Inspired by memories (and VHS footage) of “ice skating” over every carpeted surface of my 90s childhood home — this album centers around my lifelong propensity for patterns.

Figure Eights

LYRICS:
I loved you so
Fondly, far-ago and still today
My peculiar reverie, no it never lets me be
It turns all my sweet dreams sour 

Just like a vase of Phony Flowers
They’re beautiful, but such a bore
And what a silly, silly girl to wish for more 

More than any ring
Tales of queens and kings, I loved you so
Fondly, far-ago
But now the very thought of you
It makes my heart crumble and cower

You are my vice you Phony Flower
Just a dust collecting eye sore, but still I’m

Never gonna love, oh no I’m
Never gonna love, oh no I’m
Never gonna love anything more

Anything more
Anything more?

Anything More?

LYRICS:
I didn’t know if you’d be here
But here you are and it’s the end of the world
You know despite the shifts in surface change
I still remain -- that we were meant for
More

I’ll never know what kept us 
So far away, so long and so what for?
In the end, the point that’s really pressing
I’m reflecting on -- how we were meant for

More, than all the shit that came in store
For you and me -- I believe
There was, more
Yeah, we were meant for more

And I 
Have learned to let most pieces go
I’ve cut my ties with vivid shades of greens and yellows
I’ve sat in the quiet, done my time at being alone, but now
I need a witness, somebody to know --
Before it blows 

How much time before the end of the world?
You know there’s not much time before the end of the world

I know that it’s all different 	         		         
The once familiar long since rearranged, still I hope you 
Housed in the corner of your heart   	         		      
A little peace to make it out unscathed	   

Not much time before the end of the world
You know there’s not much time before the end of the world

I don’t search the past just to dwell on
I don’t chase the faded dreams I can’t restore
And maybe I’m some petty kind of way 
Cause if there’s a record I’d like it to say -- how we were meant for
 
More, than what the Gods left at our door
Yeah I believe
That we were meant for more
And I believe -- that we were meant for

More, than all the shit that came in store
For you and me -- I believe
There was, more

Maybe another life
Maybe another world

More

LYRICS:
Losing hours
Days and weeks staring at the same photograph
Release and let me go

Then like a boomerang 
I’ll fly around over that greener grass
To find what I don’t know, before returning home
Before returning home

I don’t need this to be 
Any better than the place it is meant to land

Yeah, I just wanna see
A little further than the things I have on hand

Who am I? 
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?

Who am I supposed to be now that
Nothings expected of me anymore,
And what for?

If I can’t change or make believe 
These days arn’t what they’ll always be, 
Mine and yours -- why not let me soar?

Because, I don’t need this to be 
Any better than the place it is mean to land
Yeah, I just wanna see
A little further than the things I have on hand

You know, I don’t need this to be 
Any better than the place it is meant to land

Yeah, I just wanna see
A little further than the things I have on hand 
A little further than the things I have on hand 
A little further than the things I have on hand

On Hand

LYRICS:
My Intention...... My Intention

You could say my intention got away from me
I stood close to the words put in my head
And the meanings rearranged

Illuminating all the gray in-betweens 
I stared down every single thing you said
And the ground began to sway
Then shattered as it changed

Into a wave of reckoning
Into a wave of reckoning

Maybe there’s something to it
Being young and eager and naive
You took advantage and I didn’t see through it
So hopped up on tryin’ to please

You called it love, you called it a family 
Painted pictures and you asked me to believe
Sold me things in the name of being free  

My Intention...... My Intention

And you would say my intention got away from me
I stood close to the words put in my head 
And the meanings rearranged

Illuminating all the gray in-betweens 
I stared down every single thing you said
And the ground began to sway
Then shattered as it changed

Into a wave of reckoning
Into a wave of reckoning

My Intention
Sway....Change.....Wave.....

You pushed and I went through it over again
I had a match, but I didn’t know to use it 
Till the moment I hit my end, when

You called it love, you called it a family 
Painted pictures and you asked me to believe
Sold me things in the name of being free --- 

My mind goes quiet, with thoughts over you
Day-dreamin’ a catching that’s long overdue

Yeah, my mind goes quiet as a I picture it true
The smoke that rises stains the skies, once blue

My Intention

LYRICS:
My mind goes quiet, with thoughts over you
Day-dreamin’ a catching that’s long overdue

Yeah, my mind goes quiet as a I picture it true
The smoke that rises stains the skies, once blue.

Thoughts Over You

LYRICS:
I tried 
To be the one you chose 
Neverminded 
All those undertones

Silverlined 
Every stick and stone 
And I batted no eyes 
When you said ‘let’s take things slow’

But I’ve got no repairs 
For all of these empty stares
Makin’ a fool out of me 
Tryin’ to be

The one you see, I’m not 
The one you see, no I’m not
The one you see, oh then why
Do I keep tryin’ to be? 
Tryin’ to be

You know I tried
And the thing I wanted most 
It hypnotized
Never let me go

Stars in my eyes
I’ve gotta wonder if they show 
Some flawed design
Mismatched amongst the grandiose

Cause I’ve got no repairs
For all of these empty stares
Makin’ a fool out of me 
Tryin’ to be

The one you see, I’m not 
The one you see, no I’m not
The one you see, oh then why
Do I keep -- tell me why
Do I keep -- tell me why
Do I keep tryin’ to be? 

The one you see, I’m not 
The one you see, no I’m not
The one you see, oh then why
Do I keep tryin’ to be? 
Tryin’ to be

Tryin' To Be

LYRICS:
And only 
And only
And only, where

The forest fires have sped
Scorching relentlessly the cool north lands 
A sweet wild flower lifts it’s purple head, 
And like some gentle spirit sorrow-fed
It hides the scars with almost human hands

And only
And only
And only, to

The heart that knows of grief
Of desolating fire, of human pain, 
There comes some purifying sweet belief,
Some fellow-feeling beautiful, if brief
And life revives, and blossoms once again

Life revives and blossoms once again
Life revives and blossoms once again
Life revives and blossoms once again

And only
And only, where?

And Only

LYRICS:
Stoic Companion
I’m fine as long as you’re here
Wrapped around to sort through the sky

There’s floods through the canyon
A rush to ring the New Year
But I’ve lost a feeling I should recognize

Yeah, I’ve never not wanted to try 
Usually I -- 

Seek out circles for the repetition
Roaming forever to never be done
Flawlessness to spin an endless discipline
And when it’s over I’ve only begun  

Seekin’ out circles 
I could roam forever and never be done
A flawlessness to spin an endless discipline
When it’s over I’ve only begun
When it’s over I’ve only begun

Nine days of rain in a place where it doesn’t
Stirring the earth that I know
How do I explain, being lost where I shouldn't be
Stuck in a loop that I chose, so exhausted
At not being home 
I’m tired of -- 

Seekin’ out circles for the repetition
Roaming forever to never be done
Foolishness to spin an endless discipline, cause
When it’s over you’ve only begun 

Seekin’ out circles 
Roaming forever to never be done
Seekin’ out circles 
When it’s over you’ve only begun
When it’s over you’ve only begun 
When it’s over I’ve still just begun

Stoic Companion
I’m fine as long as you’re here 
Giving shape to a world passing by 

Steadfast Observer, tell me do I appear
In the story, the way you do in mine?
Is your story, anything like mine?

Stoic Companion

LYRICS:
My love, where have you been?
Did some fly on the wall catch a glimpse of your redeemable sins?

Won’t you tell me, about it all
Cause it’s the first time I’ve been happy in a while and 
This waves been bracing to fall

Before you give me your reasonin’ 
You should know, I’ve been steepin’ in 
What you left out in the open display, in full view

I used to stumble on panic
Turn my head to avoid the wreck
But gone are the days you get to make me the fool -- I can’t help

Keepin’ eyes
You could say I’m stuck on the prize
Because I’ve been keepin’ eyes 
Lookin’ at you, can’t help -- yeah
Lookin’ at you can’t help

Yeah, you know I can’t help

Keepin’ eyes 
You could say I’m stuck on the prize
Because I’ve been keepin’ eyes 
Lookin’ at you, can’t help 
Lookin’ at you can’t help

My love, I’ll never ask you why
But one of these days, soon enough
You’re gonna catch that wave from my side

And you’ll stumble on panic
Make sure you slow down 
To view the wreck, and know your biggest mistake 
Was never knowing’ me the way that I do, you

Give me your reasoning
Stir the pot I’ve been steepin’ in 
Tell me I’m out of my mind -- but do you wonder how that came to?
I could never help -- 

Keepin’ eyes
Call me what you want, at least I’m not surprised
Because I’ve been keepin’ eyes

Lookin’ at you can’t help (5x)
I’ve been keepin’ eyes, and lookin’ at you can’t help.

Keepin' Eyes

LYRICS:
When I’m feelin’ lonely, it doesn’t rain it only pours 
Sweepin' my whole word out to the sea

A stumble-up on seeded rage, it doesn’t spark it only roars
And it’s gonna burn, until the ocean breeze

But if you spend
Maybe you could, spend a little time
Cause you’ve got to --  

Spend a little time
Spend a little time
Spend a little time on me, give a little time on --

When I’m surrounded, feeling scattered, and my anxiety’s aglow
It's gonna be all I can do to pretend (that the)

Moment doesn’t calcify, doesn’t drag me down like stones
Till I find my way back, all over again

But if you spend
I hope you, spend a little time
Cause you’ve got to --

Spend a little time 
Spend a little time
Spend a little time on me, give little time on me

I get caught in my own under tow
At the mercy of the parts that show, cause when I 
Give a little bit it all let’s go -- 

I play things fast when I don’t know, but 
All my songs sound better slow, cause when I 
Give a little bit it all let’s go  

And I can be cool and calm and in control, and it’s 
No big deal till there she blows, cause when I 
Give a little bit it all lets go

But if you, spend 		
Spend, a little time, I hope you
Spend a little time 
Spend a little time

Those first greetings, they don’t suit me
Gates are open, or they’re closed, but if you 
Spend a little time on me  

And my words may come out scrambled, but I’ve got 
Something real to hold if you just
Spend a little time on me 

I hope you spend
Oh won’t you, spend a little time?

You’ve got to 
Spend a little time 
Spend a little time
Spend a little time on me
Cause a little time's all we need

Spend A Little Time

Operating in the Fiona Apple / Dirty Projectors sphere of the alternative music spectrum, Nicole Saphos is known for her harmonically bold and rhythmically driven original music. To date, the LA-native, Philadelphia based artist has released three critically acclaimed albums, and has performed at venerated venues such as The Kennedy Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Rockwood Music Hall.

Figure Eights

Nicole Saphos Band