Love In The Underground

Album: Love In The Underground (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Love In The Underground" is a song recalling the story of how the band formed. Roy Dodger (Adrian Enscoe) was busking in the New York City subway when he caught Bonanza Jellyfish (Sydney Shepherd)'s eye. The cellist was planning on catching the train home, but the two wound up talking and adventuring all night. Clarissa (Regina Strayhorn), moved into an extra room in Sydney/Bonanza Jellyfish's New York apartment. The three artists eventually jelled together as one, forming Bandits On The Run.

    Along with creating the group, the members decided to go under aliases when performing (Roy Dodger, Bonanza Jellyfish, and Clarissa), each inspired by figures found in pop culture/literature. Having these names gives them an element of mystery and fun, as well as allowing them to be more carefree when on stage. "The thing about the personas is, it's basically us, it's like a heightened version of ourselves," Jellyfish explained when the band appeared on the Backstory Song podcast.
  • The song revolves around the idea of how beautiful finding love in this strange place was. It was one of the first songs the group wrote all together, and it really fell into place when the band was accepted into the Coffee Music Project New York in 2017. Their first challenge was to write and perform a song about New York City, and they ended up winning with "Love In The Underground." They entered the song in the Tiny Desk Contest at NPR, accompanied by a music video filmed in the New York City subway. They received a Top Shelf placement, and were such a hit with the judges that they were invited back to play at the Tiny Desk on the Road Show. Both of these achievements have become their calling card in the national music scene.
  • Their producer, William Garrett, helped them record the song in the famous Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan. Its walls hold the great talents of artists like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. The studio time allowed them to jam with the song, finding new interesting vocal and piano lines.
  • To honor the rich and haunting acoustics in the recording studio, Bandits On The Run decided to record and release another stripped-down version. This second version, "Love In The Underground (B-Side)," is a more raw version, featuring piano, a light xylophone, and their powerful, evocative harmonies.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper/Lou Reed)Songwriter Interviews

The co-writer/guitarist on many Alice Cooper hits, Dick was also Lou Reed's axeman on the Rock n' Roll Animal album.