Elizabeth & The Catapult
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth & The Catapult is a Brooklyn-based artist, consisting of singer-songwriter Elizabeth Ziman. She best known for her 2009 album Taller Children, produced by Mike Mogis
and released on Verve Forecast.
, trained from youth as a classical pianist, writing her first songs on an upright piano in the laundry room, using a running clothes dryer as a metronome. At sixteen, she began to focus on vocal training, and subsequently performed with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. She attended the Berklee College of Music
on a scholarship to study classical composition, and was awarded the 2001 ASCAP Leiber and Stoller
scholarship for her song "Like Water is to Sand." Her original plans to pursue film scoring were changed in 2002 when Patti Austin
came to Berklee to recruit background vocalists for an Ella Fitzgerald
tribute tour. Ziman toured with Austin for 18 months, causing her subsequent compositional style to draw heavily from jazz vocalists such as Fitzgerald, Nina Simone
, Billie Holiday
and Sarah Vaughn.
Upon returning from the tour, Ziman met Via Audio
drummer and fellow student Dan Molad at a party during their final semester at Berklee, and they began performing together shortly afterward. Guitarist Pete Lalish, another Berklee student, later joined the band after Ziman saw him performing at a Boston bar and invited him to collaborate. After Ziman and Molad completed their studies, the band moved to Brooklyn
in early 2005. Using Molad's home studio, the band financed, recorded and produced an EP, Elizabeth & The Catapult in 2006. The band was the featured Billboard
Underground Artist for October 2006, and signed with Verve Records
in 2008.
to record the album in the studio of Mike Mogis. Ziman wrote all the songs on the album with the exception of the Leonard Cohen
cover "Everybody Knows," and several of the tracks were derived from demos recorded previously in Molad's home studio. The album was recorded quickly, and the band returned to New York shortly thereafter and released the album in June 2009.
's Soundcheck to write a song cycle for a Lincoln Center
show. Having gone through a breakup, Ziman turned to Leonard Cohen's poetry collection Book of Longing
. Ziman and Molad, now working as a duo, recorded demos for much of the new album, The Other Side of Zero, at Molad's father's home in Austin, Texas
, before following their record label's suggestion of working with a producer. Molad suggested Tony Berg, and the band moved into the studio to complete the album.
With the departure of Pete Lalish, guitar parts on the new album were covered by Berg and by Blake Mills. The title track features Gillian Welch
and David Rawlings
, who had visited the studio during recording and chose to participate after Ziman encouraged them to listen to the track. The album was released in October 2010.
Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis is a Nebraskan producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios ....
and released on Verve Forecast.
History
Ziman, who grew up in Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, trained from youth as a classical pianist, writing her first songs on an upright piano in the laundry room, using a running clothes dryer as a metronome. At sixteen, she began to focus on vocal training, and subsequently performed with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. She attended the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
on a scholarship to study classical composition, and was awarded the 2001 ASCAP Leiber and Stoller
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Jerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...
scholarship for her song "Like Water is to Sand." Her original plans to pursue film scoring were changed in 2002 when Patti Austin
Patti Austin
-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
came to Berklee to recruit background vocalists for an Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
tribute tour. Ziman toured with Austin for 18 months, causing her subsequent compositional style to draw heavily from jazz vocalists such as Fitzgerald, Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
and Sarah Vaughn.
Upon returning from the tour, Ziman met Via Audio
Via Audio
Via Audio is an American indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. Their first full-length album Say Something, was released in 2007 by Sidecho Records, to glowing reviews from prominent independent music publications such as Pitchfork Media, Alternative Press, Spin Magazine, & Tiny Mix Tapes...
drummer and fellow student Dan Molad at a party during their final semester at Berklee, and they began performing together shortly afterward. Guitarist Pete Lalish, another Berklee student, later joined the band after Ziman saw him performing at a Boston bar and invited him to collaborate. After Ziman and Molad completed their studies, the band moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in early 2005. Using Molad's home studio, the band financed, recorded and produced an EP, Elizabeth & The Catapult in 2006. The band was the featured Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Underground Artist for October 2006, and signed with Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
in 2008.
Taller Children
Having been popular for years on New York's Lower East Side, the band achieved a measure of national notoriety in the spring of 2009 with their first album under Verve, Taller Children. The band chose to travel to Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
to record the album in the studio of Mike Mogis. Ziman wrote all the songs on the album with the exception of the Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
cover "Everybody Knows," and several of the tracks were derived from demos recorded previously in Molad's home studio. The album was recorded quickly, and the band returned to New York shortly thereafter and released the album in June 2009.
The Other Side of Zero
In 2009, Ziman was commissioned by John Schaefer of NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's Soundcheck to write a song cycle for a Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
show. Having gone through a breakup, Ziman turned to Leonard Cohen's poetry collection Book of Longing
Book of Longing
Book of Longing is the first new poetry book by Leonard Cohen since 1984's Book of Mercy. First published in 2006 by McClelland and Stewart, Book of Longing contains 167 previously unpublished poems and drawings, mostly written at a Zen monastery on Mount Baldy in California, where Cohen lived from...
. Ziman and Molad, now working as a duo, recorded demos for much of the new album, The Other Side of Zero, at Molad's father's home in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, before following their record label's suggestion of working with a producer. Molad suggested Tony Berg, and the band moved into the studio to complete the album.
With the departure of Pete Lalish, guitar parts on the new album were covered by Berg and by Blake Mills. The title track features Gillian Welch
Gillian Welch
Gillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, Bluegrass, and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely...
and David Rawlings
David Rawlings
David Todd Rawlings is a professional guitarist and singer. He is best known as the longtime musical partner of bluegrass singer-songwriter Gillian Welch.David attended the Berklee College of Music and studied with guitar professor Lauren Passarelli....
, who had visited the studio during recording and chose to participate after Ziman encouraged them to listen to the track. The album was released in October 2010.