Cat’s Away Studio Music Gallery
Artists who’ve recorded at Cat’s Away
Coming soon...
My projects
Whirled Peas
Like Water (4:41)
Nothing (3:38)
Whirled Peas formed in the Raleigh, NC area in the summer of 1996, and by early 1997 had earned a substantial local following, in large part due to our charismatic lead singer Liza Shaw. Liza left in late summer 1997 to enter a graduate program at Appalachian State, and the band never fully recovered their momentum. Personnel: Jim Ray: electric guitar & vocals; Greg Noble: drums; Miner Gleason: lead vocals, acoustic guitar on “Like Water”; Brad Shafer: bass on “Like Water”; Dave Griffith: bass on “Nothing”; Mark Watkins: acoustic guitar on “Nothing”.
I wrote “Like Water”, and the recording is from a soundboard mix of a gig the quartet played at the Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh in September, 1997, shortly after Liza”s departure.
Liza wrote the lyrics for “Nothing” and I wrote the music. This is from the EP Green Chunks, recorded at Cat’s Away in May of 1998 by the revamped quintet.
The Shakedown Wizards
Nancy’s Kitchen (4:37)
Magic Spells (12:10)
The Shakedown Wizards formed after Whirled Peas broke up. In the fall of 2000, a number of songs were recorded at Philip Wylie’s & Dave Griffith’s home studios for a planned album that was never completed. Personel: Mark Watkins: acoustic guitar & vocals; Brad Nelson: electric guitar, acoustic lead guitar & vocals; Dave Griffith: bass & vocals; Philip Wylie: drums, percussion & vocals; Miner Gleason: electric violin, mandolin & lead vocals.
“Nancy’s Kitchen” was inspired by an abandoned diner I had spotted during one of my spring wanderings through the Catskills in the late 80s. There was a small house behind it and the image stuck in my head. Second String Band later recorded a version for their 2009 Backroads album.
“Magic Spells” evolved from a little riff I was noodling on one evening that we enjoyed jamming on. I wrote the lyrics for the first two verses then got stuck. Dave Griffith added the third verse, from which the tune (and planned album) took its name. The music was recorded “live” in the studio in a single take.
