Baythorne Days: Five Days at The Kitchen That Changed Everything
If you’ve listened to our new Baythorne Days EP, you’ve heard the finished product. But getting there was an adventure we never expected.
After releasing our first two singles, “Mexico” and “Listen,” our manager, Jason Duarte, gave us a call with some exciting news. We had the opportunity to record at The Kitchen Recording Studio in Los Angeles, and one of the musicians interested in working with us was Taylor Carroll, drummer for the multi-platinum rock band Lit.
There were several great options on the table, but being fans of Lit ourselves, the decision was easy. We booked our sessions for February 9 and headed west, excited to see where the next chapter of Jet Lag Motel would take us.
Arriving in Los Angeles
Once we landed, we settled in, caught our breath, and met up with one of my lifelong friends, Javi Colon, at The Kitchen.
Although I usually record all of the bass parts for Jet Lag Motel, I wanted this experience to be something special, so I asked Javi to join us and play bass during these sessions. Looking back, I’m really glad we did.
The next morning we walked into The Kitchen ready to record … and immediately learned our plans had changed.
Taylor had been accidentally double-booked.
Instead of panicking, we pivoted.
Producer and engineer Nathan Bankston, who had also wanted to work with us, was already at the studio and ready to jump in. Since all of our pre-production was finished, we decided to hit the ground running.
Sometimes the best moments begin with Plan B.
Four Incredible Days
What was originally supposed to be a Taylor-led session quickly became four unforgettable days working alongside Nathan.
Nathan challenged us constantly.
He encouraged us to try different vocal approaches, rethink arrangements, and push ourselves further than we normally would have. He also kept the atmosphere light. There was no shortage of laughs during those long studio days, and by the end of the week it felt less like working with someone we’d just met and more like creating music with an old friend.
One of the owners of The Kitchen, Garrett Ross, also jumped in to help during the sessions. He even inspired the lead guitar part I played on “Sorry.”
For the rest of the record, Steven Jasik handled the heavy lifting on guitars. I was happy to stay focused on vocals and let Steven do what he does best.
The Unsung Hero
Every band needs someone keeping everyone grounded.
For us, that was my wife, Carisa.
While we spent long days recording, she made sure everyone was fed, rested, and ready to go again the next morning. Studio sessions can easily become late-night marathons, but she helped keep us healthy, focused, and moving forward every day.
Looking back, those little things made a huge difference.
A Different Way of Recording
There was another first for us during these sessions.
Instead of recording with live drums immediately, we tracked everything using programmed drum parts. It felt strange at first because it wasn’t how we’d ever worked before, but we trusted the process.
The plan was for Taylor Carroll to arrive on the final day, help finish a few remaining pieces, and then take everything back to Nashville, where he would record the live drum performances.
When Taylor finally arrived, he helped us finish bass for “I Wanna Know,” added vocal ideas, and helped tie the project together before the drum tracks headed to Nashville.
Watching everything come together was incredible.
Familiar Faces
Another familiar face joined us during the sessions.
Jason Murgo, who produced our first independent release, No Vacancy, stopped by while working on other projects. He ended up contributing keyboards to our cover of INXS’ “Don’t Change,” adding another layer to a song we’re incredibly proud of.
By the end of the week, we had also become convinced that bringing Javi out had been the right decision. His bass playing added so much to these recordings that saying goodbye when we left Los Angeles wasn’t easy.
Looking Back
Those five days at The Kitchen changed Jet Lag Motel in ways we never expected.
What began as one plan became something entirely different, and honestly, we wouldn’t change it. Nathan Bankston challenged us creatively, Garrett Ross inspired unexpected moments, Taylor Carroll helped bring everything home, and every person involved left their fingerprints on what eventually became Baythorne Days.
Listening to these songs now brings back memories of every laugh, every late night, and every breakthrough that happened inside those studio walls.
Next Time …
Our story wasn’t over.
A few weeks later we returned to Los Angeles to mix the record.
Between those two trips, I had surgery, so going back into the studio to re-record vocals was a challenge I wasn’t expecting.
Then Nathan looked at me and said:
“Let’s redo all the vocals.”
That moment became the beginning of an entirely new adventure, and I’ll tell you all about it in our next blog.