Leave it to Jon Caspi to turn an off-putting medical scare into an off-kilter singalong. The latest single from the durable New Jersey-based rocker and his backup band, the First Gun, tells the true story of a dizzy spell that sent Caspi spiraling through a gauntlet of alarming, ultimately incorrect medical diagnoses. Featuring guest vocals from dB’s cofounder Peter Holsapple, the song appears on Airport Plaza II, the second installment in a planned trio of self-released EPs that will be collected as a vinyl release later in the year.
“Though the song has some humor in it, the event that inspired the song was quite serious,” says Caspi. “I try to write about the things that are difficult in life—to turn them from negatives into something, hopefully, positive.”
“My Shrinking Brain” is yet another chapter in a long and winding career that stretches from Caspi’s college-radio success with late-’80s new wavers Bouncing Off Bob to his current role fronting one of the Garden State’s most enduring roots/punk bands. Along the way, he’s shared stages with everyone from Bruce Springsteen and the Wallflowers to X and Psychedelic Furs.
For Caspi, the video for “My Shrinking Brain” was a “no brainer” (pun intended). “The song has become a favorite with our audiences,” he says. “They’re all singing about their shrinking brains, which is weird. And pretty funny actually.”
Produced by Aaron Triolo, the clip follows Caspi’s medical misadventures, with Holsapple stepping into the role of a particularly judgmental physician.
“I had such fun working on it, in part because nobody ever asks me to sing on their records,” says Holsapple. “Healthcare rock? Why the hell not?”
First Gun bassist Doug Lane perhaps sums it up best: “I learned that all of our brains are shrinking, which explains a lot.”
We’re proud to premiere the video for Jon Caspi & The First Gun’s “My Shrinking Brain.”
—Hobart Rowland
