Catchpenny

Making a mark in the music industry is never easy. And the first few years always prove the hardest for a new band. Forget all about finding your sound, writing songs, and developing a live show. Simply cutting through the huge list of established acts, building a fan base, and branching out from a hometown can take years, and often needs persistence, luck and a whole lot of talent. Fortunately, Catchpenny has proven to have plenty of each.

From headlining shows from Los Angeles to Chicago, to setting record attendance numbers at venues like the Hard Rock Cafe, to having their music used for national tv spots by ESPN and Arizona Jeans, Catchpenny’s resume reads like a band that has been together for half a decade, not a band that played it’s first gig less than two years ago

Their first album, “Chance for a Lifetime”, produced by Michael Bland, was recorded in 8 days and released in December 2005 to critical acclaim. "Soaring, contemporary vocal melodies cut through a dense web of melodic guitars and keyboards, this brotherly harmony sung with big, earnest voices defies their youth while their songs effortlessly embrace it. Catchpenny's debut album hits the bullseye between the ears of contemporary pop radio."

--Alex Oana, Mixer, Los Angeles, CA (Olympic Hopefuls, Spymob, Citizen King, Mudvayne.) Within a year, the band sold out of the album three times and watched their website traffic reach almost 100,000 hits. Catchpenny found themselves in opening slots for a long list of national acts. Rob Wilson, Lead Singer for the Gin Blossoms maybe said it best from the stage at the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico after Catchpenny opened for his band… “Great Job! Save some room on the charts for us!”

With success came demand, and the band is currently working on the follow up album. Armed with the experience that only comes from playing over 100 shows in a year, Catchpenny headed back into the studio in November of 2006.

“This album is going to be a huge step forward for us. We didn’t really know what we were doing when we recorded the first album, but we’ve learned a lot over the past year and I think this record will reflect that.” Says Christian Schauf, singer and guitarist. Michael Bland is again producing, and has taken Catchpenny under his tutelage. "They have alot going for them. they're young, handsome, and affable. Having talent and the will to work hard doesn't hurt 'em, either.."

In addition to Bland, a few other big names have signed on to help the band. Phil Solem of the Rembrandts and “I’ll Be There For You” fame has been a constant co-writer for the group, and an A-List of musicians including Tommy Barbarella (Prince, Mandy Moore, Switchfoot), John Fields (Switchfoot, Backstreet Boys, Clay Aiken, Pink, Andrew WK, Evan and Jaron), Ken Chastain, Tommy Stinson (Guns and Roses, The Replacements, Soul Asylum) and Jimmy Anton (Johnny Lang) have had varying degrees of input on the new project.

While there is no release date set for the new album, the band will continue to play shows between recording sessions, finishing up a very successful college tour that took them through over 40 schools. A festival and club favorite Catchpenny is booking up a summer tour that will include opening dates for everyone from Lifehouse, to Soul Asylum. As Jack Koshick, Concert Promoter, Jack Koshick Presents put it: “Catchpenny has the look, the stage presence and the songs, they are going to be big someday, and that day is very close. They are my favorite new band.”