We had a chat with John Budnik Band following the release of his daring and unique new album Beginner’s Mind
So much of modern music today seems to be geared towards chasing perfection, whether that is through razor sharp production, teams of writers and musicians, or painstaking hours spent correcting and altering things until everybody is satisfied. John Budnik Band has gone a different route on his engrossing new album Beginner’s Mind, instead, embracing and forgiving his art for all of its imperfections, throwing out all conventional logic and training that he has as an accomplished musician and just doing what would feel right from the perspective of a beginner.
The collection of tracks are a celebration of John’s uniqueness and the authentic and raw charm that he possesses. Inspired by Philip Toshio Sudo’s book “Zen Guitar”, the album is a release that feels real and feels honest in a world increasingly full of deception and AI, showcasing the intangible earnesty that can’t be captured in any other way than a person bringing their own ideas to life and being confident enough to do it in their own distinctive way. This makes for a collection of tracks that are more than worth your time and which really capture the essence of John Budnik, we had a chat with the Alaskan artist and found out a bit more about the album, how he put it together, and what inspired its daring approach.
Hey! We love your new album Beginner’s Mind, what more can you tell us about it?
It’s a collection of songs that I’ve been working on since my last album Messenger released in 2020. Though, some of these songs have been written for years and others are only a few months old. For example, the song “Fireweed” is one that I’ve had since I was in college (more than 10 years ago), but this album was my opportunity to capture it in an official record. Meanwhile, the song “Beginner’s Mind” I wrote earlier this year. The cover art is a photo I took using 35 mm film, if that interests you.
What was the process like putting it together?
Typically, I write and record at the same time using Logic if I don’t already have the song written like “Fireweed.” Sometimes, I will video myself for social media content while recording, but also to be able to remember how to play certain aspects of these songs – mainly the solos on “Beginner’s Mind,” “Miss the Days,” and “Scorpion Dreams.” On the first two songs “Devil’s Grin” and “Useful Idiot,” I hired my friend and super-talented musician, Jon Cannamore, to record drum tracks for me to write to. The rest of the songs I am using Apple’s drum machine plugin. I used to have a lot of toxic shame over using pre-programmed drum patterns to write and record to; however, as a DIY songwriter and musician, it really boils down to whether I want to make music or not and publish it. So, I have to use the tools at my disposal. This also plays into the beginner’s mind theme of this collection. I can’t let things like that hold me back. Having a beginner’s mind was about giving myself license to lean into MY process, tools and ability and harness my own uniqueness as an artist. As mentioned in the press release, this was heavily inspired by Philip Toshio Sudo’s book “Zen Guitar.” It’s a read that really changed my life. Beyond the drums, everything else is played by me – guitar, bass, organ/synth, harmonica, percussion, etc. Therefore, it’s still a very human-generated product.
What were your biggest influences when creating it?
Philosophically, Philip Toshio Sudo’s book “Zen Guitar” influenced my mental approach to each song. But, speaking about the nuts and bolts of the songs and music itself – I was listening to a lot of The Black Keys when I wrote and recorded “Devil’s Grin.” I wanted to write something gritty and that, hopefully, would get my audience jacked for the rest of the album. One of the first songs I ever learned to play on the guitar when I first started playing as a teenager was “Blackbird” by The Beatles. “Fireweed” is a rearrangement of those chords from that Beatles tune and set to a different rhythm, of course. Meanwhile, the guitar intro on “Beginner’s Mind” was inspired from Los Lonely Boys’ guitar intro on their song “Heaven.” It doesn’t sound anything alike but the musical chords/notes used are close and I’ve always been a big fan of that song.
How has your unique approach to creating the album made it differ from your other work?
My first album Transformations was recorded in a studio with a producer. But, my second and third albums (Messenger and Beginner’s Mind) were recorded in my garage using Logic Pro. So, I’ve been doing this for a while in my garage. If nothing else, I’m hoping that this album is a reflection of my progression as an artist, songwriter and overall producer. I hope it shows others what is possible in your garage or bedroom using a microphone, audio input and laptop. As long as you’re dedicated to your craft and strive to get better, I believe the effort will shine through no matter how you capture it. Obviously, I hope to one day have a big studio with a producer and other collaborators at my disposal and to be able to grow into that…however, until then, I embrace the mind of a beginner to bring you music the way I know how to write, perform and record it.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’ve got a few shows on the books with the Triple Black Diamonds scheduled for the Alaska circuit. However, I desire to play more in front of people and even outside of Alaska. So, I’m trying to crack the code on scheduling some shows elsewhere that fit me and my original music. Certainly, if anyone is interested in hosting me, please get in touch. They can reach me through my contact page at www.johnbudnikband.com.
