"To donate (either way, all $ goes to Gary),

1.) Purchase BANI-LOVE SESSIONS here -- Pay/Donate what you want.

-OR-

2.) Donate directly to Gofundme:
www.gofundme.com/f/gary-mula-cancer-fund
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When I heard the news that our friend, musician, engineer Gary Mula had received a cancer diagnosis I was just stunned. This kind of news slaps you in the eyes, as the great songwriter Mark E. Smith said. Like many of you all, I just instantly wanted to help.

Drew Grow & the Pastors Wives did a few sessions with Gary at the helm back in the day that never saw themselves through to release and the band dissolved not long after. When we recently heard about Gary, I called up Jeremiah to talk about the hard news and how much we love Gary. We looped Kris in, alerted Seth, and got to thinking about the unreleased sessions, and how we might put them out now to help raise community support for him. Then I listened to the tracks. I was so moved. Gary's beauty is just all over them. Freedom and emotion x a billion.

These three songs—Comfort Feel, Wicked Crush, Groundwire—are out via Bandcamp on April 19 in an effort to bolster financial support for Gary. They are pay-what-you-want, 100% goes to Gary. The tracks come from a time when DGPW was unknowingly in its last months of existence. We were preparing to make a second record and had begun work toward that end.

We did the first pre-production sessions down here in Portland. Just after Thanksgiving, Gary gathered up some gear and drove down for the weekend to our gnarly punk house on 37th Ave. We played and played through prospective songs and let the tape roll. These were wild and totally free sessions, both qualities that Gary brought into the room in support of our own taste for danger.

The proper recording sessions were booked at the Columbia City Theater, Gary's Bani Love Studios, right around the New Year. We set up the band for a few days—all around the theater, on stage, out in the audience area, up on the balcony—and let it fly. Bowed guitars and upright bass, echoing drums and all those harmonies bouncing around the theater’s caverns. The way he expertly handled the engineering/recording side while promoting and allowing the band to explore and conjure is unforgettable. I hear it all over these recordings. When I pressed play on “Comfort Feel” after the intervening years I instantly was snapped back into the raw emotion of that time, of that community--all of you, and of Gary.

DGPW is just one of many many musical artists to be lucky enough to work with Gary, I'm sure y'all can add stories to my stories. Maybe you have some songs that never saw the light of day, showing how Gary’s attention helped you do what you do.

Doug Jenkins from The Portland Cello Project had invited us that fall to join their group for a performance at Triple Door in Seattle and had written cello arrangements. And after the recording was finished with Gary up in Seattle they were gracious enough to track cellos from their home studio in Portland.

We want to thank Kevin Sur for letting the community know this hard news about our friend. Kevin's efforts in support, encouragement and connectivity of the music community are myriad, including of our little Portland corner. These recordings would not have happened without him. There’s no other reason to release this but to celebrate Gary’s role in the community and maybe catalyze some community support for a powerful human. For Gary. We love you, friend.

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Donate: linktr.ee/drewgrowandthepastorswives