What a fucking year…
For most of the planet that's an understatement. Especially in the severely wounded Nation we call home. This has been a year of both turmoil and personal growth for our band. By turmoil I mean the emotional grind of dealing with the weight of what's happening outside of creating and performing music. My Father (Collins Dad) was in a coma and on a ventilator for 12 days with Covid and it was an extremely difficult and surreal experience to say the least. Against all odds he survived and is dealing with the physical and emotional scars. One of the things that got me through that hellscape was music. Writing, listening to, feeling the energy created by said music, compartmentalizing my emotions into boxes based on a particular genre of music. It can soothe you or completely rattle you. It made me focus on the band for both selfish and pure reasons. It served as a very important and worthwhile distraction. Most of the songs on this piece have been in our arsenal for a while but were rendered in a completely organic and new fashion shaped by the state of the world.
Our producer, guitarist, good friend, and the mastermind behind our sound, TOKYO, has created a hell of a space to record and write. He is well versed in the streaming world and it only made sense to start dabbling. We picked a date (6/27/2020) and asked a couple of our friends to join us to round out the evening. This Album is what ensued. A lot of pent up energy and emotions were flowing. We were in the beginning stages of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the heaviness of that struggle mixed with our experiences with the pandemic led to a lyrical narrative very unique to our point in time. Sprinkle in a little of Webster Moores’ genius on the Keys & Synth bass and Bobby's powerful drumming, you have the making for a fun set. This was recorded in one take in the hills of North Lake Tahoe in a ranch style abode called The Shibuya Underground. The lighting in the studio resembles the neon glow of the famed tokyo district. This is raw and uncut and features all the idiosyncrasies and mistakes involved in live sets. We hope it brings you some joy.
Love,

Collin, Tj, Bobby & Webster of Melting Elk
meltingelk.com