“Brand New Day” with Jeff and Mark, 1986

This laid-back, bass-led instrumental was recorded at my house with high-school friends Mark and Jeff. Mark had programmed his Korg synthesizer to play a flute-like pattern, and we all ran with it.

The synth starts us off, then my guitar comes in, followed by Mark on drums and Jeff on bass. Jeff has the lead, while Mark and I provide structure. We are all improvising within a sketchy overall plan, which included keeping the chord changes loose and independent for a carefree feeling. Mark is playing his drums into a single $25 Radio Shack mic, and Jeff and I are playing through $40 stomp-box effects.

Brand New Day, 1986

I have always loved this track. It’s 1986, low tech, low budget, live, straight to tape. There are glitches for sure, but the groove is priceless!