I’m very happy to announce the release of a new band and a new album: BECOMING ONE by Birzer Bandana.  Yes, for better or worse, I’m the Birzer in Birzer Bandana.  The Bandana is Dave Bandana of Salander.

When Dave asked me to write lyrics for a forthcoming album, I was beyond thrilled.  Having been a prog rock fan since my earliest memories of childhood, I’ve always wanted to be an intimate part of the act of creation.  Sadly, though I have wide-ranging as well as specific tastes in music, I know next to nothing about composition or performance.  I do, however, have lots of ideas and words floating around that odd organ known as the human brain.  The first idea that came into my mind came from one of my favorite novels, Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr.  This provided the opening scene, but everything that followed came from my own love of vast, deserted, and broken landscapes and Mark Hollis-esque minimalistic and imagist lyrics.  “Becoming One,” then, is a bit post-apocalyptic sci-fi, a bit psychological and theological, and a whole lot of cathartic.  Dave masterfully took these poor words and made them something epic.  Proggy and epic.  But, then again, all prog is epic and all epic is prog.  We hope you enjoy our first collaboration—Brad (and Dave), March 18, 2017.

All instruments played by Dave Bandana—except Olga Kent violin on “Awash” and “The Dance” and Mick Bennett who played guitar on “3 To 1.”  Dave on vocals, bass, guitars, drums, drum programming, synths, piano, organ, and mellotron.

Produced, engineered and mastered by Dave Bandana at Villa Clavell studios.

Written by Dave Bandana (music) and Brad Birzer (concept and lyrics); Birzer Bandana, ©2017.

Drawing by Lyn Phillips; colouring and graphics by Kim Varner-Fulmer.

https://birzerbandana.bandcamp.com