Heyday by Mental Gymnastics
Mental Gymnastics was a band from Guilford, Connecticut. From 1986 to 1989, they played at clubs and colleges across New England, including the Grotto and Toad's Place in New Haven, and opening for bands like the Reducers, Miracle Legion, the Lyres, Scruffy the Cat, and 10,000 Maniacs.
After recording songs for a debut full-length album at Fort Apache Studios with Paul Q. Kolderie and producer Mr. Ray Neal (Miracle Legion), the band broke up (as bands do) and the master tapes were put on a shelf.
Twenty-three years later, the band got together for a weekend to record four songs--two old ones and two new ones--and it only took eight more years of production to finally release the EP Heyday.
Tracklist
| 1. | Heyday | 3:21 |
| 2. | Somewhere Else | 3:31 |
| 3. | Beside Yourself | 3:33 |
| 4. | Straight Man | 4:10 |
Credits
Recorded 2012-2016 at Q Division, Somerville, Massachusetts
Produced by Ed Valauskas
Recorded and Mixed by Pat DiCenso
Additional Recording by Matt Tahaney
Mastered by Mike Quinn
Michael Frost: electric and acoustic guitar, piano
Tom McManus: bass on tracks 1 and 2, percussion
Andrew Frost: drums, background vocals
Ed Valauskas: bass on tracks 3 and 4, synthesizer, background vocals, percussion
Jeff Stupakevich: lead and background vocals, guitar, accordion, keyboards
Special Guest: Matt Pynn, pedal steel on track 3
Words and Music by Jeff Stupakevich
(c) & (p) 2020
Cover photo by Jeff Stupakevich (c) 2004
License
All rights reserved.
Mental Gymnastics formed in 1986 in Guilford, Connecticut. In 1988-1989, they recorded songs for a debut album at Fort Apache (Cambridge, Mass.) but disbanded before it was completed. In 2012, the five members recorded four songs at Q Division (Somerville, Mass.), released on the Heyday EP in March 2020. The Fort Apache recordings were released on the album Time Capsule in July 2020.