Elizabeth & the Catapult 'Taller Children' album

Take a clear and powerful voice, add a memorable melody and set it to unique, sophisticated harmonies, and what emerges is Elizabeth & the Catapult’s singular sound. At a time when so much music is saturated with familiarity, the band’s style, which Northeast Performer describes as “a mixture of organic jazz, rock and pop,” is a welcome departure from a well-beaten path. Comprised of Elizabeth Ziman (vocals, keys), Danny Molad (drums), and Peter Lalish (guitar), Elizabeth & the Catapult came into existence in 2004.

In less than two years since their move to New York, Elizabeth and the Catapult has already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. In May and August of 2006 they were featured in WNYC’s “Soundcheck” as well as PRI’s “Fair Game with Faith Salie” At the end of the year they were dubbed by NPR as “One of the Best Discoveries of 2006.” The Catapult have had residencies at clubs such as the Living Room and Rockwood Music Hall, and after opening for national headliners like Jessie Harris, Kirk Kirkwood (of the Meat Puppets fame), The Wood Brothers (of Medeski, Martin, and Wood), and Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls) there was enough buzz about them to support a tour and label interest on the West Coast. All of this success also earned them a place as the Billboard Underground Artist for last October.

Bound by a common love of eclectic influences, Elizabeth & the Catapult draws inspiration from artists such as Tom Waits, David Byrne, Joni Mitchell, and Jon Brion—as well as classical influences such as Debussy, Ravel and Chopin. One explanation for the band’s musical diversity is Elizabeth Ziman’s musical background. She was trained as a classical pianist until the age of sixteen. “As a kid, I used to practice all the time…” Elizabeth explains. “But one day I realized that I couldn’t lock myself in a room for eight hours a day…that’s when I started writing and singing.” After that, it quickly became apparent that her vocal abilities rivaled her piano skills. In 2002, Elizabeth successfully auditioned to be a background vocalist for soul-queen Patti Austin and ended up joining her on tour for the next year and a half. Elizabeth’s experience along with Pete and Danny’s folk/rock sensibility piece together to make up the band’s harmonically distinctive pop sound, a sound well reflected in their stylistically diverse new EP.

After a listen to the Elizabeth & the Catapult EP, it is immediately clear that a great deal of thought went into each of the songs’ arrangements. Strings, Horns, Marimba and Synthesizers are all blended together, creating an organic, off-beat style that fans have often referred to as “baroque pop.” The sound of the EP is also shaped by the guerilla-style fashion in which it was recorded. Drummer Danny Molad recorded most of the EP in basements and bathrooms, producing this album, along with Elizabeth, in an incredibly modest home studio. With these limited resources, Elizabeth & the Catapult managed to produce an expertly mixed album. Every note of the EP sounds deliberately placed while there still manages to be an air of effortlessness that penetrates throughout all the songs.

In their recordings as well as live performances, Elizabeth and her band members bring together all their backgrounds and experiences to make music that they themselves enjoy. They acknowledge their amorphous style and readily admit that it probably scares record labels. Even so, Elizabeth asserts that she is “not interested in assigning herself a specific style.” Elizabeth & the Catapult are proud of their ever-changing sound and are committed to keeping their music fresh and creative.

Elizabeth & the Catapult press quotes
NPR Best CD’s of 2006- “Discoveries: Elizabeth and the Catapult”
Billboard Underground Artist of the Month
Billboard Emergency Artist to Watch
Featured at the Aspen Idea’s Festival Studio 360
Featured on WNYC’s Soundcheck

The Village Voice:
"Elizabeth & the Catapult have managed to hurl themselves pretty far through word-of-mouth buzz. The unsigned local trio, led by vocalist Elizabeth Ziman and her Aimee Mann–like drawl, has built a loyal local fanbase via jazzy, buoyant pop songs; they're now making frequent appearances on NPR's Studio 360. Check out jaunty earworm "Momma's Boy," off their self-titled EP—these three won't be flying under the radar for long."

Spin.com Artist of the Day:
“The group utilizes elastic rhythms and dark subject matter that gives it’s songs a slow burn resonance. The sing-a-long swing of “Momma’s Boy” makes it one of the most tuneful kiss-off songs in recent memory. Fan so of Feist should be headover heels in no time.”

Billboard Mag:
“’Momma’s Boy’ is a weight title that will prompt savvy listeners to look for more from this budding act, while rewarding outlets that indulge Ziman by breaking type.”

Boston Globe:
The self-assured Elizabeth and the Catapult prove what a sultry-voiced Greenwich Village habitué with a Norah Jones jones should do: Just let it flow."

Elizabeth & the Catapult biography
"The song ‘Taller Children’ is an ode to all of the adults who just never quite figure out how to grow up. On a grand scale, that can sometimes be a pretty scary concept, especially when it's regarding people in power who can't handle their responsibilities,” says Elizabeth Abby Ziman, the Catapult's vivacious singer-songwriter. "But on a lighter and more personal note, I'm just owning up to the fact that I still can't manage to cook a decent omelet- and I'm not afraid to laugh about it".

The title of Elizabeth and the Catapult's Verve Forecast debut album Taller Children reflects the unique blend of pop playfulness and grown-up introspection that defines Ziman's distinctive songwriting. Such memorable originals as "Rainiest Day of Summer," "Apathy," "The Hang Up" and "Hit the Wall" embody a vibrant mix of open-hearted wonder, whimsical humor and forthright emotional insight, merging classic pop melodicism with an array of acoustic textures, jazz twists and orchestral flourishes. The quality of the songs—including a memorable reading of the Leonard Cohen classic "Everybody Knows" —is matched by intimate, effortlessly soulful performances by the Brooklyn trio, which also includes guitarist Pete Lalish and drummer Danny Molad.

Although the bulk of Taller Children was recorded with producer Mike Mogis (noted for his work with the likes of Bright Eyes, M. Ward and Rilo Kiley), several of the album's performances were drawn from the homespun demos that the band recorded in drummer Molad's home studio. The resulting album strikes a vital balance between lush sophistication (with such elements as Ziman's elegant string arrangements) and spare, unadorned simplicity.

The qualities that make Taller Children such a refreshing surprise have already made Elizabeth and the Catapult a beloved favorite on New York's downtown club scene, where the threesome's winsome tunes and energetic, surprise-filled live shows have won them a large and devoted local fan base.

Elizabeth's warmly personal songs reflect the diverse influences of her lifelong pursuit of music. She grew up in New York's Greenwich Village, just down the street from the Cafe Wha? and the Fat Black Pussycat, where her future heroes Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell got their start. Despite that, she spent much of her early life as a classical piano prodigy.

“In some ways, I had a very sheltered childhood," she recalls. "I spent a lot of time practicing by myself, working through my favorite composers, Debussy, Chopin and Ravel. I loved that world; I was obsessed with it and it consumed me. I didn't really break out of my shell until I was 15 or 16, when I started using my beloved fake ID. At some point, I realized that I didn't want to spend my life locked away with a piano, I needed to share my process with others."

As a teenager, Elizabeth found her singing voice as a member of the New York City Young People's Chorus, which performed at the White House and participated in competitions overseas. She subsequently won a scholarship to study classical composition at school in Boston. It was while attending that Elizabeth was hired by R&B star Patti Austin to sing backup in Austin's touring band. That experience helped to ignite her passion for performing, and to inspire her to seriously pursue a career singing her own songs.

Elizabeth played some gigs in Boston, where she led a group that included future solo star Esperanza Spalding. But her musical vision truly took shape when she met Pete Lalish and Danny Molad back in New York in 2004. The three struck up a near-immediate musical rapport, and Elizabeth and the Catapult quickly blossomed into a vital creative unit, with a charismatic live show and a large repertoire of Ziman's original compositions.

"The band really came together overnight," Elizabeth recalls. "The three of us had this instant chemistry. And we all added something really different stylistically to the band. By that time I was writing a lot more, and we were performing constantly---it was obvious that this was what we were meant to be doing."

Not long after their formation, the trio recorded a self-financed, self-released six-song EP in Danny's home studio. That disc belied its homespun origins, with ambitious arrangements that drew upon the musicians' diverse backgrounds. With virtually no promotion and little mainstream distribution, the EP became a surprise success. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and the Catapult continued to build a loyal live audience in their hometown, thanks to shows at such downtown venues as Rockwood Music Hall and Joe's Pub, as well as a variety of cafes, theaters and art spaces.

“We were a completely D.I.Y. unit for the first couple of years, and we prided ourselves on that fact," Ziman notes. "There was a really nice community happening in the East Village, with a great extended family of songwriters and bands that fed off each other. We pushed to make our shows different every time, and always got our friends involved."

Elizabeth and the Catapult's local acclaim led to a deal with Verve Forecast and a chance for the group to make its first full-length album. Rather than work on their home turf, they traveled to Omaha, Nebraska to record at Mike Mogis' Presto! Recording Studios (home base of Bright Eyes and Saddle Creek Records), where they were able to realize their songs with a minimum of distractions.

"The whole thing felt very organic and intimate and personal," Ziman reports. "We were in a beautiful studio with beautiful equipment, in the middle of nowhere -- we really felt like a bunch of kids in a candy shop. There were multiple pianos, three Hammond organs, tons of guitars, vintage microphones, and we recorded a great deal of the record to tape. The situation was perfect for capturing those special little moments."

"New York is so much a part of us, and there's such a kinetic energy here," she continues. "But there was a sense of calm recording in Omaha that really added a new dimension to what we were doing. We were so used to existing in our own little bubble and doing things our own way that it was an adjustment to work with someone else. But it turned out to be just what we needed. "

With Taller Children poised to bring Elizabeth and the Catapult from local stardom to the national stage, Ziman nonetheless has no intention of turning her back on her group's D.I.Y. roots. "Making this album was an awesome experience," says Ziman, "but it's also nice to know that, even if we never got the opportunity to go into another studio, we're still capable of doing this on our own if we have to. We have our own little secret weapon- in the form of Danny."

“I do this because I have to," Ziman concludes. "Ever since I was child, music has always been something that resonated deeply in me, like a portal to another realm. It's not a choice at all, it really takes on a life of its own. And I know that Danny and Pete feel the same way. I'll lose my footing if I'm not constantly writing or searching for something that inspires me. It's all about staying honest and inspired. And if we can possibly touch on something universal that other people can relate to, that's the most any of us could hope for."

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