This is where you're clear across the room, and I'm speechless. Overthinking every sound and every move, stay defeated.
I'll watch you hold your own and counter with the most cool.
I'm so much better when I'm blind, and I don't address you.
It's so cliche. I'm made to be
a background player, a flash across the screen.
It could be false. Maybe I'm always wrong.
I get so used to seeing doom that I hear a sadder song.
I know I'm the "last thing" that you want, but I’m starting to make sense, and I can get beside you, if you let down your defense.
The trauma is no figment. You’ve every right to be alone
but I'm anchored in pavement, if you need a place to go.
It's not appropriate to share,
to wait it out or coyly declare,
I'm done regretting, how about you?
I'll give you a little more credit, I’m hoping that’ll do.
Take these words. They seem so empty they can chill your nerves, but I swear that they have substance underneath. Eye to eye, on baited breath, I’m not braced for future steps, but I’m walking faster straight onto your street.
Overthinking came about one night when I was hanging out with Chris, and we were just goofing around with instruments. He started playing this riff on banjo that I liked and I recorded it quickly on my phone while I played guitar. A little while later, I had the urge to write, so I revisited that riff and figured I could add an old riff I called "Death Cab for Dummies" onto it and make a pretty fun song that was different than a bunch of the stuff I was writing. I made a demo on my own and that's most of what you hear, but with better playing and production courtesy of the other guys. We recorded it during the sessions for Aye but it didn't fit as well as the other 4 did, so we saved it for later. It does, however, totally fit the cautious optimism of the rest of those songs; taking the first shaky step forward to something you think will do you some good.
Contractor started as a fun dare, but ended up pretty cool so we figured, "why not?" I was on tour helping my buddy, Joe, out with merch for Lamb of God, and he joked that I should cover a song of theirs on acoustic guitar, so I asked their singer, Randy, what he'd like to hear and he told me this one. I sat down with the song and my guitar and realized there was no great way to copy it directly with my skill set, so I followed the basic musical themes and wrote this version around them. I recorded this as a demo right after the tour, doing the guitars and piano at the Patch House in Hollywood (on a day off from another tour) and finished the vocals when I got home. Trevor kindly mixed and mastered it, and sorted through my numerous clumsy piano takes, and from what Joe tells me, Randy ended up being real happy with my experiment, so we figured it was a cool little thing to post up.
Have fun out there friends!
-Rocky
credits
released June 9, 2017
Photos by Kelsey Ayres
Layout and Design by Trevor Reddell
Track 1 written and performed by Rocky & The Chapter
Words by Rocky Catanese
Recorded in August 2016 at Audio Pilot Studio in Boonton, NJ
Produced by Rocky & The Chapter and Kevin Dye
Engineered and Mixed by Kevin Dye
Mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio
Rocky Catanese - Vocals, Guitar
Matt Balog - Bass Guitar
Chris Grzan - Guitar
Joe Lanza - Guitar
Trevor Reddell - Drums, Percussion
Track 2 originally written by Lamb of God
Instrumentals recorded at the Patch House, Hollywood, CA June 2016
Vocals recorded in the basement August 2016.
Produced by Rocky Catanese
Engineered by Rocky Catanese and Trevor Reddell
Mixed and Mastered by Trevor Reddell
The Boston indie rockers return, with their characteristic mix of poignant lyrics and melodies that can turn from delicate to anthemic. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 12, 2019
An almost anti-blues/anti-rock style that masters classic sounds while mocking the industry’s perceived seriousness. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 27, 2018
This remixed reissue of Jessica in The Rainbow’s 2017 album brings out new levels of detail in its tiny, winning bedroom pop songs. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 23, 2020