Elizabeth and The Catapult Interview: Know Your NYC Bands

BeatCrave is happy to bring you band, Elizabeth & The Catapult, as part of our Know Your NYC Bands series. There couldn’t be a better band to make your Friday a little brighter. E & the C have been gaining buzz from local blogs here and there for years but recently, the big kids at NPR and Billboard have also taken notice of the newly signed trio (to Verve Forecast) for their bouncy tunes. Their vibe is sure to please the fans of the playful Feist, the jazz-influenced The Bird and the Bee, and the great storytellers Rilo Kiley in addition to pulling in new crowds.

Leading lady, Elizabeth, has put her knowledge of classical music and indie pop to good use with her band mates (and former Berklee colleagues) on their deliciously sunny album, Taller Children. Although the record is the epitome of breezy charm that echoes happy childhood memories, songs like “Rainiest Day of Summer” and “Apathy” are also melancholic morsels that melt in your mouth leaving you with an aftertaste of contemplation.

It is our pleasure to present an exclusive interview with the trio’s own Elizabeth Ziman along with their brand spanking new video for their title track, “Taller Children,” below!

Elizabeth & The Catapult :: TALLER CHILDREN

So I heard you guys decided on your band name because it was reminiscent of childhood like Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach.” Your music is very uplifting like fun childhood memories. Do you consider that an important factor into the music you make?

Only as much as anyone else. There’s definitely a childish, whimsical flair to songs like Taller Children, Perfectly Perfect and Race You, but I’m sure that I discuss this side of what we do much more because of the title we chose for our album. Sometimes there is really dark, serious content to the lyrics, sometimes it’s lighter and more humorous. Depends on the day, and er, my mood.

Do you all feel like going to school at Berklee in Boston paid off when it comes to being in a band?

Music school is a networking mecca. If I hadn’t gone I wouldn’t have met my lovely band-mates and we wouldn’t be rocking out together. Otherwise, I think I could have learned just as much in Art school and maybe had even more to write about.

Your music seems to fit into many different genres such as jazz and indie pop. Did you aim for this diversity when you were in the process of recording your album?

We all have a lot of influences: I come from mostly a classical (and a bit of a jazz) background, Danny was in an indie rock band before he joined The Catapult and Pete was in noise band—so you can see how we naturally diversify. Pete has the best taste in the band, he turned us all on to the Dirty Projectors, Arthur Russell, The Bird and The Bee, Elysian Fields. We’re like a sponge – all of his recommendations are golden.

What inspired the lyrics for “Taller Children?”

The financial disaster of the last year. The song describes the meltdown of a mortgage banker. In the beginning, he’s living the good life, giving out bad mortgages, handling his money irresponsibly, but not caring about it. By the end of the song he’s having a total midlife crisis and loses everything. The psychology behind the financial disaster, and what really caused the meltdown was fascinating to me; I really felt an urgent need to write about it.

You guys have been gaining steady buzz in the press for a good two or three years. What’s the most important thing you have learned about being in the music industry so far?

Always listen to yourself first. Don’t listen to the good or the bad – only yourself.

Who are some of your favorite classic artists/composers?

Debussy, Ravel, Chopin, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, The Muppet Babies… (They’re classic right?)

How does the songwriting process usually work for E & the C?

I write the song, we arrange together.

What are you most excited about in regards to the release of Taller Children?

I’m super excited at the prospect of playing with bad-ass artists that we really respect. Also meeting lots of cool people on the road – and partying of course.

What are some of your favorite things about being a band from Brooklyn?

We’ve been here four years and lived all over Brooklyn, but now we’re in Ditmas Park and it’s basically the coolest place on earth. I’ve never been happier. It just doesn’t get better than Brooklyn.

Quick-Fire Round:
What is currently your favorite song?

Santogold’s “I’m a Lady.” Poppy goodness!

What is your guilty pleasure?

Hmm… Gin and cookies at three in the morning.

What is one thing you always do during summer?

Dance parties on the roof.

Which local bands are you currently digging?

I’m crazy about the new Dirty Projectors album. It’s pretty wild. I also love St. Vincent.

Tell us one thing about yourself we probably don’t already know.

I sang background vocals with a bunch of kids behind Naughty By Nature at the Special Olympics when I was 12!

Elizabeth & The Catapult are currently on tour supporting Taller Children. Tonight, they’ll be at The Red and The Black in Washington D.C. and at Coffee East in Easton, Maryland the following night. If you’re not in those areas, be sure to check their MySpace out for the rest of the dates! They will be supporting Greg Laswell in July.