My late friend Tim Cookson and I recorded two songs together under the moniker The Infected. We both contracted mono at the same time, although Tim was living in Alaska at the time, and I was in Chestertown.
The first track was called Whisker Biscuit and it was recorded in the summer of 1986.
Tim’s older brother, J Cookson, had given us a couple of mix tapes with Punk songs. That music was transformative to me. Lady Sniff, by the Butthole Surfers, made quite an impression on both of us, and inspired Whisker Biscuit.
We wrote and recorded another song the following summer. I had discovered Thunderbird, a fortified wine, during my freshman year of college. I had been playing guitar and bass for about a year or so.
I remember my mom came home from work and we were in her bathroom singing, trying to get a little reverb from the shower.
I was using a crappy little Fender champ that was bolted to a piece of plywood and J’s old distortion pedal. The “Electric Cowhead” was my grandfather’s electric razor.