Hostage

from Devoid by AP Tobler

supported by

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.

Purchasable with gift card

name your price
Buy the Full Digital Album

about

The guitar riff and musical concept for Hostage was written during a rehearsal with my band. I was doing a funky octave slide on guitar, and we started a jam based on that. After playing around with it at a few rehearsals, I asked the band if I could add lyrics and record it professionally. I hadn’t fully fleshed out the song until the day of recording, and wrote the lyrics the night before. There was definitely pressure to get it all done in time to record, but the song came together rapidly and it is one of my favorites on the EP.

The lyrics describe feeling like a hostage to the cycle of neglect. The line “Is it karma or is it fate” expresses the feeling that I might have done something to deserve this. The chorus highlights that central thought. I left the lyrics vague enough that the listener can interpret them in many ways. This is my first time co-writing with my bandmates, and it was fun to create something together.

lyrics

Strike me down once again
Cause what am I if not used
I’m just a mannequin
Manipulated and bruised

I’m hypnotized and dazed
You massacre me in every way
Is it karma or is it fate
The realization hits
I don’t think I can live through this
It’s better if I don’t stay

So tell me one more time
Is inflicting pain how you get by
And will the cycle ever end
Or will you kill me once again

I’m hypnotized and dazed
You massacre me in every way
Is it karma or is it fate
The realization hits
I don’t think I can live through this
It’s better if I don’t stay

credits

from Devoid, track released August 19, 2022
Music and Lyrics: Annapurna Knox Tobler

Music: Lennon Lee Heitkam, Adri Hames, Thomas Williams Staples-Marquette

Performance: AP Tobler

Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Ryan Perras at District Recording San Jose, CA

Video and Artwork: Type It Down Productions

license

about

AP Tobler San Jose, California

¡grunge/queercore from the bay area, ca!

aptobler.com

contact / help

Contact AP Tobler

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

If you like AP Tobler, you may also like:

Muck
by Dikembe

The Gainesville emo band work through grief and mental illness with honest, empathetic hooks and dynamic guitars. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 19, 2020
go to album
THIS IS ORISUN
by ORISUN

The Chicago duo marries post-punk and indie-pop sounds on their charming debut release. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 20, 2021
go to album
Under The Surface
by Nameless Ghost

The wrenching songs on the latest from Nameless Ghost tackle loss and grief amidst toothy indie rock. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 6, 2022
go to album
Disturbing Dreams
by The Kartetch

Knotty alt-rock with corkscrewing guitars and steely vocals on an album that packs a punch. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 18, 2023
go to album
Alternative EP
by Mophing People

Two major players from Japan's alt-rock scene team up for a grunge-pop EP that explores noisy highs and melancholy lows. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 5, 2022
go to album
Frantic Semantic EP
by Grow Rich

Fuzzy and swirling shoegaze soundscapes from Indonesia full of emotion and DIY spirit. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 5, 2019
go to album
Guilty of Everything
by Nothing

Philly-based Nothing craft atmospheric rock that bridges melodic and introspective with loud, fuzzy and rawkus. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 6, 2014
go to album