“New American Dream is a lockdown-inspired remotely-organized platonic musical orgy, says John. The idea started in March during self-isolation in a 100 year-old stone hut near Palm Springs.  Bored and depressed, I reached out to a variety of musical friends who sent me instrumental tracks which I could write melody and lyrics to - kind of like the Surrealist drawing game Exquisite Corpse.  The album idea came as the songs piled up. I even contacted a stranger in the South of France on Instagram, Izae, because I liked his cover of a Hedwig song and we ended up writing two songs on the album. Like the old story about the Stone Soup where strangers throw whatever food item they possessed into a communal pot, old friends and new donated vocals, overdubs, mixing, mastering, video production, art and publicity. Soon I realized we had a double album that could benefit the various charities that I’ve been helping through this dark time with Hedwig merch sales. It’s been such a comfort to us and we hope others will feel it too and add to the pot for the benefit of those in need.”