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A Thousand Half​-​Truths

by Making Marks

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1.
Bruises 03:00
I travel without a ticket I want to get caught I want to be exposed I want to be punished for what I’ve done At this time of year there’s no difference Between the bus the tram and the metro It’s all draped in darkness Now anyway When I said that it was life changing, I don’t think that I really understood what it meant You said you knew that I wanted you The moment I walked into that room You showed me your bruises But I didn’t show you mine Last night I felt like Like a great musician But I also felt Like a horrible person And I don’t understand how all these other people Have got everything figured out They work so hard, and they do so well And I admire them When I said that it was life changing, I don’t think that I fully understood what it meant What if I’ll never get that feeling Of peace and contentment again You showed me your bruises But I didn’t show you mine
2.
Barcodes 04:07
I’ve been gone Gone for so long Now I’m back Back in Oslo She’s the one Who made me return To the blue and the green An attempted city inbetween She calls me late at night That’s not my name She calls me in the morning But I’m too afraid to pick up the phone So I get on the metro And cross the city under ground Climb the frozen escalators And run through the streets without a sound Homeward bound So let’s go out tonight Let’s hit the financial district Scan your barcodes by the door In this desert of consultancy Turn your head Away when she passes you by Act surprised When she pats on your back She calls me in the morning From the bathroom And then she calls me late at night But I’m too afraid to pick up the phone So I get on the metro And cross the city under ground Climb the frozen escalators And run through the streets without a sound Homeward bound
3.
Hold magen inne og hold ut det er ennå ikke seint Vi må være her lenger før vi kan gå sammen gjennom natta Du sier kanskje er vi skapt for hverandre kanskje er vi to av samme sort Uten å tenke ser jeg deg for meg med øya igjen Du holder meg oppe Uten en tråd Du får aldri stoppe Du vet at du må holde ut meg med Men hvor har du vært? Og hvor skal vi hen? Jeg vet at du slår ut håret for andre menn Og jeg sier kanskje har du gitt meg opp kanskje har jeg ikke mer å gi Uten å tenke ser jeg deg for meg med øya igjen Du holder meg oppe Uten en tråd Du får aldri stoppe Du vet at du må holde ut meg med
4.
They say we’re still young And there are still songs left to be sung By us But I don’t know I look people straight in the eye But that doesn’t mean that I know why Or how Or even if Everybody says it’s possible To forgive and forget If you thought our love was good before You haven’t seen anything yet If you’re leaning in tonight You’ll find my shoulders are skinnier than before I’ve been rebelling with no cause But I think I still can be the one we thought I was They say there are reasons for what we do And this is a chance to start anew I’m gonna follow Follow my heart I keep telling my self these things And I keep playing on worn out strings But I know It’s not necessarily true Everybody says it’s possible To forgive and forget If you thought our love was great before You haven’t seen anything yet If you’re leaning in tonight You’ll find my shoulders are heavier than they were I’ve been rebelling with no cause But I think I still can be the one we thought I was
5.
These bicycles are standing still But a voice is telling us we’re going up a hill It’s an upphill battle, and we’re stuck in the saddle But here at our own free will There’s a bass drum playing and we’re told to get up from our seats We’re all the real Slim Shady now, and there’s no way to cheat your way out of it The voice is all so positive, and we are all so formative in our years And our ends will meet But we can work it out We can be healthy and happy and free Guided by voices In neon lit gyms We can find out who to be Open planes and wind in our hair Just spinning and going nowhere Under downlit skies we open our eyes So innocent and unaware
6.
Lemon Sheets 03:29
If you had told me to think for both of us Then all the thinking I’d have done Would amount to one thing You getting on a plane To come and see me I’m not so far away Just a bus and a train and a plain And another train from Harringay And then you’d find me And I’m sorry if I’m not all I seemed I’m sorry if I’m not everything you dreamed of In Lemon Sheets If you had told me that I was the one for you Then all the hopes I’ve had So much higher than the mountains Would be fulfilled But can’t you see me I’m not so far away Just off the tip of your nose On the corned of ecstasy and safety Just for a while there I thought that you hated me And I’m sorry if I’m not who I seemed I apologise for not being everything you dreamed of In Lemon Sheets
7.
You say you’re terrified of falling in love again But they say you should do one thing that scares you every day Me I’m here alone, I’m getting used to it now But I forgot how my heart could tremble You say we shouldn’t be cruel to animals And that makes me feel ashamed But that’s nothing new, I’m getting used to that too But I forgot how my lips could tremble I put on happy songs to make me feel good It’s worked all through my maudlin carreer But now I’m suffering on the sofa Killing myself on the couch These mirrored feelings are closer than they appear But if we’re falling in love we should enjoy it Even if it scares us every day It might be the last time, if we get stuck with eachother Forever, trembling together You say you’re terrified of falling in love again And I feel the same way So let’s try to ignore we’ve somehow felt this before And just rejoice at the trembling of our hearts I put on happy songs to make me feel good That one we danced to that night, do you remember? But now I’m suffering on the sofa Killing myself on the couch I haven’t slept since 22nd of November I haven’t slept since the 22nd of November
8.
All of the things Whose metaphorical wings Are broken Can still be fixed She said with a smile And all you’ve got to do To make your dreams come true Is be open Think positive thoughts And hold your head up high And it’s all up to you It’s all up to you But if you think you can dance There’s a whole world waiting to tell you that you can’t They say their hips don’t lie But their hearts can tell a thousand half-truths Remember your free In this meritocracy Of opportunities and golden slumbers Just let yourself go now And don’t be afraid Because it’s all up to you It’s all up to you And if you think you can dance There’s a whole world waiting to tell you that you can’t But just say your lips don’t lie And then your heart can tell a thousand half-truths Now your phone’s too smart for you And your loan’s too big for you too Whatchu gonna do? What are we gonna do? Your self esteem Is a free live stream And your conscious when you consume All you can eat Al that they’ve got
9.
At 7.38 The bus is always full But we keep holding on And no one’s filled with hate We’ve left it all at home Later it will dawn And they say there’s a light That never goes out By the bus driver’s seat Or the ticket machine All the lonely people here We do our best But it costs a lot to hope Do you remember books you’ve read? Does it stick in your head? Only punishment no crime Because I miss you when I get in and out of bed Or when something makes met think about the things you said When we spoke for what you said you wished was the last time But when the sun comes up We’ve allready gotten used to the darkness The light burns out our memories This film will never be seen It’s not suitable for families They say there’s a light That never goes out By the bus driver’s seat Or the ticket machine And everybody’s all right With everything As long as we eat From the food machine All the nervous people here We do our best But it costs a lot to hope
10.
The sun sets later now than last month The world is warming to us We’ll take the long way home And I’ll show yout how the city connects You can’t plug that in here it’s a different system Our electric sockets don’t match But you’ve got an egg That translates from my current back to yours With your pale blue eyes and my Norwegian wood Everything’s already understood Feels like we’ll be flying high forever But it’s a long way down Well all the things I’ve got have marks made on them And most of my memories too But we’ll take a song I know And I’ll sing harmonies in and out of tune With your bright eyes and my Norwegian blue It was already dead before I found you Now it feels like we’ll be flying high forever And it’s a long way down It’s a long way down

about

Making Marksʼ debut album A Thousand Half-Truths is a collection of heartwarming pop songs, touched with Scandinavian cool. Blending sweet male and female vocals with a lush soundscape filled with jangling guitars, buoyant drumming and textured synth lines, the Norwegian quartet have a real knack for melody and a keen ear for rich instrumentation.
Making Marks formed in Oslo in 2012 and are made up of Ola Innset on guitar and vocals, Nina Bø on vocals and keyboards, Marie Sneve on bass and Jørgen Nordby on drums. Theyʼve gigged with the likes of Bonnie ʻPrinceʼ Billy, Asobi Seksu, Allo Darlinʼ and Marit Larsen, and have toured extensively around Europe and the USA, including appearances at SXSW.
They recorded a number of tracks for the album at Soup Studios in London, with Simon Trought and Giles Barrett. It was their influence that saw Paul Rains from Allo Darlin' playing lap steel on the song “Barcodes” and this led to Making Marks supporting Allo Darlinʼ in Europe. The rest of the album is recorded in Oslo with respected indie producer Sjur Lyseid, who has worked with the band in various guises over the years.
A Thousand Half-Truths as an album is one of tensions – both resolved and unresolved. Making Marks initially planned to go down a folk/country musical path, however they soon realised that indie came more naturally to them. Yet, the tension between the country and the pop still remained, with folky melodies echoing the extended harmonies of The Carpenters, whilst their propensity for banjos, ukuleles and harmonicas faded away to leave the band sounding more integral and functional. This left them with a set of quietly confident, melancholy country songs as played by an bubbly indiepop band.
There is also tension between the lyrics and soundscape as well as between the warm, dreamy, more life-affirming songs such as "Lemon Sheets”,“Flying High Forever" and "Forgive and Forget"; and the political, critical and often pessimistic approach of "Like Spinning", "A Thousand Half-Truths", Barcodes" and "Ticket Machine".
If you do the sums, A Thousand Half-Truths equals five-hundred full truths. Yet songs are just songs – they can tell you something about life but just a glimpse at a time, revealing only half-truths but in the end perhaps thatʼs all we need.

“There’s a trace of Saint Etienne’s suburban romance to be heard in the superior pop of Making Marks, a Norwegian four-piece whose debut album puts a winning finish of wit and longing on the belts-and-braces indiepop undercoat.”
Uncut [7/10]

“It’s an effective blend, especially with the sad but beautiful vocals of singers Ola Innset and Nina Bø as well as the country twang of Innset’s picking style of electric guitar playing.”
Neon Filler [8/10]

“The album’s opening moments are its most touching, starting with ‘Bruises’ and ‘Barcodes’. ‘Bruises’ feels like a Buddy Holly song; it’s rocky, yet subdued enough to sound a little bit dated, and sombre.”
The 405

“The consistently excellent male/female vocals on show make A Thousand Half-Truths less a smack in the face than a warming, gentle arm around the shoulder. Perfect for these cold winter nights.”
Shout4Music [7/10]

“so beautifully paced and repeatedly willing to add adventurous instrumental flourishes hither and thither”
Music OMH

“a summery album to brighten up the current wintery outlook”
Scottish Express

“classic heartwarming indiepop”
SoundsXP

“a strong contender for indie-pop album of the year”
Inforty

credits

released March 2, 2014

released 03 February 2014
Ola Innset – guitars, vocals
Nina Bø – keyboards, vocals
Marie Sneve – bass, trumpet
Jørgen Nordby – drums, percussion

All songs written by Ola Innset, arranged by Making Marks.
Track 2 features Paul Rains on lapsteel.
Tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 recorded by Sjur Lyseid in Six Feet Over Studios, Oslo.
Tracks 1, 2, and 8 recorded by Simon Trought and Giles Barrett in Soup Studios, London.
Track 10 recorded by Simon Trought, Sam Beer and David Holmes in Soup Studios.
Mixed by Sjur Lyseid in Six Feet Over Studios.

Mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering Studio, Boston.

Photography by Jørgen Nordby.
Sleeve design by Tom Ashton.

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Making Marks Oslo, Norway

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