After meeting at a memorial for a mutual friend, Tony Molina (Ovens) and Sarah Rose Janko (Dawn Riding), both fans of each other’s respective musical projects, bonded over a shared love of The Byrds and Bill Fox. So they decided they wanted to record all they’d been pouring their hearts into and The Lost Days was born. The Lost Days released Lost Demos, in April 2021, on cassette by Oakland label The Long Road Society, and on vinyl with the Spanish label Mapache. Inspired by the solo work of Bill Fox, The Byrds, Dear Nora and Guided by Voices, The Lost Days started recording what was to be their first full-length LP,  In The Store: ten tracks in thirteen minutes. In The Store came on March 17, 2023 on Speakeasy Studios SF, a new label run by friend Alicia Vanden Heuvel of the Aislers Set and Tony’s long term Slumberland labelmates.  

The first single, In The Store is a brutally honest dive into the physical dependency and obsession of the next drink.  Anchored by a groovy bass line, overlaid with jangly guitars and hammond organ (tracked by friend Jasper Leach), the track harkens back to the Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down.”

For Today is a fuzzed out GBV style song which touches on struggling with recovery, as “the hardest part of stayin’ sober, is anytime that you come over.”

What Tony says:“It was really about an obsession with the first three Bill Fox LPs, and finding a newfound freedom in home recording with Sarah that set the concept in motion. The Lost Days was a collaboration in which we were tapping into our love of traditional songwriting.  We felt that recording to cassette at our friend’s house was the best way to capture the songs,” 

Tony’s mixtape:

The Robbs – Violets Of Dawn

Thank you to AK (Ovens/Trainwreck Riders/Contact Records) for showing me this wonderful cover of an Eric Andersen original. Perfect jangle 1967.

Duncan Browne – In A Mist 

This man fingerpicked like that for 7 minutes straight. For some reason Duncan’s best songs are on 45’s and left off the LP’s.

Saturday Looks Good To Me – Alcohol

This is a perfect pop song and I have loved this record since my friend Jamie put it on a mixtape for me back in 2003. In all honesty I also lowkey borrowed a hook from this record on The Lost Days LP as a subtle tribute! Thank you Jamie and Fred Thomas.

Scrabbel – Moon Around Mars 

I saw that The Orchids mentioned Dan Lee of Scrabbel and The Aislers Set on here who I would also like to mention! Huge fan of this tune. Dan was tapped in to some real nice Brian Wilson on this one. Would love to hear more music from him in the future!

Chain Reaction – The Sun

This is another 60’s pop gem that AK taped for me. Great melody and chords, with a teenage Steven Tyler on vocals no less.

Billy Nicholls – Come Again

This right here is Greatest Of All Time status. Perfect song in every way, I wish there were more tunes this perfect!

In The Store is out now on Speakeasy Studios SF. Look HERE for more information on The Lost Days.