Psych

JULY 28, 2006
FLY ON THE WALL: BEHIND THE MUSIC

by Tim Meltreger

If it's remarkable that the Psych theme marks the first time in television history a show's creator has penned and performed its theme song, it's miraculous that "I Know, You Know" was ever recorded at all, because the story of Steve Franks and his band, The Friendly Indians, is harrowing by any standard.

It's a story of loss and redemption; of music and madness; and incredibly, it takes place over the course of a single day.

This is the story of the music of Psych.

Orange County's Friendly Indians burst onto the scene of the recording studios of Elicit Music, a Los Angeles recording complex, in the mid-morning hours late last Spring. It was arrival marked by triumph; a result of the tremendous struggle and sacrifice of five friends bound by their love music and their willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed.

"Oh, we definitely paid some dues getting up there," drummer Jason Barrett recalls. "First, my alarm didn't go off, and then there was a SigAlert on the 60 and I had to take the 10 instead. That trip is just a blur. All the towns start to look the same after a while. But we had to make it. Failure was never an option."

In a fortuitous twist of fate, the band caught the attention of Elicit owner Rob Hoffman, who was seated in the control room. Hoffman, whose work with luminaries Christina Aguilera and Quincy Jones honed his eye for talent, was struck by the scrappy little band, and immediately turned to producer Liam Davis, who had flown in for the session from Chicago and was seated next to him at the mixing board.

"There was just something about them," said Hoffman.

Work began immediately on "I Know, You Know", and soon the band was riding high. Bolstered by the success of initial takes, the Friendly Indians became known throughout the room for their musical chops and ability to follow directions. But before long, tensions began to surface.

"Steve was on the phone all the time, talking to his people, making script changes for an episode they were shooting up in Canada," remembers rhythm guitarist Greg Jackson. "And then out of the blue, they decided to replace my Fender rig with a Marshall."

"That was the hardest decision we ever had to make. That gear had been with us since earlier that morning, man," adds bassist Ken Dusman, "but it had to be done."

Meanwhile, another tragedy was brewing elsewhere in the control room, as drummer Jason Barrett sunk began a downward spiral of addiction to fun size candy bars and bottled water.

"All I know is that I woke up in Ken's arms and my face was covered in chocolate. It was weird," said Barrett.

"I had to give him the Heimlich," responded Dusman, "He was choking on his own puke."

Unwilling to see his masterwork compromised, Franks threw himself into the recording, even going as far as to have an adult-sized sandbox installed in the vocal booth to offset the pressure brought on by ever-increasing demands. But it all became too much, and at the suggestion of Davis, the band retreated to an ashram in northern India for some much-needed contemplation with the Maharishi.

Unbeknownst to the group, however, real enlightenment came shortly thereafter when their private plane made a crash landing at the Burbank airport. It was a terrifying ordeal, but it gave renewed urgency to the five musicians' commitment to each other -- and their destiny to create the greatest TV theme song of their generation.

"I don't know who said it, but a band divided cannot stand," Jackson recalls. "At that moment, we knew it, and by the middle of the afternoon, we had the tune nailed. You can just hear it. We just sat around and looked at each other. All I could say was, 'dude'."

Today, the Friendly Indians tune in to Psych every week to hear their song. Some of them even TiVo the show and watch it twice. It may only clock in under 30 seconds or so, but to members of the band, "I Know, You Know" is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder of a day last April when all was lost, but everything was gained.

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