Fantastic Shams is David Bower, Cyrus Resur, Adam Gross, and Matt Lynch

Back of My Mind was recorded and mixed by Adam Gross

Recorded at Jefferson Street Music Studio

Mastered at Echo Park

Album Art by Ryan Dunn

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Back of My Mind is the second full length album by Fantastic Shams. The recording process began at the end of 2025 and concluded in the Spring of 2026. We recorded all of the basic live tracks at Jefferson Street Music Studio in Bloomington. Overdubs and mixing were done in Indianapolis at Adam’s home studio. We returned to Bloomington for mastering at Echo Park.

We decided on a more DIY approach for this album as it afforded a more relaxed timeline, allowing for more of the kind of sonic tinkering that we tend to enjoy.

At Jefferson Street, we brought most of our own recording gear such as Adam’s reel-to-reel tape machine and microphone collection but used the in house mixing board. It was an anlog-lofi-deluxe kinda hybrid setup. We have often used Jefferson Street as a rehearsal studio so were already very comfortable and familiar with the space.

Our goal from the onset was to capture a very live sound and minimize the need for subsequent overdubs. This choice, combined with the inherent editing limitations of recording to tape, placed the pressure on capturing good takes, and good tones. We used a lot of analog, often vintage equipment, and I think that sound comes through. Cyrus used his 60’s Selmer amp, until he blew up the speakers from playing it at full volume. I used my Supro combo, and we both had our painstakingly curated pedalboards on display – along with Cyrus’ vintage Space Echo.

We recorded all 11 live backing tracks, along with some select guitar overdubs over a long weekend. Some of the songs were comparatively older and well-rehearsed, and some were newer and still in the incubation period. There is an overall looseness and urgency throughout that hopefully captures the excitement of playing live together in a room. Elements that would be discarded as mistakes in a more clinical environment were kept to maintain an authentic feel such as fluctuating tempos, rushed notes, unexpected improvisations, and the other things that humans do when playing music in a room together.

We had fun with overdubs. Adam added lots of background vocals and sax. Cyrus brought the 12-string electric ricky and acoustic guitar. Tambourine, mellotron, organ, and other things I can remember filled in the remainder. Overall, only a few overdubs per song, but we wanted each to be a feature rather than filler.

Stylistically, the core garage-punk Shams vibe is present, but with some ample genre-bending exploration. My goal from a writing perspective was to shift away from riff-based songs, and toward groove-based progressions pulling inspiration from R&B, Motown kind of stuff, the proto-est of proto-punk. I also exercised either the confidence or commercial nihilism to include elements of other genre favorites like dub, glam, and power pop

Lyrically (and thank you if you are still reading this) I often stayed in my familiar pop-existentialism territory but with a focus on more intentional storytelling and character building. I often included elements and references so specific that they may seem vague – hopefully including some easter eggs worth the morning hunt. I challenged myself to include personal details that I may otherwise avoid out of embarrassment. If you don’t leave the song with a unique perspective on life, then what’s the point, right?

Thanks for checking out this album that was a joy to create. If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out at david(at)fantasticshams.comdavid@fantasticshams.com

I didn’t use AI to edit this document so you’re welcome for any typos and bad grammar.

Thank you!