The father-son duo of Dan Cote and 13-year-old Parker Daniel Cote released their debut album The Spotless Mind last week with a private concert on their front porch for family and friends.
"It's about finding peace and sanity in this crazy world with the power of love, hope, perseverance and a little help from your friends," Dan Cote said.
That Dan Thing isn't Dan's first band. His performance last Saturday was one of his first in nine years.
Cote moved to Imperial Beach from Coronado with members of his band Channel Zero moved into a house on 7th Street in 1989.
In the 1990s he was part of Blow Hole, then Waxing Pathetic, who received a San Diego Music Award nomination.
He has made music that appeared on shows on television as well as for independent skate and surf videos.
A car accident in 1995 sidelined his playing with bands.
Cote said he sustained head injuries which led to hallucinations, panic attacks, depression and psychotic features. The love and support of his wife Julia and family helped him recover, Cote said, and eventually music.
As his health improved, so did Patrick's ability musical talents, learning to play the guitar, piano and other instruments.
That Dan Thing grew out of a project to make a school song for Imperial Beach Elementary School in 2008.
Songs made to raise funds for other local schools like St. Charles Catholic School got Dan back in the studio after years away.
Before their first album was released earlier this month, a charity performance was held at The Museum School in downtown San Diego where Patrick and his sister Natalie attend school.
Patrick's final school project was about making an independent album. The band's logo was also made by Patrick in his art class at school.
The Spotless Mind was produced with the help of musician Jeff Forrest, Dan and Parker recorded songs, and includes backup vocals singing from in some songs from Julia and Natalie.
The album's bonus track is an unofficial song for the video game Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars and was derived from a Ramones song.
"We took chords from another song and just sort of switched them around, in this case it was Blitzkreig Bop," Patrick said.
When the band isn't playing together, songs by The Beatles, The Shins, Jack White and Death Cab for Cutie can be heard in the Cote house.
In the future the band may go on tour playing at farmers markets and other venues, Dan said.
