second, eight layered guitar parts using it. The opener to Crookshanks was one of them. We get stick off friends for not repeating the start of the song but hey, that’s how we roll, we don’t do the same verse twice (unless it’s AWESOME). This song is pretty heavy for us and it took a lot of remolding by Dave [Cowan, drums] before it was right. Obviously as a reward I let him take lead vocals on the chorus. He also happens to do his best drum fill of the whole album at the end of this song. Phil Collins would be proud.”

04. Old Bucket Seats
“We chose this song to be our first single off the album. Our quiet to loud song structure has always led to a comparison of our fellow Scottish bands but I think this song captures everything we aim for in our sound. The jaggy riffs and the samba drums in the second verse, if only we could have got some cowbell in there it would have been perfect! When I was writing this song our Granddad was in hospital with kidney failure. A beacon of strength our whole lives, he showed us how being grateful can make you win a losing battle.”

05. Bachelor Death Party
“I remember when we finished writing this song we all turned round and were like, ‘naw ah dunno aboot this wan’. Maybe not in as broad a Scots accent but still in a really manly way. This is quickly becoming our favorite song to play live. Initially there was singing before the second chorus but Chris “the guru” Gordon axed it to make way for some rock-riff-drum-action. We weren’t sure about the ending but settled once we replaced techno beats with samba rhythms. The song is about the responsibilities, the pressures of a relationship and wearing a mask to pretend everything’s perfect.”

06. Starboard Superhero
“We were in our studio and falling behind schedule with songs when Dave came in and was like, ‘right, I’m going away for two hours to single handedly save Panda’s. When I come back I want you two to have a new song for me’. This is what Martin and I wrote. Lyrically it’s about the most tragic love story to ever come out of Hollywood. The clue is a name at the very end. If you guess the movie email: lightguides@hotmail.co.uk and we’ll send you a prize.”

07. W.H.Y.L.
“This was the closest we got writing a slow song for the album. We managed about two minutes before sacking the idea and injecting a little jazz. It’s about working toward something and not getting everything you want. Questioning why and worrying about how long it’s taking you to get there. Sacrifice and change. Older fans will understand the acronym. Nothing worth having ever came easy, so give it all you’ve got.”