Out Of Our Minds (song)
Encyclopedia
"Out Of Our Minds" is a song by Canadian
alternative rock
musician, Melissa Auf der Maur
, written by Auf der Maur, long-time collaborator and producer Jordon Zadorozny
and Priestess
drummer Vince Nudo. The song was released as Auf der Maur's fourth single, and first from her second studio album of the same name
, on November 9, 2009 as a free digital download
.
The album version of "Out of Our Minds" was recorded over the course of 2007 at various locations throughout North America. The majority of the song was recorded at French Kiss Recording, co-writer Zadorozny's recording facility in Pembroke, Ontario
in Canada, with additional recording at Cherokee Studios
in Los Angeles, California
in the United States. Further, but minor, recording and "tweeking" was done at La Hacienda and Sunset Lodge Studios in California, Ponderosa Studios and Planet Studios in Quebec
, Warehouse Recording in British Columbia
, and Ishlab Music
and The Clubhouse in New York
. The master recording of the song was mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine
in the United States.
Lyrically, the song explores an "ethereal journey." The line "travel out of our minds / and into our hearts / standing by" is used a number of times throughout and Auf der Maur refers to this as "very apropos of the 21st century." Interpretation of the songs meaning differ, however, a common interpretation is that it explores the tension between passion
and reason
, giving it a psychological sematic. Auf der Maur stated in an interview with ARTISTdirect
in May 2010 that the lyrics were written from a purely modern perspective, despite the medieval basis of the OOOM project, and it was difficult to "find our honest, emotional truth and the feminine balance to the wars going on and the destruction to mother nature." Furthermore, she summed up the song describing it as "a very innocent mirror being held up to what's going on and what may need to be done on a very personal and internal level."
", "Real a Lie
" and "Taste You
"; due to lack of commercial promotion as Auf der Maur was not signed to a major label. Roadrunner Records
distributed the single in Europe, including Ireland
, United Kingdom
, Germany
, France
, Netherlands
, Italy
, Iceland
, and Poland
and through its promotional airplay also enabled Auf der Maur to be featured on, and interviewed in some cases, on BBC Radio 1
, XFM
, Planet Rock
, Kerrang Radio and Q Radio in the UK and RTÉ 2FM
in Ireland. A domestic release of the song was featured as a free digital download
from Auf der Maur's official web site on November 9, 2009 and a limited edition 7" vinyl version of the single, with "Lead Horse" as a b-side, was featured in the Full OOOM package of Out of Our Minds official release on March 29, 2010. In efforts to promote the domestic release of the single, Auf der Maur performed a five-date Canadian tour lasting from November 18 to 24, 2009 being supported by Stone Temple Pilots
. Despite its amount of promotion, the single failed to chart.
described it as "the kind of overblown rock posturing left untapped since the early '90s" but also as a "guilty pleasure
", giving it a 5/10 rating. Music Feeds Australia stated that it was an "interesting track, with industrial-lite riffs with Billy Corgan influenced lyrics" and although it was "darker in texture then the bands she has played in, the bleak sound lends itself as a soundtrack you’d expect to hear on a Marvel
comic based movie."
for the song, based on the concept movie of the same name
and directed by Tony Stone, was premiered on Auf der Maur's official site on January 12, 2010. Recorded in 2007 alongside the film, the video features a female character, played by Auf der Maur, crashing her car in a dark forest and discovering mythical elements within the forest, such as a river which contains a Viking
helmet, a comet and an abandoned crypt. The video follows an identical form of direction, uses identical imagery and is a musical counterpart to the related OOOM film.
Speaking of the music video, Auf der Maur said:
The music video, as well as an exclusive making-of documentary, were included in the official release of Out of Our Minds. The videos were included as part of a download, in Apple Video format, upon purchase of Full OOOM from Auf der Maur's official online store. Both videos were also included as bonus content on the OOOM DVD.
, Jordan Zadorozny and Vince Nudo.
Digital download
Limited edition 7" vinyl
European promotional CD
Technical personnel
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
musician, Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
, written by Auf der Maur, long-time collaborator and producer Jordon Zadorozny
Jordon Zadorozny
-External links:...
and Priestess
Priestess (band)
Priestess is a Canadian stoner rock band formed in 2003 by Mikey Heppner , Mike Dyball , Vince Nudo , and Dan Watchorn .-Biography:...
drummer Vince Nudo. The song was released as Auf der Maur's fourth single, and first from her second studio album of the same name
Out of Our Minds
Out Of Our Minds is the second solo album from Melissa Auf der Maur released on March 30, 2010.Released six years after her self-titled debut, the album was also accompanied by a feature film and comic of the same name...
, on November 9, 2009 as a free digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
.
Origin and recording
"Out of Our Minds" was originally written solely by Auf der Maur prior to the conception of the OOOM project. Speaking of the song's origins in January 2010, she said that it was "written early in the creative chapters of [the project]" after "[a] rush of inspiration" and developed both the song and project from thereon. The "rush of inspiration" described by Auf der Maur was later cited to be how she "found the center" of her new musical endeavor. In an interview with The Dumbing of America, Auf der Maur expained the embyronic version of the song:"First was this wail, this ancient wail that just sort of came over me. And then literally the words just fell out of my mouth. Some songs just come clear, they zap through you like a lighting bolt and some are more labor intensive. This just came flying out of me and the words travel out of our minds into our hearts standing by and our hearts have been standing by for so long. I just realized at that moment that that’s the story. This is the message I want to portray throughout not only the record but I knew I was looking for a theme to build this fantasy film and comic book around. It had a lot to do with the way the song came out — that it was clear, that it was the most clear and truthful."
The album version of "Out of Our Minds" was recorded over the course of 2007 at various locations throughout North America. The majority of the song was recorded at French Kiss Recording, co-writer Zadorozny's recording facility in Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
in Canada, with additional recording at Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios was a recording facility in Hollywood, founded in 1972 and closed in August 2007 to make way for a new building, after 35 years of operation under the Cherokee name as a well-renowned studio...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in the United States. Further, but minor, recording and "tweeking" was done at La Hacienda and Sunset Lodge Studios in California, Ponderosa Studios and Planet Studios in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Warehouse Recording in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and Ishlab Music
Ishlab Music
ishlab Music is a music styling, licensing, recording, and production company based in Brooklyn, New York. Ishlab Music Studio has been a fully operational music studio and music production facility since its founding in 2000 by Jāmin Gilbert...
and The Clubhouse in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The master recording of the song was mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
in the United States.
Composition and lyrics
"Out of Our Minds" diverges significantly from Auf der Maur's previous work, both musically and lyrically. The song was composed in standard tuning and opens with a thin distorted guitar riff. Following an introduction that compliments its album predecessor due to its prominent drumming, "The Hunt", the instrumention is reverted to a sole bass riff (E#-F). It is quickly followed by an underlying repeatative guitar riff that is featured throughout all of the verses, though mixed alternately in different verses. The music dynamic pre-chorus is almost identical to the intro, however, is alternately paced. The song's chorus features a different guitar structure to the verse but the bass line (D#-C--F-G) uses a soft-loud dynamic that is reminiscent of 1990s alternative rock compositions. A post-chorus breakdown uses similar chords to the verses, beginning with E#-F, but progresses to a lower key (B?-B#). Overall, the song features an ABCD song format.Lyrically, the song explores an "ethereal journey." The line "travel out of our minds / and into our hearts / standing by" is used a number of times throughout and Auf der Maur refers to this as "very apropos of the 21st century." Interpretation of the songs meaning differ, however, a common interpretation is that it explores the tension between passion
Passion (emotion)
Passion is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something....
and reason
Reason
Reason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
, giving it a psychological sematic. Auf der Maur stated in an interview with ARTISTdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
in May 2010 that the lyrics were written from a purely modern perspective, despite the medieval basis of the OOOM project, and it was difficult to "find our honest, emotional truth and the feminine balance to the wars going on and the destruction to mother nature." Furthermore, she summed up the song describing it as "a very innocent mirror being held up to what's going on and what may need to be done on a very personal and internal level."
Release
The song was released to radio in the United States and Canada in November 2009 and later to European radio in early 2010. However, it did not receive as much airplay as the single's predecessors; "Followed the WavesFollowed the Waves
"Followed the Waves" is the first single from Auf der Maur's self-titled solo debut. The song peaked in the Top 40 on the chart for Modern Rock Tracks in the United States and also reached the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, only charting two positions lower than the follow-up single, "Real a...
", "Real a Lie
Real a Lie
"Real a Lie" is the second single from Auf der Maur's self-titled solo debut. The song failed to chart in the United States, however, due to a successful tour of the United Kingdom, it fared slightly better than "Followed the Waves" there, peaking at #33.-Background and production:"Real a Lie" was...
" and "Taste You
Taste You
"Taste You" is the third and final single from Auf der Maur's self-titled solo debut. Like the album's previous single, it failed to chart in the U.S. Due to a successful UK tour, the song received a moderate amount of airplay and peaked at number 51...
"; due to lack of commercial promotion as Auf der Maur was not signed to a major label. Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
distributed the single in Europe, including Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and through its promotional airplay also enabled Auf der Maur to be featured on, and interviewed in some cases, on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
, Planet Rock
Planet Rock
Planet Rock may refer to:* "Planet Rock" , a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force* Planet Rock: The Album, a 1986 album containing the song...
, Kerrang Radio and Q Radio in the UK and RTÉ 2FM
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
in Ireland. A domestic release of the song was featured as a free digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
from Auf der Maur's official web site on November 9, 2009 and a limited edition 7" vinyl version of the single, with "Lead Horse" as a b-side, was featured in the Full OOOM package of Out of Our Minds official release on March 29, 2010. In efforts to promote the domestic release of the single, Auf der Maur performed a five-date Canadian tour lasting from November 18 to 24, 2009 being supported by Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
. Despite its amount of promotion, the single failed to chart.
Critical reception
Critical response to the song's single release, and its inclusion on the album, was mixed. Tom Edwards of the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
described it as "the kind of overblown rock posturing left untapped since the early '90s" but also as a "guilty pleasure
Guilty pleasure
A guilty pleasure is something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. The "guilt" involved is sometimes simply fear of others discovering one's lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes. Fashion, video games, music, movies, and junk food can be examples of...
", giving it a 5/10 rating. Music Feeds Australia stated that it was an "interesting track, with industrial-lite riffs with Billy Corgan influenced lyrics" and although it was "darker in texture then the bands she has played in, the bleak sound lends itself as a soundtrack you’d expect to hear on a Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic based movie."
Music video
A promotional music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, based on the concept movie of the same name
Out of Our Minds (film)
Out of Our Minds is a 2009 fantasy film written by Melissa Auf der Maur and directed by Tony Stone. Starring Auf der Maur as the female protagonist, the film tells the mythological story of "a fantasy world where a Viking heart, a car crash and a bleeding forest connect." The film uses a musical...
and directed by Tony Stone, was premiered on Auf der Maur's official site on January 12, 2010. Recorded in 2007 alongside the film, the video features a female character, played by Auf der Maur, crashing her car in a dark forest and discovering mythical elements within the forest, such as a river which contains a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
helmet, a comet and an abandoned crypt. The video follows an identical form of direction, uses identical imagery and is a musical counterpart to the related OOOM film.
Speaking of the music video, Auf der Maur said:
"Essentially, it's an eternal female character on the hunt for the heart, looking for the center. In the video, there's that lost-in-time secretary who gets in a car crash. She time travels to find the heart of a Viking—the heart of a bleeding tree. As a woman, I'm just an extension of any woman at any time on the planet earth trying to find the heart of her reason for being here—the heart of her record the heart of her relationship and so on. I'd say every single song on the album is coming from that place, but "Out of Our Minds" says it best."
The music video, as well as an exclusive making-of documentary, were included in the official release of Out of Our Minds. The videos were included as part of a download, in Apple Video format, upon purchase of Full OOOM from Auf der Maur's official online store. Both videos were also included as bonus content on the OOOM DVD.
Track listing
All songs written by Melissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
, Jordan Zadorozny and Vince Nudo.
Digital download
- "Out Of Our Minds" – 4:34
Limited edition 7" vinyl
- "Out of Our Minds" - 4:34
- "Lead Horse" - 3:48
European promotional CD
- "Out of Our Minds" (radio edit) - 3:54
Musicians and personnel
Musicians- Melissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
- vocals, bass - Jordan Zadorozny - lead guitar
- Vince Nudo - drums, guitar
Technical personnel
- Jordan Zadorozny - producer, engineer
- Melissa Auf der Maur - co-producer
- Alan Moulder - mixing