The Promised Land (2025)
Our first successful AI reconstruction - a complete reimagining of the lost track “New Pine Overcoat.” This represents the culmination of months of experimenting with Suno AI, feeding the system Charlie’s original chord progressions, lyrical fragments, and musical memories.
Music industry professionals have praised its “authentic neo-soul appeal” and emotional resonance. The track transforms Charlie’s darker original themes into a message of hope and searching - exactly what the project represents.
Stream “The Promised Land”:
🎵 Spotify • 🍎 Apple Music • ▶️ YouTube Music • 🎧 Amazon Music • 🎸 Deezer • 🎹 Tidal
The Restoration Process
Each reconstruction begins with Charlie’s original musical DNA - handwritten chord progressions, lyrical fragments, and the band’s collective memories of his vocal patterns and guitar work. The AI fills in the gaps, but the creative foundation is entirely human.
— David Marsden | Read the full technical story
From analog decay to digital resurrection: Every few years, David revisits the digitized versions of all their old demo and home recording tapes, using the latest free tools available. What started with Audacity has evolved into sophisticated AI-powered reconstruction using Suno, Bandlab, and decades of audio restoration experience.
AI Reconstructions
New Pine Overcoat (AI Reconstruction)
The direct AI interpretation of Charlie’s original demo - darker and more introspective than “The Promised Land,” this version stays closer to his original vision while bringing modern production values.
Listen on: 🎺 Bandcamp
New Pine Overcoat (Special Brew Remix)
Our experimental AI variation - what happens when you feed the reconstruction back into Suno AI and ask it to reimagine the song completely.
— David Marsden | Technical details
Listen on: 🎺 Bandcamp
Original Recordings (1995-1996)
The few surviving fragments from Hovercraft’s original incarnation. These recordings are the source material for our AI reconstructions - precious artifacts from a brief but intense creative period.
— David Marsden | Band history
New Pine Overcoat (Original Demo)
The 1996 original that started everything. Charlie’s raw songwriting captured on 16-track, before the band’s dissolution and his disappearance. This is what we’re trying to reconstruct and expand upon.
Listen on: 🎺 Bandcamp
The Lost Catalog
These are the songs we’re working to reconstruct. Each exists only in fragments - chord progressions, partial lyrics, half-remembered melodies. Through AI technology, we’re bringing them back to life.
Songs in Development:
- “Mr Tooting Brown” - The breakthrough track that put them on local charts
- “Angel” - Charlie’s complex exploration of relationship dynamics
- “Superman” - Themes of identity and heroism
- “Cool Jerk” - Their electrifying take on the soul classic
- “I Got My Mojo Workin'" - Hovercraft’s blues interpretation
— David Marsden | Technical challenges
The original lyrics reveal Charlie’s prescient understanding of the music industry’s pressures - themes that resonate even more strongly in the AI age.
The Complete Catalog
Original Recordings (1995-1996): Mr Tooting Brown • From The Cradle • Now You’re God • Killer Blues • Pass The Night Nurse • Superman
AI Reconstructions (2025): From The Rehab To The Refurb • Chilled Out Lamppost Wanted • Back From The Grave • Re:Creation
Featured Tracks on Streaming: “The Promised Land” available on all major platforms
More reconstructed songs coming as we continue to piece together Hovercraft’s lost catalog.
If you have any memories, recordings, or information about Hovercraft’s original music, please get in touch. Every fragment helps us reconstruct what was lost.