“Lose Your Head” is a fan favorite from BAD RELIGION‘s critically acclaimed 2019 album “Age Of Unreason”. Today, the legendary punk rock band has released a demo version of the song, with a faster tempo and alternate lyrics, that provides a unique glimpse into the band’s creative process.
Co-songwriters Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin developed this version of the song at Gurewitz‘s home studio in Pasadena, California. When producer Carlos de la Garza was brought on board, he suggested trying a slower version. The band liked both versions equally so, when they entered Sunset Sound to record “Age Of Unreason”, they decided to work on basic tracks for both and choose later. It was a close call but ultimately the band chose the slow version which is the one they completed.
This demo version is the result of taking previously unreleased rhythm tracks from the Sunset Sound sessions and combining them with the original home demo recordings to bring the fast version of the song to life.
Longtime fans will enjoy this rare look into the evolution of a BAD RELIGION song.
Graffin told New York’s Q104.3 radio station that he and his bandmates have been using the coronavirus downtime to work on new music.
“A band is a lot more than just playing live, so we’ve tried to maintain our sanity and offer something to the fans,” he said. “We just put out a single called ‘Faith Alone 2020’; you can find it on streaming services. And we’ve got a string of other singles that are gonna be coming out during this time. Because when we’re not on tour, we spend a lot of time in the studio. And now we all have music rooms and we all have Pro Tools studios at our houses. And we’re trying to fill in the time by doing creative, collaborative works like that.”
Last month, BAD RELIGION released its autobiography, “Do What You Want: The Story Of Bad Religion”, written with the group’s full cooperation and support. It reveals the ups and downs of the band’s 40-year career, from their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed “The Hell Hole” to headlining major music festivals around the world. The book predominantly features the four principal voices of BAD RELIGION in a hybrid oral history/narrative format: Graffin, Gurewitz, Jay Bentley and Brian Baker. It also includes rare photos and never-before-seen material from their archives.
