Aqueous’ Mike Gantzer Launches GANTZER Solo Project With Infectious ‘The Comeback Kids’ Single

While Aqueous may be on hiatus, guitarist Mike Gantzer is keeping busy making new music and participating in such projects as Death Kings, Dirty Work and Gantzer’s Pro Skater. Today, Mikey debuts a new solo project dubbed “GANTZER” with the release of the funk-prog fusion single, “The Comeback Kids.”

“The Comeback Kids” is the first of several tracks GANTZER will release throughout the remainder of 2024. Some will feature collaborations with familiar names to Aqueous fans while others will be entirely self-made efforts. “I’ve spent much of the past year writing, recording, collaborating, and honing my chops as an engineer, too- I’ll be releasing a ton of music throughout the year as GANTZER, and have some other exciting announcements coming soon,” Mike Gantzer told JamBase.

The catchy new song, “The Comeback Kids,” builds upon the signature Aqueous sound for which his guitar and voice is such a vital part. Gantzer is joined on the track by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong drummer Alex Petropulos and Twiddle bassist Zdenek Gubb.

“The genesis of the song goes all the way back to the pandemic in 2020, and I wrote most of the instrumental then- eventually I sent it off to both of those fellas with very little instruction, and they sent back something beautiful!” Gantzer explained of a cut he wrote, mixed and mastered himself. “I think great work tends to come from letting artists express themselves in their own unique way, and they knocked it out of the park.”

The words to “The Comeback Kids” are fitting considering the major transition in Gantzer’s life as Aqueous said farewell (for now) after 16 years last August. “Lyrically, the song is about finding new beginnings at any point in life, and learning to let go and trust the path when things are inevitably changing as they do in life,” Mikey added. The sentiment also rings true for Zdenek Gubb with Twiddle on hiatus following 18 years of touring.

Though “The Comeback Kids” hits Spotify and other DSPs next Wednesday, March 17, the track is out today on Bandcamp in honor of Gubb’s birthday.

Stream/download GANTZER’s “The Comeback Kids” featuring Zdenek Gubb and Alex Petropulos below: