Catchers
Encyclopedia
Catchers was an Irish indie pop
band formed in 1993 and led by singer-songwriter Dale Grundle. The band consisted of Dale Grundle (vocals/guitar), Alice Lemon (vocals/keyboards), Peter Kelly (drums), Ger FitzGerald
(bass, until 1995), Craig Carpenter (bass, 1996 onwards) and Jonathan Lord (lead guitar, 1998). Grundle and Lemon had known each other since their teens in Portstewart
, Northern Ireland
. In 2006, seven years after the end of Catchers, Grundle formed The Sleeping Years
.
supremo, Keith Cullen. Their first release, a 7" called Cotton dress, was recorded at Dave Stewart
's London studio and became Melody Maker
's Single Of The Week. "Catchers are sublime, enchanting and some strange kind of wonderful" (Melody Maker).
A great deal of press attention followed, especially in France where, on the strengths of the "Cotton Dress" single alone, the band was offered a prestigious Black Session on C'est Lenoir, a legendary Radio France programme.
Mute, the band's first album, was produced by Mike Hedges
at his studio in Normandy
, France. Mute was released at the end of September 1994 to critical acclaim on both sides of the English Channel, especially in France. "Truly wonderful" (Melody Maker). "Deliriously great songs" (NME). ‘’A record of pastoral delights’’ (The Times).
From then on, France would become a second home for the band. In 1994, Mute made both the journalists and the readers top ten albums of the year poll in the influential Les Inrockuptibles
magazine.
The rest of the year and the first part of 1995 were spent on the road in the UK and mainland Europe opening for the likes of Oasis
, Pulp
, and Edwyn Collins
, as well as headlining their own shows and playing both La Route du Rock
and Les Inrocks festivals in France.
In 1995, Catchers signed to Warner Music Discovery in the US, a label run by the legendary Jac Holzman
, founder of Elektra Records. Holzman had previously signed The Doors
and Love
to his fledgling label in the sixties. The band temporarily relocated to New York City and started a three month tour that would take them from coast to coast, opening for The Innocence Mission
as well as headlining their own dates.
In the Autumn of 1995, the band returned to London and Dale Grundle started working on new demos in his home studio. The original bass player, Ger FitzGerald
, remained in the US, and was replaced by Craig Carpenter on the band's return. Catchers resurfaced in 1998 with a new single, Call Her Name. By this time, the band had become a five piece with the addition of an extra guitarist, Jonathan Lord.
Later that year, the band released Stooping to Fit, their second album. Recorded at the Cocteau Twins
studios in London, Stooping to Fit displayed some intense and beautiful strings and brass arrangements by Nick Drake
's collaborator, Robert Kirby
and revealed a darker edge to Grundle's pop sensibility. Comparisons with The Cure
were made in recognition of Dale's ability to write an album with great, straightforward pop songs as well as more moody and searing numbers.
Stooping To Fit was very well received in France and the band was invited to play La Route du Rock
festival in Brittany a second time as well as Les Rockomotives festival in Vendôme. In September 1998, Catchers embarked on a 15 date tour around France for what would ultimately be their last headlining tour.
In spite of glowing reviews ("Wonderfully crafted songsmithery’’ (Time Out) ‘’A soft-spoken masterpiece’’ (The Times). "The most emotive pop music around" (Totally Wired), Stooping To Fit was poorly promoted by their UK label, Setanta Records
, and sales were disappointing.
On February 19, 1999, Catchers played their last show at The Garage in Highbury, London.
In 2006, news of Dale Grundle surfaced in an interview for French online fanzine Attica in which he announced that he was working on a new project called The Sleeping Years.
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band formed in 1993 and led by singer-songwriter Dale Grundle. The band consisted of Dale Grundle (vocals/guitar), Alice Lemon (vocals/keyboards), Peter Kelly (drums), Ger FitzGerald
Ger FitzGerald
Gerald "Ger" FitzGerald played bass for Setanta Records band Catchers. In 1999, he was hired as general manager of Stratosphere sound, a recording studio founded by James Iha , Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase...
(bass, until 1995), Craig Carpenter (bass, 1996 onwards) and Jonathan Lord (lead guitar, 1998). Grundle and Lemon had known each other since their teens in Portstewart
Portstewart
Portstewart is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,803 people in the 2001 Census. It is a seaside resort neighbouring Portrush. Of the two towns, Portstewart is decidedly quieter with more sedate attractions. Its harbour and scenic coastal paths form an...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. In 2006, seven years after the end of Catchers, Grundle formed The Sleeping Years
The Sleeping Years
The Sleeping Years is an indie folk group that began in London in 2007 as the solo project for ex-Catchers singer Dale Grundle. Members include Dan Wood 2008–present, Tom Page 2008–present, Alex Beamont 2009, Michelle So 2007–2008.-Biography:Dale started The Sleeping Years by releasing a...
.
Biography
Early demos were sent to various London based labels in 1994 and caught the attention of Setanta RecordsSetanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
supremo, Keith Cullen. Their first release, a 7" called Cotton dress, was recorded at Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
's London studio and became Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
's Single Of The Week. "Catchers are sublime, enchanting and some strange kind of wonderful" (Melody Maker).
A great deal of press attention followed, especially in France where, on the strengths of the "Cotton Dress" single alone, the band was offered a prestigious Black Session on C'est Lenoir, a legendary Radio France programme.
Mute, the band's first album, was produced by Mike Hedges
Mike Hedges
-Career:Mike Hedges started as a tape-op at Morgan Studios in London in the late 1970s. Having graduated to engineer, he went freelance in 1981 and became an engineer/producer....
at his studio in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France. Mute was released at the end of September 1994 to critical acclaim on both sides of the English Channel, especially in France. "Truly wonderful" (Melody Maker). "Deliriously great songs" (NME). ‘’A record of pastoral delights’’ (The Times).
From then on, France would become a second home for the band. In 1994, Mute made both the journalists and the readers top ten albums of the year poll in the influential Les Inrockuptibles
Les Inrockuptibles
Les Inrockuptibles is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. The name is a play on "Les Incorruptibles", the French title of the American television series The Untouchables...
magazine.
The rest of the year and the first part of 1995 were spent on the road in the UK and mainland Europe opening for the likes of Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
, and Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
, as well as headlining their own shows and playing both La Route du Rock
La Route du Rock
La Route du Rock is a biannual music festival that occurs in the city of Saint-Malo.Traditionnally the festival was held every year but since 2006, a winter edition is held called collection d 'hiver after the french fashion word. The 20th occurrence of La Route du Rock transpired on the dates of...
and Les Inrocks festivals in France.
In 1995, Catchers signed to Warner Music Discovery in the US, a label run by the legendary Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman was the founder, chief executive officer and head of both Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records.-Biography:He founded Elektra Records in his St. John's College dorm room in 1950 and Nonesuch Records in 1964...
, founder of Elektra Records. Holzman had previously signed The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
and Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
to his fledgling label in the sixties. The band temporarily relocated to New York City and started a three month tour that would take them from coast to coast, opening for The Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission is an American alternative rock band centered on husband-and-wife singer-songwriters Karen and Don Peris. The original group, including Mike Bitts and Steve Brown , was formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the early 1980s when the members met during a Catholic school...
as well as headlining their own dates.
In the Autumn of 1995, the band returned to London and Dale Grundle started working on new demos in his home studio. The original bass player, Ger FitzGerald
Ger FitzGerald
Gerald "Ger" FitzGerald played bass for Setanta Records band Catchers. In 1999, he was hired as general manager of Stratosphere sound, a recording studio founded by James Iha , Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase...
, remained in the US, and was replaced by Craig Carpenter on the band's return. Catchers resurfaced in 1998 with a new single, Call Her Name. By this time, the band had become a five piece with the addition of an extra guitarist, Jonathan Lord.
Later that year, the band released Stooping to Fit, their second album. Recorded at the Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
studios in London, Stooping to Fit displayed some intense and beautiful strings and brass arrangements by Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
's collaborator, Robert Kirby
Robert Kirby
Robert Kirby was a British born arranger of string sections for rock and folk music. He is best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, but has also worked with Elton John, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Paul Weller and Elvis Costello.-At Cambridge:Patrick...
and revealed a darker edge to Grundle's pop sensibility. Comparisons with The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
were made in recognition of Dale's ability to write an album with great, straightforward pop songs as well as more moody and searing numbers.
Stooping To Fit was very well received in France and the band was invited to play La Route du Rock
La Route du Rock
La Route du Rock is a biannual music festival that occurs in the city of Saint-Malo.Traditionnally the festival was held every year but since 2006, a winter edition is held called collection d 'hiver after the french fashion word. The 20th occurrence of La Route du Rock transpired on the dates of...
festival in Brittany a second time as well as Les Rockomotives festival in Vendôme. In September 1998, Catchers embarked on a 15 date tour around France for what would ultimately be their last headlining tour.
In spite of glowing reviews ("Wonderfully crafted songsmithery’’ (Time Out) ‘’A soft-spoken masterpiece’’ (The Times). "The most emotive pop music around" (Totally Wired), Stooping To Fit was poorly promoted by their UK label, Setanta Records
Setanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
, and sales were disappointing.
On February 19, 1999, Catchers played their last show at The Garage in Highbury, London.
In 2006, news of Dale Grundle surfaced in an interview for French online fanzine Attica in which he announced that he was working on a new project called The Sleeping Years.
Singles, EP's
- Cotton Dress 1994
- Shifting 1994
- Shifting EP 1994
- Call Her Name 1998
- Come Around 1998