The Katch

Take five guys whom all bring their own style to a band add in an eclectic amount of talents and influences then you will have the band, Katch. With a mixture of blues, rock, southern rock, and folk, Katch promises to be one entertaining band.

I recently spent some time via online with one of the band members, Rich, who was more than willing to share with us more about the band.

Here is what formulated.

Michael Evangelista - Acoustic and electric guitars, harmonicas, vocals.

Rich Nielsen - Keyboards, vocals.

Joel Conner - Percussion par excellence.

Matt Zweifel - Bass, guitar.

Jim Baker - Guitars, mandolin, Dobro.

Isaac: What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?

Richard: The name of our band is "The Katch". We spent many an email tossing names around until our drummer, Joel, came up with the Katch. I think the name kind of speaks for itself and the spider web is our logo. The "K" could symbolize the initial of our town, Kanab, but I'm not sure that is what Joel had in mind when he thought of it. Before Joel joined our band, we had gone by the name, "Out of The Blue".

Isaac: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

Richard: I would consider our music to be Alternative Rock. Though, we would also probably fit under Folk Rock and Blues. My influences were The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Zeplin, Yes, and many of the 60's bands. I know Jim, our lead guitarist, leans towards Southern Rock, like the Almond Brothers and Skynyrd. Michael has such a wide range that he doesn't really lay claim to any influences, and Matt I would say would be more in the jazz fusion to almost anything in classic rock and blues. Joel probably leans towards the classic rock influence as well.

Isaac: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

I've known Michael, our guitarist and vocalist, for about 8 years. We met through other local musicians at a recording studio. Jim owns an automotive business in town and we had both known him because of his great work and reputation. We also met Matt at local "Open Mics" and later we met Joel through a local photo business.

Isaac: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

Richard: We started playing as a band about 2 years ago. Michael and I had already spent years writing and recording together so I think the music inspired us to keep evolving and to find other musicians who had the same mind-set.

Isaac: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

Richard: Michael and I have performed for years at local gigs like the Open Mic's. The other members of the band have also performed for many years as solo acts and with other bands in bars and other events. Our favorite venues are the ones where people are there to have a good time and can interact with the band in a laid-back atmosphere. Our first gig as "The Katch" is scheduled for a benefit concert for the Kanab Humane Society, Sept. 20th, 2008 at the Frontier Movie Town in Kanab. It will be an outdoor concert starting about 3pm in the afternoon.

Isaac: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?

Richard: We play our original material starting with the most popular songs off our CD. We seldom play copy songs, but do have a few like "Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Stones, and "I Got a Line on You" by Spirit. Our first 2 sets are the usual set list but we are always open to changes when we start to "feel" the crowd.

Isaac: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

Richard: We all write music to some degree, Michael and I write the majority, while Matt and Jim add some nice variety. Our themes also have a wide range. Sometimes political and sometime just about truth and love. I think the topics will always change over time depending on what is influencing our lives at the moment.

Isaac: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

Richard: We get together every chance we get! Sometimes we go twice a week and sometimes we skip a couple of weeks depending on our schedules. We either work on our recordings or we work on our performance.

Isaac: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Richard: I would say it has evolved in many ways. Our styles have blended into one distinct style. For one thing, we have all upgraded our equipment, which has made a big difference in the over-all quality of the sound, and our songs have become more defined as far as the structure goes. We've gone from a one or two piece folk act, to a diversified, full fledged, rock band.

Isaac: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Richard: I think the biggest challenge has been to find the time to get together. We have families and businesses and between 5 guys, it can be a real struggle to get together twice, or even once a week! I think everyone has really made the band more of a priority lately and the enthusiasm has increased more than in the past. We're also very excited to finish our CD and to play our first gig next month. So, just getting things done has helped us to move in the right direction.

Isaac: What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?

Richard: I think we all have different wants and needs as far as the music and the band goes. We mostly just want to have fun and share the music with friends and family. In general, we're not out for fame and fortune, but if it happens to come along, I don't think anyone would complain. I think the "ultimate" direction would be to keep evolving and perfect the music.

Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

Richard: Yes! Our website is www.thekatchband.com or our MySpace page is www.myspace.com/thekatch We also have an MP3 download site at our album page at www.songcastmusic.com/profiles/TheKatch

Isaac: Any last words?

Richard: Just thanks to you Isaac and hope you all enjoy the music!


- Juniors Cave