Elizabeth & The Catapult
Oct 25, 2010
An active musician since childhood, Elizabeth Ziman trained as a classical pianist until the age of 16, at which point she shifted focus toward her voice. The young artist then joined Patti Austin on tour in 2002, singing background vocals for the soul legend for the next 18 months. Upon her return to New York in 2004, Ziman put together a trio with drummer Danny Molad and guitarist Peter Lalish and the Brooklyn-based Elizabeth & the Catapult was born.
They put out an EP on their own which caught the attention of the folks at Verve and they released their major-label debut effort, "Taller Children," in early 2009. After much touring, the band returned home where Ziman got involved with a commissioned song cycle performance from NPR's John Schaefer at Lincoln Center and she also spent time with Leonard Cohen's "Book of Longing" collection. Both experiences helped to mold the mood and the message in the next batch of songs that would ultimately make up their next album, "The Other Side of Zero."
"I'd hope there's humor to both of our albums, but they're actually quite different from one another," said Ziman. "While 'Taller Children' has the sarcastic lightness of a Woody Allen film, the new record's more in the vein of Kubrick or Lynch. It's a bit darker, a bit more tongue-in-cheek -- another side to who we are."
Unlike their thoroughly rehearsed debut -- an album that took two years to complete -- the "Zero" sessions happened over just one month with producer Tony Berg and such respected sidemen as guitarist Blake Mills and keyboardist Patrick Warren. The result is a raw but beautiful album that reveals the creative growth of Ziman and the band.
Aside from the lead single, "You and Me," several others tracks stand out including "Thank You for Nothing," "Go Away My Lover, "The Horse and the Missing Cart," "Dreamcatcher" and the title track.
"Even the happiest sounding pop songs on this record have a tinge of regret and darkness to them," added Ziman. "And thank goodness for that. Ultimately that's the only way I'd feel comfortable singing them. I'm drawn to the ambiguity like a menacing smile."
Elizabeth And The Catapult are currently on a brief tour before the holidays.
- 10/23 Rockwood Music Hall, New York,
- 10/28 The Red Room @ Cafe 939, Boston
- 11/04 NightCat, Easton, MD
- 11/06 Thunderbird Café, Pittsburgh
- 11/15 Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
- 11/16 Tractor Tavern, Seattle
- 11/18 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
- 11/19 Troubador, West Hollywood, CA
- 11/20 Anthology, San Diego
For more information, visit www.elizabethandthecatapult.com