The latest from Catch & Release
Deep Breath recorded near Joshua Tree, CA in April, 2023
Ever since Catch & Release's good friend Pat Kearns and his wife Susan moved to the desert near Joshua Tree in 2016 to open up Goat Mountain Recording, we have talked about going south to visit and record. Was it the mystique of the desert that had proved inspirational to artists as varied as Gram Parsons and U2? The novelty of a solar-powered studio? A desire to work with Pat again? Probably a mix of all three, and the idea of a music-driven adventure.
In the fall of 2022, we began meeting in Doug Mateer's home studio to hammer out a few songs we'd already written and build the foundations for some new numbers. Our last recording, Riverbound, had been pieced together during the COVID-19 pandemic, often with only one or two band members present in the studio at a time. We hoped to make our next effort – which would come to be called Deep Breath – a more stripped-down effort, with fewer overdubs and more of a live sound. We could allocate four days for recording—six songs seemed to be a slightly ambitious goal, but possible. So, we settled in and fleshed the tunes out.
In early April of 2023, Doug set out for Joshua Tree in his Chevy pickup, bearing guitars, cymbals and other musical ephemera. The other band members flew to Ontario, CA and headed east to Joshua Tree. Pat worked tirelessly over four days to get all of the tracks down, even overcoming a system outage on the final day to record the last vocals. (Thanks, Susan, for your technical assistance!) Pat also helped arrange an acoustic gig for us at the Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown, a great venue. Pat and Susan provided not only encouragement but sustenance during our stay; before we departed, Pat even took us to the actual site of Gram Parsons' (highly illegal) "cremation" in Joshua Tree National Park.
We hope you enjoy Deep Breath. We surely enjoyed creating it.
Keith Carlson: Bass
Doug Mateer: Drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, melodica
Sloan Morris: Guitar, mandolin, vocals
Chris Santella: Guitar, vocals
Mateer/Santella
Inspired by the Laurel Canyon sound of the early 70's, Deep Breath celebrates resilience in the face of uncertainly and doubts.
Morris
We are all eventually going to walk through that door to the next phase of existence. This rocker encourages listeners to make the most of the time we have in this one.
Mateer/Santella
Doug had written a chordal progression that alluded to some strains from the Eagle's song "Hotel California." The protagonists in that song were apparently having a bad stay; Chris's lyrics look at more modern-day adventure…that could go either way.
Morris/Santella
The gap between haves and have-nots in America is approaching record levels. The Friedman Doctrine, which espoused the notion that the only responsibility of a business is to maximize its revenue and increase returns to shareholders, certainly has contributed to the marginalization of millions of less-skilled workers…who, thanks to poor compensation, must live in their cars.
Santella
There's a long tradition of bluegrass songs capturing the struggles and rewards of coal mining. Why not one for this more contemporary form of mining?
Santella
As a society, we've become much more inclined to talk rather than listen. Keith's bass line will make it easier to listen to this number. (Thanks to Nathan Morris, Sloan's son, for the title inspiration!)
Recording at Goat Mountain Recording
Landers, CA, April 5-8, 2023
Catch & Release is a Portland, Oregon-based band that formed in 2009. Keith Carlson, Sloan Morris and Chris Santella had been playing together in another band that broke up. With a benefit gig they'd committed to imminent, they found a local drummer – Doug Mateer – to fill in. The quartet soon found they had a musical affinity, and became Catch & Release (Chris is a passionate angler). Since forming, Catch & Release has recorded six albums and played gigs across Oregon, and in California, Washington and Idaho. We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to meet and play music together, build friendships and hopefully bring some joy to those who've heard us play.
