This album came together in a simple, very human way: ideas jotted in computer notes, riffs captured on Voice Memos, then shaped into real songs. After talking with John Michael about keeping a solo album focused, I aimed for ten tracks — tight enough to listen to in one sitting, and honest enough to reflect the times we’re living in. These songs grew from recent thoughts in what feels like the most difficult stretch of my lifetime: moody but fun, dark and rough around the edges, yet driven by hooks and catchy lines.

A few plans to record with friends fell through, so I ended up writing, recording, and producing the whole album myself — with one beautiful exception: “NOPE.” I posted a verse on Facebook, Patrick True and Deej Davis jumped in with verses of their own, and the song turned into a real-time, long-distance collaboration. Neil Bettencourt later added drums, giving it extra lift and urgency. The record lands right where I hoped: one slow tune, a few mid-tempo, mostly uptempo, some “oooohs” and “la la la’s,” a touch of reggae-ish flavor, and a lot of heart.

Written, recorded, and produced by Greg Brown.
10 songs / 32:10.
Thanks for listening — I hope this feels like a journey that holds onto hope, even in times like these.

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SideTracks is my collection of musical detours – riffs, ideas, and stories that stepped off the main road but refused to be forgotten. Recorded in my home studio in Santa Cruz, these tracks blend rootsy rock, funk, jam-band explorations, and a touch of prog and psychedelia, with plenty of room for groove and improvisation.

Most of the instruments and vocals are me, stitched together from late-night inspirations, old notebook scribbles, and half-remembered voice memos that finally found their way into full songs. SideTracks is for anyone who’s ever taken the long way home on purpose – a soundtrack for the side roads, back alleys, and quiet in-between moments where the real stories live.

If you want a super-short version for the top line, you could use:
“A collection of grooves, jams, and late-night song ideas that took the scenic route from my Santa Cruz studio to your ears.”

Jingo

I've Grown Everywhere

Fortune Cookie Wisdom

Lost My Best Friend

Beloved Infidel

One Of Us

JVM rehearsal 11-29-25

JVM rehearsal 12-6-25

Cover of Coldplay's "Gravity", an unreleased B-Side from "X&Y". This is my first cover of a song and it was done primarily to test new recording equipment and recording of a real piano. Enjoy!

Coldplay- Gravity [Cover]

Tried to start a progish band. This was one of two jams.

Victor's Theme

Welcome to the music of Greg Brown.
Home to Greg’s solo work, The Village Green, and the Pur'p'l Tur't'lz Archives – more than 2,100 tracks (and counting), with 33,600 plays in 2024 and over 108,000 total listens so far.

This is an archive of old and new, a treasure trove of live shows and studio recordings. Dive into decades of songs, jams, experiments, and deep cuts.

The Pur'p'l Tur't'lz Archives are free to listen to and download. Much of Stephen Bryant’s spirit lives here: his writing and rambling notes are on every song and show he uploaded. Steve passed in 2018, but he lives on in this archive – “in the cloud,” as his mother would say.

Greg Brown – keyboards, guitar, bass, vocals, production
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.brown.888

Stephen Bryant (RIP) – bass, vocals, music production
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004250059050&fref=ts

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Greg Brown (Santa Cruz)