Album Notes

"... 'ICU In Dandylions' explodes into a rainbow of emotions....
one of those scarce indie pop albums that fashions on groups like The Beatles and Kinks rather than just pay tribute to them." Ron Swarner/The Weekly Volcano

Mix The Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper', Bob Dylan's 'Blood On The Tracks', a recovering heroin addict, the faith and love of a child and the power of music and you get the new CD 'ICU In Dandylions' by Northwest singer-songwriter-musician-producer Regan Lane and his band BrokenNess.

The seed for the idea of the band name BrokenNess was first planted in Regan Barger's head in a drug and alcohol treatment center as an in joke to describe the physical, emotional and spiritual health of the general population. Gallows humor. When Regan returned from his 28 day sabbatical with a new outlook on life he enlisted the help of his songwriting partner, best friend and bass player extraordinaire Ray Hartman and drummer/percussionist Dane Estepa to create ICU In Dandylions, a collection of songs from the previous years experiences. The songs that had been written are snapshots of those times {drugs, divorce, parenting his daughter and search for self and God along with some of the various characters that had crossed Regan's path} and new songs were added to reflect the uncertain yet bright future. Regan explains
:
In the early fall of 2000 my then four year old daughter Moyra and I were driving past a 7/11 on the way to Grandma Nikki's house when she blurted out " I see you in dandelions daddy". I proceeded to tell her that was silly, but she insisted. "No daddy, it's true. I see you in dandelions, and Kali saw you too!"{Kali is my niece and my daughters buddy}
That statement from my daughter {and the conviction behind it} swirled around in my head for a couple of days. And then on a Saturday evening I sat down with my acoustic guitar, and the song just came out.
The simple words from my daughter were a turning point in my recovery. I see it as divine intervention. The story of the dandelion, which after dying and being spread across the skies yet coming back stronger than ever, became my story.
A rebirth.
Nominated for CD Of The Year for 2003 on Kweevak.com ICU In Dandylions has been met with unanimous critical acclaim for the concept and songwriting,{As individual songs these cuts shine with intelligence and dedicated pop sensibilities. As a collection, this record is a work of art. IndieMusicReview.com} the vocals {Barger has an absolutely amazing voice, sonorous and melancholy...his music just dominates a room._Holly Day_MusicDish.com} and the musicianship {incredible bass lines, energized guitars, precise percussion._ Laura Turner Lynch_Kweevak.com}.

If you love classic British style pop in the vein of The Beatles, Crowded House or XTC you will LOVE the new BrokenNess CD. So don't be shy. Buy a copy for yourself and be inspired. Or buy a copy for someone who is going through some tough times and show him or her that people can escape the traps that we all fall into from time to time.
Since there inception, and more so now with the release of ICU In Dandylions, BrokenNess' music has become a mantra of hope, not only for it's members but for anyone that has struggled with who they are and where they are headed.