“One of the best rock records I’ve head this year” – All The Young Punks
“These gentlemen have really made a terrific record here. Socks knocked off.” – Dagger
“Four stars…as a long-term Tar fan, I’m really loving the record. It brings enough of the past into the present to provide latch points to the listener. The real beauty of the thing, though, is provided by the depth that the other musicians introduce. Together, they create something new, relevant and interesting, regardless of your attachment to the various members’ illustrious history.” – Louder Than War
“Unfinished business triumphs…a patient, driven channel of carefully considered noise.” – Heathen Disco
Deep Tunnel Project formed in the summer of 2021. John Mohr and Mike Greenlees, bandmates in TAR and Blatant Dissent, have a friendship and musical partnership that goes back to the mid 80s. Mike and John busied themselves reissuing old TAR records during the pandemic. That was fun, but what really is fun is writing new songs, collaborating and performing. So…they got the jones to do just that.
Jeff Dean contacted John in the spring of ’21 looking to acquire a TAR record. Jeff is a Chicago music veteran and legendary figure, having played in many bands over the years including Dead Ending, The Bomb, Heavy Seas and Her Head’s on Fire.
John seized the opportunity to not just deliver the record to Jeff, but to suggest he join John and Mike and see if they can come up with some music. So… they started working on some riffs and ideas.
Something was percolating but the low end was needed. On a hopeful whim, John contacted old friend and Touch and Go Records label-mate Tim Midyett (Silkworm, Bottomless Pit, Mint Mile, Sunn O)))) to see if he wanted to “play some bass?” “Sure!” was Tim’s response and Deep Tunnel Project were off!
Having not written new songs in 25+ years, Mohr had a couple riffs and lyric ideas in him. Collaborating started, and 2021 was productive, concluding with writing and recording six songs.
2022 was better. Vaccines were available and songwriting continued. An inaugural performance took place that spring, and over the year another four songs were written and a “clever cover” of Breaking Circus’s ‘Took a Hammering” was added to the collection.
Those five songs were expertly recorded by Matthew Barnhart in the winter of ’23 at Deep Tunnel Project’s rehearsal space.
J. Robbins (Jawbox, Government Issue, Burning Airlines, Channels, and general awesome human) did the mixification.
This is a Chicago record.
We rehearse here, work here, live here, and have paid our dues here. Like it or not, we’re lifers. We have strong feelings about how to slice a pizza, and we appreciate good art and infrastructure. There’s less road ahead than there is behind us, but there is still time left to create. While we won’t finish what we started, much like the Deep Tunnel Projectitself, we will continue working.
Also contributing to this effort is our old friend Rick Rizzo (Eleventh Dream Day) and Rachel Drew (singer-songwriter and awesome human). Rick lays down a blistering guitar solo (?) throughout “Gold Standard”. Rachel adds evocative and elevating vocals on “The Grid” and “Chapter Verse Overture.”
This is a rock record. Hardened by time and experience. Two guitars, Mohr’s dry lyrics, more (Mohr?) melody than in the past, Midyett’s classic bass sound, and Greenlees’ banging the tubs as only he can.
Post-Rock, Hyphen-rock, Crazy Horse meet Minutemen? It would be hard to disagree, but that’s for the listener to decide. We think there’s some earworms here, and it fits like a comfy hoodie sometimes. Jeff Dean’s guitar solo on “South Branch”? Brilliant.
Deep Tunnel Project’s debut full-length is alive and available through all retail and digital channels courtesy Comedy Minus One.
Released digitally on April 5th, 2024. Vinyl released May 10th of that same year.
Huzzah!