Since disbanding Boston’s dream psych concern Guillermo Sexo, Reuben Bettsak has been busy recording music with Infinite Room and recently the reconstituted Emerald Comets and with the Covid-19 Pandemic Reuben has taken to writing and recording a forthcoming LP, Strangelands. He recently gave us a sneak peak into to recording process as well as a taste of what we can expect from the new album.

“When this whole quarantine thing took place, it really disrupted everything in the way we ran our lives. After about a week of being isolated in my house in this weird new world, I wrote, and recorded Isolation Daydreams. The experience was very therapeutic for me. I realized that writing,and recording would really help my state of mind through this thing. I asked the band if they would like to work on music remotely. The rest of the band, Jason Layne, Tim O’Keefe, and David Altman, added their parts, then I had Jeremy Lassetter (Ghost Box Orchestra)add some guitar. We then sent it over to Justin Pizzoferrato to mix and to Carl Saff to master. What started with one song has progressed into an album called Strangelands that we are finishing up. It’s been a weekly process. I have the rest of the band add their parts to one song each week, and then Justin mixes the song at the end of the week.I think the best part about this experience for me besides the musical therapy is that I’m really excited about this album. I’m really proud of this collection of songs, and the great contribution made by the band, and everyone involved.”

For Strangelands Bettsak enlisted the assistance of some notable guests Bo Barringer (The Wrong Shapes), Ryan Connelly (Hallelujah The Hills), Chad Shivers(Infinite Room), Jeff Barsky (Insect Factory),Jeremy Lasssetter (Ghost Box Orchestra), Anar Badalov (New Dog), Sophia Cacciola, Michael Epstein (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling), and Katharine Rahilly Altman.

The band had been working on a batch of new songs before Covid-19 turned the world upside-down, but Bettsak wanted to create another batch for Strangelands, unique to what he’s been experiencing through this ongoing global pandemic. It’s a pleasure to share Isolation Daydreams, the first track from the upcoming Emerald Comets full length release. It’s a lush and layered composition witch captures those daydream prone moments of life in quarantine, perfectly.