Ten years ago, Isaac Berkowitz and George Falk developed a fascination with squids.

The Desmond Jones bandmates sought inspiration from the mollusks after Berkowitz watched a documentary on them.

“When we lived in East Lansing, Isaac watched a six-hour-long Nova special on squids and called me to start writing something on that subject,” said Falk, who performs with Berkowitz in the Grand Rapids, Michigan jam band.

“We started with the title, mashed District 9 together with The Abyss, mixed in all the PBS [shows] that I watched as a child, and started writing guitar parts.”

Not long after that, Falk (saxophone, vocals) and Berkowitz (guitar, drums, vocals) penned several squid-themed songs with Desmond Jones’ Christ Bota (guitar, vocals). The trio then shared the songs with bassist Taylor Watson and drummer-vocalist-guitarist John Nowak.

“Once we started writing and playing the first song, we started adding to it pretty quickly,” Falk said. “We have a strong tendency to link our songs together anyhow … and we enjoy the idea of a concept album—the sillier, the better.”

What resulted is a fun, quirky concept album called Squids, which features a sci-fi storyline about alien squids wanting to leave Earth and return home to space.

The otherworldly creatures spend eons living in the oceans and question their purpose while adapting to life on Earth. Over time, the alien squids become weary of terrestrial life and prefer a more peaceful existence in the stars.

“Seeing super-sophisticated behavior out of something that bears so little resemblance to ourselves is fun to think about, especially with some of the bigger octopus species,” Falk said. “They’re up there with the most intelligent species on the planet, but their bodies and lives are very strange to our eyes.”

The album’s five tracks explore the alien squids’ journey through storied lyrics and spirited instrumentation. Infectious elements of prog rock, experimental pop, ambient music, and jazz sonically shift listeners from one track to the next.

To learn more, I spoke with Falk and Nowak about Squids ahead of a February 7 show at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Q: How are things? What’s new with the band in 2025?

John Nowak (JN): 2025 has been good to us so far, but quieter than usual! We took the first few weeks off from gigging to recover from the busy holiday season and focus on spring and summer booking. We just played one of our best Michigan shows ever in Holland at the Park Theatre with Roosevelt Diggs. [We also] have been using our downtime to finish our next single, dust off some old songs, and work on our approach to marketing and development as a band!

Q: How do the album’s intro and interlude—“The Long Path of Time” and “The Long Path of Time (Empty)”— help set the scene for the alien squids’ struggle and determination to return home to space?

George Falk (GF): We figured it would be helpful to tie the songs together and provide a bit more structure to the narrative. They’re [also] a good excuse to make little ambient [music] sections.

Q: “So Deep” explores alien squids leaving loved ones behind, questioning their existence, and searching for a greater purpose. What inspired the philosophical themes on this track?

GF: I feel like we spend a lot of time wondering about how well we know the people around us and how well they know us. What if you’re an idiot, you’re totally wrong, and this really cool person that you’ve been dating is really a squid from space, but they still have feelings for you?

Q: The title track examines how alien squids feel isolated in the ocean and long to return to their origins in space. How does this track serve as a metaphor for rediscovering your identity, longing for freedom, and creating a better future?

GF: There’s always romance in the idea of actually knowing what the purpose of your life is—right? Having some clearly defined goal and being able to see tangible progress toward its completion is pretty hard to come by.

Q: “Squids III” is a thoughtful closer about missing others, waiting for change, and taking risks while making the journey home. It also features a humorous conclusion about making a movie based on Squids and reaping the benefits of it. How does this track help provide closure to the alien squids’ journey home to the stars?

GF: The whole thing is built on the question, “What if the squids were, like aliens, man?” That question is mostly silly but fun to ask, and it has led us to some thoughtful places. But we don’t want to be that thoughtful all the time—we strive for balance.

Q: And speaking of film content, do you plan to make videos for any of the tracks from Squids?

GF: We don’t have any immediate video plans, but we’ve been talking about making it into an ice show for years.

Q: Let’s talk about the creative process for Squids. How did the album’s five tracks come together with producer Kevin McKay at InMuSo Studios in Webberville, Michigan?

JN: We started tracking in July 2022 and wrapped up the album in summer 2024. It was great to finally give these songs the studio finish and hear them cohesively in succession. In the studio, we were able to really dive into the details of these compositions and make sure they were how we wanted them to be presented on the album. We had the bones of these songs for years, and in the studio, we were able to put it all together and make it one distinct project.

Kevin is our longtime collaborator, and he gives us a fresh perspective and set of ears while we are recording. [It’s] so helpful because it’s hard to separate ourselves from the music when we are so deep into it, especially hours and days into a recording session. Kevin has been with us for every album and knows our music as well as we do but can offer a less biased vision and perspective when we need it. We trust him with our music—always!

Q: What was it like to workshop tracks from Squids live on stage before going into the studio?

GF: We had been playing all of these songs for years before we sat down with them in the studio. We didn’t decide to deeply rework any of the tracks; we just got to add in all the fun stuff that we can’t do when we’re running around with only five people.

Q: How do the tracks continue to evolve on stage when you perform them now?

GF: Every Squids [track] is a little bit different—that’s the best part of being with a group that doesn’t mind doing a lot of improvisation. The spoken-word section of the title track is especially fluid since it’s mostly ad-libbed at live shows. This is the first time we’ve had to write something down for that monologue.

Q: What plans do you have for your February 7 show at The Blind Pig with Opal and Rik Strange?

JN: We will be bringing a heavy set of jams, new and old songs, and an epic light show from PIXL8 Productions! We love playing at The Blind Pig and always have a great time.

There will be songs performed that have not been studio-recorded as well as songs from the rest of our catalog reaching back 12 years.

Opal is a great trio that will bring a fun jamtronica vibe to the show. Rik Strange will open things up with their unique blend of indie and rock with a great backing band. Three local bands at one venue—what more could you ask for?

Q: You’re hosting Goose preparty shows on February 13 and February 14 at Founders Taproom in Grand Rapids. What can attendees expect from those two shows?

JN: They’re going to be fun. We’re excited that these are free shows—early from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and all ages—so [they’re] accessible and [within] walking distance from the Goose shows downtown. We will be playing unique sets on both days and taking the opportunity to explore our improvisational jams. [We will] use our full two hours to have fun and be ourselves.

We are very appreciative of the contributions Goose has made to the live music scene by giving their dedicated fan base the opportunity to celebrate live music and spread that enthusiasm to other bands in the scene as well.

Q: What plans do you have for later this year?

JN: We already have our next single, “Park It,” recorded. We will be doing a limited-edition 45 RPM vinyl pressing of the song and releasing it on all streaming platforms to follow. We have a lot of original songs in the canon to be recorded and released. We will also continue to record and release our live sets on Nugs.net and occasional live releases on streaming platforms.

Desmond Jones performs February 7 with Opal and Rik Strange at The Blind Pig, 208 South First Street, Ann Arbor. For tickets, visit TicketWeb. The band also performs February 13 and February 14 for the Goose preparty shows at Founders Taproom, 235 East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue Southwest, Grand Rapids. Both shows are free.