Before I started Afflicted By Design I had always been the bass player in the band. I love playing bass, and have been playing bass since I was a young teen, but I wanted to try something different. Inspired by Tim Skold when he did Shotgun Messiah and Skold, I decided to put down the bass and try my hand at writing my own songs, being the lead singer and playing guitar. Like Skold I wrote and recorded an Ep, but I didn't realize how difficult it was to write lyrics. The music for the next Afflicted By Design EP is all recorded, but the lyrics� not so much.

So, while I'm writing lyrics for the next Afflicted By Design EP, I thought recording cover songs would be a good way to learn how other bands approach lyrics, while giving me time to complete work on the new, original songs. When I decided I was going to do covers, I decided that the songs had to be meaningful. The bands and songs that Afflicted By Design covers had to have influenced and inspired me as both as a musician and a fan.

Recording the single "This Is Not A Love Song" was special for a couple reasons. First, I am a huge fan of Public Image Ltd. Most people listen to PIL because of Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols, but for me PIL came first, and "This Is Not A Love Song" was my introduction to the band and to the world of post-punk. One of the stories behind "This Is Not A Love Song" says that after releasing 3 albums, John Lydon was approached by the record company and was told that they need to write a hit and it should be a love song. "This Is Not A Love Song" was a middle finger to the record company and turned out to be a hit single for the band.

Secondly, "This Is Not A Love Song" reunited me with my former Otto's Daughter bandmates Jacqueline Van Bierk and Jim Robbins. Otto's Daughter was a cyber-pop industrial band I played with in the beginning of the 2000s. Since leaving the band we've remained friends, and every time we see each other Jacqueline and I talk about playing together. When I started recording "This Is Not A Love Song" I immediately thought that it would be perfect for Jacqueline and Jim. I've played with many bands but I don't think I ever formed such close friendships, and had so much in common, and had as much fun, as I did with Otto's Daughter. It was a special privilege for me to play with them again.