Sydney band Nil By Mouth Music Triple M


 

Greatest Days - Nil By Mouth          

 

After many months in the making, Sydney band Nil By Mouth have finished their best work yet: Greatest Days. The record was produced by Lamar Lowder (Yothu Yindi, Jerk and Powerman 5000) and recorded at Albert Studios (Midnight Oil, The Living End, Neil Finn).

The first track, "Singing in the Rain" has won Nil By Mouth the 2009 national Triple M Unsigned Find competition!

Songs written by Michael Collins
Produced and mixed by Lamar Lowder
Mastered by Steve Smart at 301 Mastering

Nil By Mouth are:
Michael Collins - guitar, piano and vocals
AJ Nunes - bass
Jordan Nunes - drums

Trombone - Rod Herbert
Trumpet - Chris Booth
Saxaphone and piccolo - Richard Booth
Violin - Jeremy Curran
Harmonica - Jack Nunes

Brass arrangements - Rod Herbert

Recorded at Albert Studios, Sydney

Engineers at Albert Studios - Reyne House and Dan Clinch

Cover artwork - Thomas Dicker

Thanks to the Sydney Eisteddfod Performing Arts Challenge for the prize money, Andrew Spencer at Albert Studios for the free studio time, Rod Herbert for writing the brass arrangements for nothing, Jack Nunes for the harmonica solo, David Gregory for the Maton and Michael McCarthy for the Marshall.

 

Singing in the Rain

Hear the sound of the street in a place where light just rattles around,
Looking up from the holding cell in the city that you’ve found.

It’s not like you knew them, to miss them,
To see them falling down through the ether.
They’re gone now so they don’t care.

Today you’re singing in the rain,
Sliding through the frame like someone new.
Things seem better in the wet, you shouldn’t worry yet.
No that’s what we do.  Yes we do.

You can feel desperately old and time might stand still here.
You can live on what you’ve heard and die on what you’ve seen.

All the bones are gone, the building can go on
Pushing more of you closer to the sun.

Singing in the rain, doesn’t feel the same as any given day.

 

Moving

I’m in my bed I’m lying awake and thinking of you,
It’s just the best cliché I do.

I heard you’re gone, I’m perfectly placed to say what I wanted to.
I won’t give three more cheers for you.

You’re moving, it’s getting to me.
Moving, and anybody would see.
You’re not really going to get far, but don’t listen to me.
I’ve almost done my time.

I’m in my nest, I’m breaking the walls, this freedom is such a bore.
Seems like the good birds all flew north.

You know I tried to find you, and I’m looking all about.
I had some luck this morning, but I just keep finding out

We had fun along the way, while it lasted.
All the useful things got left unsaid.
And I don’t even know if I’m the right one to tell you that you have got no hope of getting where you want to be.  You’re just the same as me, and I don’t think that I could.

 

Greatest Days

Tiptoe to the left, the bullet’s gone but you don’t feel better yet.
You don’t believe that it’s real.
I ran on the second day, the ill-effects quickly went away,
And now I feel much better.

All those little stories that I’d heard about for years,
Only count for something when you’re telling them through tears

I just wanted to see you before the dust gets bit.
It might not seem like that fits.
But I don’t mind coming to see you when we’re old and grey.
Might not be our greatest days, but I don’t mind.
I don’t mind, not when we’ve got time.

I’ve been to Saville Row and other places that you wouldn’t know.
None felt like home.
I don’t know what to do.  I think it’s true, no one will ever do.
Maybe it’s just you.

I was looking for that sunny view from on the hill,
Waiting for that rain to fall I’m waiting on it still.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we both have been.
When you’re free again, give me a look in.

 

The Madness

All this talk of leaving has never been much fun.
Maybe we just mean that it’s done when it’s done.

Surely you can tell me if you want to just be there.
But I’ll be somewhere different and it doesn’t seem fair.

Don’t stop the madness, don’t stop, wait til the morning.
Don’t stop the madness, you’re lying with someone at your feet and I never tried.
But this could get more and more about me.

It’s hard to be so funny when there’s nothing to be said.
Even when I’m quiet I’m still getting in your head.

Things are getting boring but don’t get yourself down.
You can still be floating when you’re feet are on the ground

You might shudder, many of us would.
But take your medicine if it does you good.

Everything’s so crazy since they went away.
I’ve been doing nothing and wasting all my days.

Done your time with me and now and you’re heading for the door.
You always do it quickly and you leave me wanting more.

 

Come and Go

You’ll be sitting in the park when you break up,
Just crying in the dark through your make up.
You’re wondering why they had to leave you,
And why it’s all got to be you.

They’re up in arms about what you’ve been saying,
They’ve got no doubts about the games you’re playing.

All I know is that you come and go and now all of this will be known.
I’ve given up the punk, I’ve given up the funk and don’t you know it’s far less fun now?

I see a less rounded front man.  He’s there serving up the rock from a dead pan.
Like me never wants you to know what’s in his head when he let’s go.

He was frightened but he stayed hoping you might act your age.
You can do just what you want without me.

All hope is gone when you wake up.  
Your dream’s gone dead so you take up something that’ll move you slowly.
I’m over it, let’s get lonely.

 

It Could Be Worse

Don’t tell me that there’s nothing more to tell me.
Don’t tell me you’re cold.
Don’t tell me we’re losing all our feeling now that we are slowly getting old.

Here comes everything you want but it’s never going to stay.
Something’s got to break.
Either way you have to be here or it’s never going to work.
It’s something that I really prefer.
It could be worse.

It seems to me that it only could be clearer if the dirt is wet.
But from all this, this evidence we’re hearing you might be someone useful yet.

You lie like a diamond in the rough always playing tough,
never giving up.
The sky’s alight now whenever you’re around.
Always being loud, Lucy would be proud of you.

If hope is gone then nothing could be better.
But tell me that there’s something more to go.
Don’t tell me that everyone is watching like you do,
You know I already know.

 

Standing in Line

I need to know, but I don’t want to read it written in a book by your bed.
I stayed put.  I sat and I stood but I knew that I just wasn’t feeling good.

Just tell them now, just tell them how the days flow when you’re wasted.
I’ve heard it all.  I know the best will fall.  But Heather said “I only want to know where you are”.

I want the same thing, the same thing. How do they get by, all of these friends of mine?
I’ll be there, I’m not scared but I’ll be around here until the time is right.

Because I wanted to. Is that enough to make it true?
I wanted nothing new, I’ve given up and joined the queue.
And we can feel fine standing in line.

And so they say, they’re thinking less of the mess with you and now I think I agree.
So when you go away again I’ll act like it doesn’t really matter to me.

I’m really happy you came for me, I’m feeling well.
It’s reading just like the old story, but time will tell.

You tell them all, it’s going to fall and now I’m getting out.
I wish them all the best and all, but I can’t say that I’ll do this now.

I wanted to.  It wasn’t enough to get me through.
And you want something new, but nothing seems to ever do.
We can feel fine standing in line.

 

Hope You Understand

I was sitting at my desk today
Thinking I should be writing away the days while I have tunes in my head,
And write them down before the lines go dead.

I came back from studying sharks,
To find out I left no marks on your best teacher and none of your friends.
I’m hoping I’ll have them laughing in the end.

We can wonder what will happen now.
Some of us already taking vows
I’ll give you my plans when I can.
Right now I think I’m set in sand, I hope you understand.

I want money and extra time.
More guitars and a bit more wine.
The cellared kind that I can’t afford,
Or the patience to keep the new ones stored.

I’m not ready to spend my days,
With a girl who thinks that I’m just ok.
I’d rather fly off somewhere where no one cares.
Don’t think we’re ready to be living our lives in pairs.

I was sitting on a plane today, playing games with a girl insane.
She said she’d only sing me a song.
Maybe this is what I needed all along.

 

All songs written by Michael Collins ©2009