Catatonic

Interview by Randy Mallett

July 2009

(Click to listen to Catatonic's "Coffee Soma Coma")

BP: So how is Catatonic these days?

Lance: Catatonic is doing well. We are very very close to finishing our second album.

We are just waiting on the masters.

BP: You guys started out in Cape Girardeau, MO, and played for how many

years there...?

Lance: At least a good three years. The guys played around before I joined the band

but I'm not exactly sure how long before.

BP: And after a while, it seemed you guys wanted to change course.

Perhaps the first step in the band's transition was getting a new lead

vocalist though. Jeff, what was it like bringing Lance into the band?

Jeff: Lance changed the band in every way. He offered us a new direction and the

ability to write the songs we had always wanted to create. He is a melody machine and one of the best writers I have met.

BP: You may not remember, but my old band was actually on the bill with you guys for Lance's first show. He seemed a little shy on stage at first but that changed didn't it?

Jeff: Lance only started off shy because he had two weeks to prepare. He has since become a frontman that owns the stage and the audience. Our live show continues to get better each time we play...and our most recent show in Chicago...made a HUGE STATEMENT!!

BP: So we all know Catatonic said its goodbyes to Cape Girardeau and moved to Chicago. Where you just getting bored with the local scene or local venues?

Lance: No! Definitely not getting bored. The Cape scene has always been great to us and has treated us well. We felt that we needed to broaden our fan base and the best way to do that is to move to a place with more people. We always love coming home though.

Jeff: We just felt like there wasn't enought people to play in front of in Cape. Every show we played, we would see the same lovely people. In Chicago, we are always exposing ourselves to new fans everytime we play. The potential in a top-three market is something we were interested in exploring.

BP: What were some of the immediate differences in moving to a larger music scene?

Lance: Well initially it was much tougher getting paid for gigs. Not a lot of venues want to give garauntees to bands that don't have a proven draw plus it was also hard jumping on shows because we were not friends with many bands in the locals scene. Since then it has been great networking with bands and proven songwriters/producers such as Gino Lenardo (from Filter) and Tim Patalan (producer of Love Drug, Tap Root, Sponge, etc...)

BP: How are the fans and 'scene-goers' in Chicago compared to down South?

Lance: Fans seem to be way more fickle. With the plethora of other bands to compete with one must really prove themselves, which is somehing I feel has happend in the past four or five months.

Jeff: The kids up here are so interested in finding new music and finding a band first. They want to be a part of something from the start.

BP: Explain your music to us. I know that's easier said than done, but besides being a "rock" band, you guys have some ambient/alternative stuff in there. How do you describe it?

Lance: A fan once said somewhere between bluegrass and death metal. I liked that. Others have said Queens Of The Stone Age meets David Bowie meets Muse, but if you really wanna know...listen. Then you can tell us.

Jeff: Our music has changed quite a bit since leaving MO. There are some old songs on the new record...but the new ones have a new vibe.

BP: You list the Beatles and Radiohead as influences on your MySpace page. I can definitely sense some of that in your music. Is that intentional or does it just come out that way?

Jeff: We don't sound like the Beatles, but they are such great songwriters that we tend to look at their progressions and structures as an influence. I'd say we are influenced by everything, and I think our new record proves it. There are many styles to be found in our music.

BP: So tell us about playing with Sponge and Taproot.

Jeff: Ummm....they were super cool guys...and really gave us respect since we worked with the same producer. Taproot has since asked us onto bills in Chicago.

BP: Awesome! And what was it like working with Geno Lenardo?

Jeff: Geno is a very talented man. He brought us into an amazing studio in downtown Chicago and surrounded us with creative people. He actually used to play bass for Chevelle.......so he played bass on four songs for the new record. Since the recording we have a permanant replacement in Tim Ficker. He plays bass with a pick and we like it that way.

BP: So when will the new cd be ready?

Jeff: The new record has been talked about and rumored about for two years. So much time has passed because we were going through some things and we worked with three different producers. The songs are ready, the album artwork is in the works. I would expect it to be in stores and iTunes by August.

BP: What can we expect from Catatonic in the future? Chicago dominance? Major label notoriety? A return to Cape?

Jeff: You can expect a new record.....and probably another one early in 2010. We are planning a tour to promote it. We will shop this new record to labels...but our intentions are to make money through all avenues. We have a publishing contract with Hitt Music Group in L.A., which allows us to be placed onto movies, tv shows, and video games. A permanent return to Cape isn't in the stars, but we love coming back to play shows and catch up with friends.

BP: Anything else you guys want to say before we go?

Jeff: Our new bass player, Tim Ficker, says hi. (And) please take the time to visit myspace.com/catatonicmusic

We love everyone....look for new everything......THIS SUMMER!

BP: Alright that's it! Thanks so much for the interview. It's always great talking to you guys. Keep up the good work.

Jeff: Cheers!

(Pics courtesy of Catatonic)

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