When musicians embark on a tour, the road itself can inspire creativity. For Kenny Korb and Greg Swalen, members of the band The Needs, this tour wasn’t about playing shows—it was an unforgettable cycling journey across America. But the results were the same. What started as an epic bike ride from coast to coast became the foundation for an album unlike any other: Great American Bike Mantras.
The Inspiration Behind the Album
Swalen explains that the album’s inspiration came from an unusual source: the simple act of biking. He has always found himself singing when alone, especially during walks or bike rides. What started as a stream of consciousness while biking through cities, towns, and rural landscapes eventually formed the lyrical backbone of Great American Bike Mantras.
“Most of the time it’s garbled nonsense, gibberish, or a string of words strung together in a stream of consciousness,” Swalen shares. “But when we were on this bike trip, there was so much empty space, so much time to think. These mantras were just my thoughts flowing, whether it was about the kindness of strangers who gave us peaches, or the beauty of the landscape, or the peculiarities of the world around me.”
For him, this cross-country adventure was more than just a physical challenge—it was an emotional and mental journey that echoed through his music. These daily bike rides transformed his fragmented thoughts into raw, personal lyrics that would eventually take shape into songs.
Biking as a Lifelong Passion
The love for biking started long before the cross-country trip. Growing up with club feet, Swalen found that biking was one of the few activities that didn’t cause him pain. In high school, biking gave him the freedom to explore his neighborhood and the world beyond, from trips to New York City to explorations on Long Island. It wasn’t until he met a peer in college who had biked across the country that the idea of such a journey began to feel attainable.
“I thought it was something only a few people had done,” he says. “But when I met someone who was like me, it changed everything. I thought, ‘If he can do it, why can’t I?’”
This spark of inspiration led to the decision to bike across the country in 2013. Korb, a longtime friend and bandmate, joined Greg on the journey. Together, they braved the challenges of living on $23 a day, sleeping in tents, and meeting strangers who shared their path, all while making music along the way.
The Album’s Long Road to Completion
Creating the album wasn’t without its hurdles. Though the songs were written during the bike trip, it took six years before they started recording in earnest. Greg and Kenny’s lives evolved—new musical projects, personal changes, and relocating to different parts of the country delayed progress. It wasn’t until 2019 that they finally began recording Great American Bike Mantras, and it took another four years to bring it to completion, with contributions from friends like Noah, who played cello, and a group of musicians who helped flesh out the sound.
“We had all these grand ideas for the album, like recording it in reverse order and incorporating lots of complex arrangements,” Swalen admits. “But eventually, we just got caught up in the momentum of life. It wasn’t until we really committed to it that it started to take shape.”
Despite the long delays, the final product is an album that encapsulates the experience of their ride. From the repetitive, hypnotic rhythms that reflect the simplicity of cycling, to the raw, unpolished lyrics that capture the spontaneity of their thoughts, Great American Bike Mantras is a snapshot of a time when the world seemed endless and full of possibilities.
The Bike Mantra Concept
The title of the album—Great American Bike Mantras—perfectly encapsulates the songwriting process. For Swalen, writing while cycling meant that the music had to be simple, repetitive, and reflective of the steady rhythm of pedaling. He often found himself singing the same verse for hours, committing it to memory as he rode through miles of open country.
“These songs were written without instruments,” Greg explains. “I would just sing them to myself while biking, and when we stopped, Kenny would bring his ukulele, and we’d start adding musical layers. The simplicity of the process influenced the simplicity of the songs. There were no fancy chords or complex structures—just the rhythm of my legs and the flow of my thoughts.”
Korb, on the other hand, was equally inspired by the limitations imposed by the journey. He didn’t bring his usual guitar on the trip but instead used a cheap ukulele strapped to his bike.
“It forced me to focus on the essence of the song,” Korb says. “Sometimes limitations are the best thing for creativity.”
The Road Trip That Shaped the Record
The bike trip across the country was filled with strange encounters, memorable experiences, and moments of pure joy. From biking through the stormy plains of the Midwest to the breathtaking views of the West Coast, Swalen and Korb collected stories that became integral to the album.
One moment that stands out to Swalen is encountering a man walking across the country with a goat in the emptiness of Eastern Colorado, an experience that became part of the tapestry of their journey.
“It felt like every mile was a new story, a new adventure,” Swalen says. “We were young, living off of dollar meals, and we were so filled with excitement. The novelty of it all made every challenge seem worth it. We weren’t doing it to prove something, but because the adventure itself was enough.”
What They Hope People Take Away
While the album was born out of their personal experiences, both musicians hope that listeners can connect to the feelings of adventure, youth, and discovery that permeate the record.
“I hope it inspires people to take their own journey, whether that’s on a bike, in life, or just exploring the world around them,” Korb says.
The Future of The Needs
Though the album is out and available on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp, the duo isn’t currently touring. Swalen, who now has a young daughter, is focusing on family life, while Korb is toying with the idea of creating a graphic novel based on the bike trip. As they continue to create music in a new band (with no name yet), they are already dreaming of future adventures.
For Swalen, that could mean more family bike tours. “I’m thinking of biking the Empire State Trail with my family, making our way from Buffalo to Pittsburgh,” he says. “That’s the kind of future I’m daydreaming about.”
As for Korb? He’s taking his time, knowing it may take another decade to turn his graphic novel idea into reality. “I took 10 years to finish the album,” he laughs. “Maybe it’ll take 10 more to finish the book!”
No matter what comes next, Great American Bike Mantras will remain a testament to the power of cycling, music, and friendship—a story told one pedal stroke at a time.
You can find the album on Bandcamp and stream it on Spotify.
