"Great" to the End: Track by Track Story Meanings

"Great" to the End attempts something I've never tried before with my lyrics: it ties together the multiple songs into one big story. I'm usually all for catchy tunes that can stand on their own, but this is something deeper. This has been something that I've always wanted to try with my writing, and I feel like Great was a good first attempt at it. "Great" to the End is a rock opera about a ruler, kind of like a king. He comes to power, only to neglect the needs of his people. While distracted by a new romance, his people decide to rise up, and remove him from power. It's a revolution story. Rock operas I feel can get a little cheesy sometimes if the story is too straightforward, so I might have been a little too vague. Hopefully I struck a balance, but I feel that it's something I should be conscience of going forward. To help people better understand the story I'm trying to tell with this album, I'm going to break down the meaning of each song below. There are multiple meanings to each song, but right now we're only going to be looking at their meanings for the story. If you haven't listened to the album yet you might want to hold off and attempt to follow it without the use of this post. I'm technically "SPOILING" the story so stop reading if you don't want to know yet.

ACT I

1. FINAL AURORA
This quick little intro is about the leader's rise to power. It starts out with thuds of a guitar, then notes which are supposed to create the image of bells ringing. I purposely created chaotic noises in the background to signify the previous leader's fall. In the midst of these you can hear a drum march coupled with a melody emerging. This is our main character's rise to power.

2. GREAT TO THE END
In Great, the main character is indulging in the power of his new position. He believes another rebellion isn't possible and that he'll keep his power until the day he dies.

3. PARALYZED GHOST
This song is about our leader's apparent shock after a tragic event happens. He's not doing well, and the lines of reality are blurry to him at this point. The leader has nobody to help him through this, and this event significantly affects him going forward.

4. REWIND
We learn in Rewind that the leader has lost his significant other. He is trying to convince himself that he has accepted what has happened to him, and is able to move on. Of course, we know that's not the case. The song rewinding at the end is a way of signifying that he is still hung up and stuck in the past.

5. THOSE CONSEQUENCES
Consider this a darker continuation of Rewind. His way of thinking is slowly changing because of this tragedy, and at this point, he sees the future as bleak and hopeless. References to taking painkillers are made, which hints that our character has started to abuse drugs. He blames himself for his lover's death and starts down a path of self destruction and despair.

6. GRIND WORK
While all of these internal conflicts are going on with our guy, he's unable to focus on his duties. Running a nation is hard, and he's starting to view it as a pointless annoyance. There's no end to it.

7. TRANSFORM YOURSELF
The conclusion song to Act I is a dramatic departure from the current tone. Our character get's an inspirational feeling and decides to change some of his behaviors to pull himself out of this rut.

8. YOU SAY I'M BAD
This change he decided on turned out to be a bad one. He reaches for what he sees as a more bad ass persona, trying to seem threatening to others. It's just his way of getting attention, after not having anyone to lean on.

9. REBOUND
With this new persona comes an increase in destructive behavior. He's starting to let loose with women and booze. The song also includes a reference to his pill popping, noting that he hasn't quit that either. Distorted and buzzing guitar chords mark the effects of his drug abuse.

10. JAIMIE
In the middle of all this chaos, the leader meets Jaimie, the girl of his dreams. It's time to let go of his past relationship and focus on this one.

11. EVERGREEN HEARTS
He falls in love with Jaimie, but our guy's sanity is still being questioned at this point. Does he really love Jaimie, or is she just a substitute for his lost love? I leave that to question with a few lines. "Even time can't tear us apart" might mean the passage of time still hasn't had an effect on his love for his lost significant other. "I'll never let you go" might mean he will never move on, or it could mean that he loves Jaimie even more than he loved what he lost.

12. BLOWING IT OFF
With the introduction of the new romance, our character decides to change his attitude about his duties. With his views on them expressed in Grind Work, our leader decides to just not do them, and instead to waste his time wisely: having fun.

13. OUR SKY IS FALLING
Now the people start to realize what's up. They are being neglected and the leader isn't solving their problems. Partial blame belongs to the majority of them for not standing up about it. Now, collapse is inevitable.

14. IT'S GETTING UGLY
The leader knows that things are going downhill, but he doesn't care. He believes that he is ready for it when it will finally end and is just focused on having a good time right now.

15. WE ARE ALIVE
The people against the leader start to gain momentum and open the public eye to what has been happening. Their nation is in ruin because of his careless behavior and the time is coming to overthrow him. The guitars and drums in this song heighten the sense of urgency.

16. MR. LOVE
With this song, our character finally has a name: Mr. Love! Now, he doesn't actually have a name, but this song is from the rebel point of view and they nickname him that because of his distraction with Jaimie. The time has finally come, and the people are out for blood. They want justice done.

17. DROP THE KEY
Mr. Love realizes at this point that he won't be let down easy. He starts to panic and goes on the run from his pursuers, leaving Jaimie behind.

18. WILL YOUR HEART CRY
Mr. Love ponders what will happen to Jaimie, because regardless of his fate, they will likely never see each other again. It's a very cynical view, with him questioning if she even loved him. Our leader is still not right in the head, and is still mixing up his emotions for Jaimie and his past love during the first two verses. We learn his past love died in a car accident, and at the bridge, there's a turning point for him as a character. He finally learns to let go and face the truth, he is in love with Jaimie. This is a major development in the story, as we see that Mr. Love actually has some sanity left in him after the event and that he can let go now.

19. THE CYCLE
In this song, Mr. Love finally gives up being on the run. We see how he's matured as he decides to give himself up for his people. He realizes that he is a part of a revolutionary cycle, and that there is no way to walk away from this. It will repeat, and he has to give himself up. The song concludes with a deep drum bang which signifies Mr. Love being shot.

20. RAISE OUR FLAGS
The people take pride in their strength as a nation and the fact that they endured. Mr. Love is fascinated by the cycle taking place around him and how old familiar things are becoming new again. He ponders if he will be around for the next one. Notice how ocean waves are used to symbolize the peaceful acceptance of death. This brings us full circle and begs you to ask the question: was he really great to the end?

21. HAVING HEART
Mr. Love admires the beauty of his own life as he lays dying. He fully believes that he did the right thing in the end. The album fades out as he accepts death, and lets it peacefully come over him.

Listen to it in full right here with your new knowledge of the story:

-Nelson

Where Do We Go From Here?

After releasing an album, that can be a tricky question. Here's what we're doing:

Supporting "Great" to the End

We have a string of events/shows we're going to be attending to support Great this summer:

June 1st, 2013 - MW @ Fairport Canal Days

June 14th, 2013 - MW @ Perinton Community Amphitheater

June 21st, 2013 - MW @ IPR Show

July 2013 - MW @ TBA Festival

July 2013 - MW @ Summer Splash Bash 2013

Documentary No More

Remember way back when we said we were working on a documentary? Well we got all the footage, but we aren't going to do it. Instead,  we thought it would be best if we just used the footage for a Great to the End music video.  It would take a lot of time and effort to make it, and that's time we don't have. It just wouldn't make sense right now, and we feel it's the best decision. So look forward to a stylized take on Great to the End. In addition to that, we're toying around with the idea of doing another video for another song.

Stage II

So now that "Great" to the End is done, it's time to go back to the drawing board. Being an experimental band, it makes sense for us to try something new. We struck a tone with certain songs on Great that we want to capture again. Look forward to another release this summer. It's going to be stage II of Mistletoes and Warheads.

"Great" to the End Official Synopsis

So we've officially wrapped on "Great" to the End! Here's the official synopsis:

“Great” to the End is a modern day revolution story following one leader’s fall and struggle to save what he holds most dear to him. Early on, stricken with tragedy, this carefree leader finds himself in a maddening battle between his desire to remain in the past and his duty to build a future for his nation. Distracted from his duties by a downward spiral of depression and romance, he neglects his people's needs and fails to soothe the problems of a dying nation. When his decisions come back to haunt him, will he run or finally learn to let go? Mistletoes and Warheads unleashes an epic rock opera leaking with political commentary, crazy love, and chaotic youthful bliss.

I'm so proud of how true we stayed to the vision during this whole process. We set out to make a rock opera that tied in all of the above, and we did it. Remember that Great comes out May 21st, 2013. Love you all - Nelson X]

Why Our New Album Could Fail

May 21st is a date that scares me. If you didn't already know, "Great" to the End will release on that date. In just over a week, I'll be putting on the final touches and submitting to release it. It feels like a dream to me. We've been plugging away at making this album for around 4 months (time actually active). It's both surreal and exciting to me, but in the back of my mind I'm always aware of what could become reality: "Great" to the End has a significant probability of failing.

Mark your calendars. 

So what does failing really entail for us? There's no doubt in my mind that "Great" to the End is an amazing album. There's no quality dip or loss of vision here. Great accomplishes everything we set out to do, and I'm damn proud of that. The problem lies in how much we've put into it. Great was a huge effort and time commitment. In addition to all the blood and sweat, it is also going to be a costly album for us. We're all pitching in here to ensure that Great can stand up after releasing.

So why is this a problem for us? It comes down to a simple fact: we haven't been profiting off of this. Up to this point, all that has driven us is our love of the music and entertaining the listeners. We've gotten to the point where this needs to change. For three teen guys, this is a lot of money we're dumping into releasing, making physical copies, and making sure this album gets heard. Now that's all fine and dandy, but people sometimes fail to realize that the only way to guarantee a product's success is to vote with your wallet. If you aren't willing to spend your money on it, don't whine when they stop making it.

It would be a really bitter pill for me if Great failed on release. All that time spent, and then it's over: nobody listened to it. That would really hurt me. I believe that we have something special here, and dammit, it needs to be heard.

The opening to Great, "Final Aurora", is an echo of my past failures as an artist. It starts with loud thuds, like hitting a brick wall, then eventually evolves into something chaotically beautiful. This is a revolutionary album for myself as an artist, and this is the moment where it needs to change. If Great does not succeed, this is the end of the road for myself as a serious artist. I'll be done putting in the struggle, effort, and fight that I've known for so long now. It will all be significantly scaled back because if this release doesn't succeed, then I don't know what will.

-Nelson

"Great" to the End releases digitally and physically May 21st, 2013. You can preorder yourself a copy by using the link below:

Preorder "Great" to the End Here

Rewind!

Put up a new track to compensate for the album wait! Good news, we'll be able to announce the release date Friday, stay tuned.

Here We Go!

Hey guys! Thought we should give you some updates on what's going on with "Great" to the End among other things!

-We're Recording!
We've been working non-stop these past couple of weeks laying down new tracks. Every single recording done sounds great, and we really nailed down our style for this one. We're not sure when it'll be done, but expect Great to release sometime this Spring.

-The Singles!
"Evergreen Hearts" was just released last Tuesday! It was the second out of the three we're planning on releasing before Great comes out, the first being "You Say I'm Bad". The third single will come out sometime in February... and drum roll... it's going to be "Drop the Key"!

The "Evergreen Hearts" single!

-The Shows!
To make sure we don't get rusty, we're still working hard to perfect our routine and we're going to be playing various little shows when we get the opportunity. Our next show is coming up on the 1st of February. We'll also be having an album release show when Great finally hits. More details on that later.

A fine example of the MW experience: "Rewind" live!

-The Documentary!
Yeah, you read that right. We are indeed making a self-made documentary right now. A lot of people don't know what we do; all the hard work we put into Mistletoes and Warheads. This documentary is going to change that. It's going to shed light on the whole progress and give our fans a glimpse of what we're actually like in real life. The documentary is going to cover the whole recording process of Great, up to the release. It'll be a mash-up of interviews, handy cam footage, performances, and slap silly humbug antics; it'll be all wrapped together with background tracks from Great. The documentary's name is "Great to No End" and will release sometime after the album.

-The Future!
So what all happens after Great? Well, to be honest we don't know! I can tell you we will not be taking time off. We already have a bunch of creativity brewing as a band, as well as many ideas for new songs and directions. Blasting Satisfaction! X]

Evergreen Hearts Single!

Evergreen Hearts has been released! Check it out below! Download in the description!

Evergreen Hearts Single Release!

Evergreen Hearts will come out this Tuesday, January 15th! It will be available for a free download for the first week :)

"Great" to the End Track List Revealed

Great to the End will feature 21 tracks split across 3 acts. The official track list for Great to the End is as Follows:

-Act I-

      FINAL AURORA

      GREAT TO THE END

PARALYZED GHOST

REWIND

THOSE CONSEQUENCES

GRIND WORK

TRANSFORM YOURSELF

-Act II-

YOU SAY I’M BAD

REBOUND

JAIMIE

EVERGREEN HEARTS

BLOWING IT OFF

OUR SKY IS FALLING

IT’S GETTING UGLY

-Act III-

WE ARE ALIVE

MR. LOVE

DROP THE KEY

WILL YOUR HEART CRY

THE CYCLE

RAISE OUR FLAGS

HAVING HEART

Boulder Show 2012

Forgot to mention... this is happening:

END TIMES CONCERT

Evergreen Hearts!

The new cover to our next single: "Evergreen Hearts". It's coming out later this year!

Why "Great" to the End is Special

It's been a little over two months since the release of What Am I. Since then, a lot of things have changed. Mistletoes and Warheads is now a 3 member band, we're playing live shows, and we've announced a new album in the making. This album is "Great" to the End. After the initial slow release of What Am I, the fan base has grown, the buzz has started, and a higher level of expectation needs to be met. I can assure you that those expectations will be exceeded. We are doing everything in our power to make an absolutely earth shattering release. "Great" to the End will be a defining moment for Mistletoes and Warheads. This isn't the logical next step, it's an evolution. Here's why:

-Focused, yet Experimental
The reason why What Am I was met with such warm reception is puzzling. On paper, it shouldn't have worked. An album sprawling over so many genres is a tricky thing. It was What Am I's bane and also one of it's greatest strengths. How do you gain listeners from one particular genre when you're spread thin over so many? What Am I had something for everyone, but not enough for the one. We're fixing that with Great. Don't worry, this is still experimental music at it's finest. This time however, we're firmly rooted with Garage, Punk and Pop-Rock. No two songs sound the same; every single one of them are carefully written and composed by us. Scott-esque lyrics are splattered all over these songs, flanked by Love's ingenuity and Justin's hard hitting beats. These songs stand out, and put together, they form one hell of a release. Did I mention there are around 20 of them?

-A Story
This album has a story. It's comfortable for the songs; fitting them into an overall theme. This isn't a gimmick, it's a well thought out string that ties together the social commentary and gives the album an extra dimension for the careful listener. This is an abstract, modern day revolution story following one man's fall from graces and struggle to save what he holds most dear to him. Early on, stricken with tragedy, this once cocky and carefree leader finds himself in a maddening battle between his desire to remain in the past and his duty to build a future for his nation as well as himself. Distracted from his duties by his downward spiral of depression and a new romance (A twisted love story in it's own right), he neglects his people's needs and fails to soothe the problems of his ailing nation. Now, faced with the blood-lust of the people, he must make a choice: Will he recover what he's lost, or is it time for the people to take their power back?

-The Personal Connection
Every Mistletoes and Warheads song has some sort of connection to my personal life. This album focuses on a variety of things ranging from my distaste of narrow thinking to my parasitic desire to better myself at every possible turn. I'm acidic; I don't attempt to hide anything. I've been betrayed, I've had my fights. I've had my falls, and I've had my comebacks. Prepare to listen to songs about my need for musical variation, the loss of interest in things that used to make me happy, and most importantly: women. God, I love women.

-The Political Connection
We live in exciting times. For better or worse, we live in exciting times. We live in an era of modern warfare, financial instability, a struggle to be a green planet, and terrifying exponential technological progression. We've had major events happen recently, from hurricane Sandy wrecking havoc, to the recent 2012 presidential election. Expect all these and more to come up in Great. Great isn't a politically biased album. I'm not trying to be a cynical mess here, this isn't a barrage of complaints. It's an overall message. This is a battle cry to America. It's time we meet today with a firm handshake, and send a polite wave to tomorrow, letting it know that it's next in line.

I hope you're as excited as I am for "Great" to the End. It's been and will continue to be a long road ahead. Just know that it'll be great all the way through ;)

-Nelson

First What Am I Review!

Forgot to post this, happened last week! X]

"Nelson Scott is an acidic lyricist, as good as indie alternative punk can get, and his raw on/over-the-edge singing style, fits the genre perfectly. This kind of music brings risk right back into the rock and roll equation, and should inspire countless of other kids to pick up some instruments, play their own music and shout their messages to the world."

Full Review at Jamsphere

You Say I'm Bad!

The first song from "Great" to the End is out now: "You Say I'm Bad"! Check it out below as well as the link to the free download!

FREE download: http://www.mediafire.com/mwmusic

"You Say I'm Bad" Announcement!

Announcement! The first MW single off of "Great" to the End is coming out this Friday, October 12th! This is the first track featuring the talents of all the band members. Mark your calendars!

"Great" to the End Announcement!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce MW's new album: "Great" to the End! Holy shit. I know, isn't it awesome! Great to the End is a whole new type of album. Instead of the genre jumping experimental What Am I heart pound, Great to the End is a more focused album type. The wide variety is still there, but instead the focus is now planted on a strong Garage Rock/Punk feel. The meaningful lyrics, edge, and personal songs are still here. It's an emotional roller-coaster in the same vein as What Am I, but with a big change: it's an album with a story. Think of it like a soundtrack to a movie, with the songs telling a story about the characters. Be assured, there are plenty of MW style politically charged tracks as well as tracks focused on society issues. "Great" to the End is longer, higher in quality, and ushers in a huge change. Mistletoes and Warheads is no longer a one man show! Mistletoes and Warheads is now a band! Entering the Fray we have the amazing Andrew Love on guitar/vocals, and the excellent Justin Au-Yeung on drums. In addition to the new album, MW will be playing live shows now! Stay tuned for dates starting during winter! That's pretty much all! "Great" to the End is scheduled for a release eventually. Until then, keep it locked to the MW blog for more info coming soon.

What Am I? - Post Release

What Am I, where to begin! First off I need to say, this is my proudest work yet. I am perfectly satisfied with how the album has turned out, and it's been close to two weeks. That said, this release has been one of the most negative experiences of my life. Surrounding a bunch of personal problems and other MW related pressures, What Am I's release was catastrophic. Not only was the album not up on stores, it's still not up at the time of this post (Don't worry, I will update when it is). In addition to the troubles with the distribution side of things, nobody gave a shit about the album. It sounds harsh, but seriously, nobody cared. Nobody listened, and I barely got any feedback. That stings. I've said it once and i'll say it again, I make music for me. Not anybody else but me. However, when I spend my cold cash and a lot of my time to get it out there, I'd like people to at least acknowledge that it exists. It really bites and makes me question if I ever want to do another release after this. That's still up in the air as of this post. I am going to continue with a couple more songs for a little while, but who knows, after that I just might decide to hang up the mic. Sometimes you just have to move on. As for the singles, things are still shaky on that side. I do have confirmed titles (There has been talk on Facebook of release dates but nothing is confirmed)! The songs are titled: YOU SAY I'M BAD, REWIND, and BY FIRE. They will be out eventually, how soon I cannot say. That's all I really have to say about that. Peace.
-MW

*UPDATE: All singles are unofficial for now

What Am I!

So What Am I is out now! :) That's cool? You can buy it on Itunes and in my own store! Oh, and check out the Youtube channel where all the tracks are being uploaded for your hungry ears! Peace!

What Am I? Album Overview

Here we go! My official and complete overview of What Am I! Let's get started...

     What Am I was supposed to be an album all about me. It was an edgy personal journey that exposed myself and didn't leave room for any bullshit. Halfway through, I realized that I felt rather selfish writing it! So, I re-positioned the lens and (thankfully) still kept it in focus! It wasn't just about me anymore. What Am I is about the people in our world; people like me and people not like me. It's about my views and feelings in a changing world. It's serious, funny, and hopeful all at the same time. I cover subjects ranging all the way from appearance pressures to bullying; problems in our society as well as problems within myself. WAI is a personal journey. Every song gets closer and closer to me as a person. You can notice in the songs that the style and tone changes as you progress through the album. It starts out with a release of all this penned up energy I have with "Make You Giggle". It's lighthearted and humorous as the tone blends into "Enter Me". "Broken" is our first sign of what's to come, showing my hidden feelings of being worn and tired out right now (even as I still mask it with an upbeat song). Now I'm not going to go over every song (that comes later) but we quickly move into more somber songs before sending off the album in the best way possible. I'm really proud of this ultimate mash up of my personality, musical styles, and tones. What Am I was cut down to be more focused and refined and features samples of pop, jazz/blues, and alternative music. I hope you guys enjoy it. It's my proudest work yet and it's very dear to my heart. It's more than music, it's a part of me.

What Am I Release Date!

What Am I will come out August 31st, 2012. Oh, and here's a trailer! That is all! :)

What Am I Trailer