i always want to try to find and/or make apple references for dead apple and i think their first official album is fit for the occasion! the album cover photo was taken by arabella. she went on a walk and found this apple tree, took a picture, and said "hm. this could be a good album cover." LMFAO and the rest is history 🤩

lily's backyard (by chloe lilac)

written by: arabella, rowan

we are starting this first album with a BANG baby! the guitar on this alone makes me INSANE but that's just the power of rowan and arabella writing a song together :) anyway i know while they were in high school they were getting random gigs playing for birthday parties and school events but i like to think that a couple times they got offered to play at some of their high school parties! in particular, arabella was friends with a girl named lily and you see where this is going LMFAO but as the song says, the last time she saw someone in lily’s backyard, they put on their makeup and broke her heart! so her friend gets a shoutout and of course once they write this song they perform it at said parties and it's a hit! also the “i'm bad at guitar” line is arabella saying she sucks at it but rowan doesn't obviously! and this song is the proof!

favorite lyrics:

"your outside's so pretty, but the inside's so dark // you know what you did, but you don't know who you are"

"i'm not a saint and i'm bad at guitar // you love to hate me, that must be so hard"

lime st. (by neck deep)

written by: seven, arabella

strap in because this is pain! i imagine that seven and arabella had a little fight but you know.. they're teenagers so they treat it like the end of the world LMFAO so they don't talk for a couple days but when they do and they make up they realize they were both writing songs about the situation (SOULMATES) so they decided to combine the songs! it's basically just them saying i'm sorry and i want to be your friend forever! as long as you'll have me … haha

they stop performing this song when seven leaves the band.

favorite lyrics:

"is it too late to say, to late to say // that i'm sorry for the things i do? // i'm missing you like shit today"

"and i haven't seen you smile this whole time // it bums me out and makes me wonder why i can't do right // and i'm trying my best, i promise // and i want this as long as you want it"

"you asked me where we could meet // i found you there at lime street // one cig left in the packet // stood shy in your dad's jacket // a moment i'll always keep"

labrador (by waax, if you listen to it, trigger warning: mentions of ed)

written by: arabella

this is basically arabella expressing her feelings about not being taken seriously when it comes to music and being in a band. it also touches on arabella's parents and how they don't really believe in her dreams of being a musician. it just feels like a lose-lose situation in this song like how far is she willing to go to receive the praise she deserves? all she's ever wanted is to make music and to be told over and over again you're not cut out for it is a bit disheartening! she doesn't feel this way anymore but dead apple still performs this song as a reminder that they DO belong as a band and arabella's dreams ARE valid :) she WILL be famous so help me god!

favorite lyrics:

"must be high if you think that you're getting ahead // no it never begins, no it never begins // you're a girl and a girl isn't welcome in here"

"you were right, you were right all along // you're better than me, i'm never enough // in my head, in my head i thought i was more"

speeding 72 (by momma)

written by: seven, arabella

one of my biggest headcanons when it comes to sevenbella is the idea that they would drive around in arabella's car ALL THE TIME… and one day they said "hey, we're always riding around… we should write a song about it!" they wrote the entirety of it in arabella's car :) this was also the first song they did a music video for! a very bad one but it's basically just a montage of the band riding around in the car shot on rowan's phone <3 his directorial debut! it's just a fun song and it's definitely a fan favorite although they rarely perform it anymore

favorite lyrics:

"so get behind the wheel, we can make a deal // i'll show you how to clear your head"

"speeding 72 // we're faster getting nowhere // baby, we could go there"

"meet up on sunday // filling up the ashtray // nothing gets in our way"

to your love (by fiona apple)

written by: arabella, iris

arabella writing a song about a relationship! who would have thought! in this case, she's just saying that she finds it hard for the people she dates to truly understand her or “put up” with her, so to speak. she just needs to be reassured! but they never do that unfortunately 💔 and so she just feels shame and that causes her to run from relationships when they start to get serious. hm… if only there was someone who sees her for exactly who she is and loves her because of that… maybe someone with a numerical name… i’m blanking. anyway... iris as always helped with the piano composition<3

favorite lyrics:

“please forgive me for my distance // the pain is evident in my existence // please forgive me for my distance // the shame is manifesting my resistance to your love”

“so now you have it, so tell me baby, what's the word? // am i your gal or should i get out of town? // i just need to be reassured // do you just deal it out or can you deal with all that i lay down?”

angel landing (by pretty sick)

written by: arabella

fuck arabella’s parents! she just wants to be heard and understood by them, whether that be when it comes to her music and how important it is to her, or just in general! neither of them communicate well with her, and since they don't she doesn't know how to. she resorts to singing about it in songs she knows they won't even listen to 💔 she wishes they could really and truly understand her and that she wouldn't have to soften the blow, in a way, for what she's saying.

favorite lyrics:

“i wish i could speak and have you understand me // i wish i could be without an angel landing”

“is love so clear? is it not distorted? // like the way that you look in the mirror // and the way you look in person”

“we go in circles”

chewed up (by sweet pill)

written by: arabella, seven

classic teenage angst baby! for this album we're definitely dealing with the feelings of not being understood and this song solidifies that. it's so fun to get songs where arabella talks about hating herself because once she gets out of high school and away from her parents, the confidence boost she gets from that makes these types of songs very rare later on in their discography. but they will come back, don't worry! LMFAO seven leaving the band opens up the floodgates so to speak so all those past feelings and emotions come back but that is a discussion for a future album 😁 also the screaming on this song is so good let it OUTTTT besties!

favorite lyrics:

“spit it out // words chewed up in my mouth // find them on the ground // sit down // making motion just to move // am i making sense to you?”

“oh god, i hate her // that girl in the mirror // she moves the way i do // a half assed version of the truth”

doesn't fall far (BY ME 😁)

written by: arabella, rowan

dead apple’s first song that i didn't just steal from an artist 🤩 when making this album, and honestly anytime i try making things for the band, i always want to try and include apple related things because they're dead APPLE ! of course there should be references to the fruit. the first ep didn't have any references but their first album does, down to the album cover and title and the title track. in this song, arabella is saying that she's doomed to turn out like her parents and she doesn't really know how to stop it. she acknowledges that they don't really listen or pay attention to her, but does she even do the same in return? she doesn't, and that's what the song talks about. sonically the song to me sounds like it would fit on brand new eyes by paramore, more specifically i wanna say it sounds like brick by boring brick!

favorite lyrics:

“if you paid an ounce of attention // you'd know i'm not who you want me to be // i guess upon further reflection // the apple doesn't fall far from the tree”

“say i’m your daughter, but // do normal parents treat a child like this? // left alone to hope and wander // as my hands turn into fists”

“it comes in waves // that crash into my bones // i never wanna be like you // but the damage is already done”

hate it here (by pom pom squad)

written by: arabella, jazzy, rowan, devyn

more teenage angst 🤩 this song is a bit different than the ones they've done before! usually the band (mostly seven and arabella) will come up with lyrics and then they + the rest of the band will work on the sound that will accompany it, but this time around jazzy, rowan, and devyn were messing around and made a short instrumental and arabella wanted to use it so bad so she wrote to the beat on this one! when the lyrics were done, jazzy, rowan, and devyn used the original instrumental and expanded on it and made the rest of the song! just a fun experience all around <3 the lyrics on the other hand… arabella wants you to know she hates this town she lives in and that she's not happy, if this whole album didn't tell you that LMFAO she's reflecting and basically asking if things will get better. she finally believes they will, but she needs more convincing from herself that she can get through this.

favorite lyrics:

“teenage feelings got me down // in the middle of a summer night // in the house where i learned how to die // stupid questions that keep haunting me // am i ever gonna be happy? // am i looking for another reason to be sad?”

“am i ever gonna be okay? // am i allowed to like myself one day? // will i keep building prisons? // making cages to keep myself in // i am a pit i dug, i am a pit i dug // better than i was, but not quite good enough”

“don't know where i’m supposed to go, but // wherever i go, i know i hate it here, hate it here”

gonna go out (BY ME 😁)

written by: arabella

the song that closes out this album has arabella reflecting once again and realizing things will get better because she has her friends and that's all she needs! she deserves to be here and won't take any of this for granted <3 again, sonically i think this would fit really well on a paramore album!

favorite lyrics:

“gonna go out with my friends tonight // won't think about dying for once in my life // loneliness is a hell of a vice // until i decide i deserve to be alive”

“driving in a car with my friends tonight // won't think about crashing for once in my life // intrusiveness is a hell of a vice // but i’ll be okay if i take the next right”