Visual Purple cassette

It was 1996 in Canton, Michigan. 5th graders Kevin McGorey, Paul Rambo, and Matt Carlson decided to form a band and started playing together in the McGoreys' basement. They called themselves Visual Purple, a term Paul picked up from Bill Nye The Science Guy. Kevin's dad Chris McGorey recorded their original songs on a 4 track. Visual Purple's first show was at the band members' D.A.R.E. graduation, pictured on the cover of the cassette. The next year they played at Westland all ages venue Pharaoh's Golden Cup, and later played a medley of covers at the 6th grade talent show, during which they also smashed a fake guitar. By 7th grade, the band had fizzled.

In 2020, the master tapes resurfaced and the songs were uploaded to YouTube. We were blown away when we heard them. Reminds us of Guided By Voices if they were fronted by an 11 year old boy. (Kevin remembers absorbing a steady diet of The Kinks, R.E.M., and Nirvana.) We were hooked from the first notes of opener "Noise," but equally thrilled when the band lets loose on "Sneakers," a freeform exploration that reminds us of the Red Crayola. There's even a prescient song about climate change, closer "Polar Ice Caps." 25 years on, the songs have only become more relevant.

Now it can be told: this is Visual Purple.

Preview here:
https://ginkgorecords.bandcamp.com/album/visual-purple