(Photo Credit - James Oswald)
We caught up with alt-country artist Chris Catalena on the heels of his self-titled release for an Artist Spotlight interview. Check out our interview below!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
"I started piano lessons at age 5, dropped those for guitar lessons at age 12, and I have not been right ever since."
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
"Songs come from sometimes very obvious places and sometimes subconscious and mysterious places. If I knew how to catch a good song like a great fisherman would catch a fish, I certainly would keep it a secret. Only thing I can say about it is that the good ones come like a ghost in the night, and spook the shit out of you when you find em."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
"Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, and John Prine probably the most. Gold Standard."
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
"My acoustic guitar is a Takamine, and according to the guy I got it from, it was played by a guitarist who played with Ernest Tubbs’ Troubadors and Bob Will’s Texas Playboys. So that's pretty special."
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
"I proselytize ‘keep it chill’ anytime I go out and perform live. Honestly if a venue has good parking, that's my favorite, a good parking lot is keen."
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
"Don't panic, if you don't like this album, my next one will probably be better, but I hope you like this one too."
7. Can you tell us about the writing, recording, and promotion process of your self-titled release?
"Wrote almost all these songs on a horse ranch, doing hard labor running a tractor and a chainsaw. Was able to buy my studio time by painting the producers house, and drove Lyft for hundreds of hours to scrape up enough money to hire the best publicists I could find. It is all blood, sweat and tears."