Prison - Big Rigs on the BQE

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: DC985
Barcode: 0781484098515
Release Date: 31 Jul 2026
Genre: Psych/Garage Rock

 Prison’s third big one, ‘Big Rigs on the BQE’, finds our jammers of legend far away - miles from ‘Downstate’ (2025) and ‘Upstate’ (2023): driving further down the road, Prison’s guitar, bass and drums compel them to dream loud. An improvised rock and roll tapestry, multiple impulses, intersections and lifelines rended with gas and guitar pedal on down to the metal. Reflecting real lives lived today, sprawled and recalled in undulating electroacoustic performance.
 On March 7th 2024, Prison vets Sarim Al-Rawi, Matt Lilly and Paul Major on guitars and drums were joined by Mike Donovan on fuzz organ, percussionist Ryan Sawyer and Downstate’s Matt Leibowitz (back on bass, and synth too this time) at a Sunset Park studio where they could see the highway from the studio windows. It kind of set the tone. Downstate guitarist Adam Reich switched it up too, as studio honcho / engineer / mixer.
 ‘Big Rigs on the BQE’ is the sound of Sarim, Matt, Paul, Mike, Ryan, Matt and Adam in wicked battle and glorious play, a far-ranging scrum of Groundhogs / Velvets / Hampton’s / Pink Fairies / Magic Band / Good Rats / Can propositions powering guitars, bass, drums and organ (and synth) that day: a beast, imagining a better allegory
for qualities of the ‘spirit of the jam/road trip’ duality.
 Paul and Sarim’s vocal shouts transmit a kind of road-thoughts as they come, circular processing loosely knotted loops in different ranges and a couple of different levels. These are deep, searing, multipurpose jams. ‘Big Rigs on the BQE’ is a kind of travelogue - two side-long trips that take flight and fight another day in the never-ending process. It’s a beautiful opportunity to send new blasts of positive energy out to the world. Prison of one, freedom of many.

Tracklisting
Sunrise Highway
Sunset Park