By LEISA GREENE-NELSON
‘Road weary’ and wanting to get home, the indie rock band Marshall Catch, from Kalispell Montana, is considering what their next purchase should be. That is, according to Luke, “Stealing or purchasing said ‘bus’ with our mechanic extraordinaire and our roadie.”
This week they are headed toward Missoula on Saturday June 23rd to play at Monk’s. The band realizes it is Montana patrons that help make them, and they’re happy to be playing “close to home” this summer.
The Marshall Catch band formed when Luke Lautaret (lead vocals and guitar) lost his day job and was looking for something to do. Luke says, “I decided to make a punch for it.” He had a couple of guys he knew for years that were not ‘typical musicians’ which was a good thing because ‘typical musicians were not his style’. So, with Aaron Danreuther on electric guitar and Aidan Foshay on bass, he needed only one more to complete them.
Luke lost his original drummer George to a move and saw an advertisement on Craig’s list for musician Jared Denney who wanted to ‘pursue the dream.’ What happened through that union? Not only did Luke get someone who plays keyboards, but because Jared is tired of his fingers bleeding, Luke and the band have a Drummer as well. Jared became integral in the production of their first CD.
According to Luke, “the past two years the band has had very little DNA change.”
Jared Denney (drums) has a good head for music and a push for excellence. He doesn’t cut corners and he is the one saying, “track again guys, we can do better.”
Aidan Foshay (bass) brings in a great sense of humor. Luke says, “He is the most laid back person I know, and he can quote South Park. Sometimes we take for granted the laid-backness of people.”
Aaron Danreuther (electric guitar) can trouble shoot problems with PA systems and lines. Aaron is also adept at reading Luke during performances. Luke says, “For 8-10 years we have been playing together off and on. Where I may need to stop and fix a string Aaron can read me and fill in on his guitar. We read each other and fill in by going back up over the top of each other.”
Matt Haun on sound can run and fix anything from an analog 1970 system to the newest computer software. Luke says, “He trouble shoots, he fixes, and he makes us sound good”.
The band members’ sound comes from the 90’s with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Collective Soul, and Primus being solid influences on their music. Luke’s influence tends to the ‘front-porch-time songs’ of bluegrass, fiddle, and harmony-like country music. He doesn’t apologize for it. A couple of band members do credit Eric Clapton, The Who, and Bryan Adams but other band members are ashamed by the liking of Bryan Adams tunes.
The band has a camaraderie that is apparent. On the phone Luke discusses their closeness and how Jared and Aiden (grunge music lovers) need to leave each other’s knees alone. They tease about how they are going to get their much needed ‘said bus’, and discuss amongst themselves that if Guns and Roses reunited there will be an aneurism and Beard their ‘roadie’ will die in their arms.
The band has seen some tough times. In their first recording studio where they “cut their teeth, and their first album”, the whole room wound up in eight inches of water during the flood season last year. Luke states, “We had a recording studio and a swimming pool in the same room.”
Luke recognizes that he does not have a band or success without everyone. Luke wrote songs early in his teen years well before he ever taught himself to play the guitar. He says, “I may be the lyrics guy and come up with the melody, but I bring it in, throw it out there, and the guys add on all the good layers of instrumental and harmonies. There aren’t a lot of egos and we work together well.”
When asked about the band’s name ‘Marshall Catch’ Luke states, “It’s a long story.” It was a long ride to Eugene, so, Luke told the story:
“I used to play baseball; I played it for years from T-ball all through high school. I was awful. I was uncoordinated. I only did it because I was home-schooled and it was my only social outlet other than petting farm horses. Out on the foul line we would play catch back and forth. I was awful at it. I could catch, but I couldn’t throw. I would throw the ball so far off the map that the other guy would have to run hard to catch it, that is if he could catch it at all. No one wanted to play catch with me. They teased me and blamed my awful throw arm on turrets syndrome. There was this one nice guy, his name was Marshall. For whatever reason he wore wranglers instead of baseball pants. He was genuinely a nice guy. Marshall played catch with me one time and didn’t tease me. I avoided the other kids and always asked Marshall if he would catch with me. Every time Marshall looked toward the ground. After hesitating Marshall would say to me ‘Okay Luke’, he would grab a ball, throw it to me, I would catch it, and throw it back. As I threw the ball back to him I would say, ‘Marshall Catch! Catch!’”
Without Marshall, Luke couldn’t play ball.
Marshall Catch is playing at Monk’s this Saturday June 23rd at 9:30pm. Cover is $5 at the door. Check out their website at www.marshallcatch.com. You can purchase their CD on their website and watch their video: The Ballad of the USS Arizona.
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Read more of Leisa’s stories about the Missoula music scene.
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Call her a big city girl at heart, finding and satiating that appetite in the city of Missoula. Born in Butte and raised in Missoula, she is fascinated by people and looks for interesting characters to write about. Everyone has a story to tell, or not, but the people and places in Missoula are unique.
Moving fast in life (for that big city feel) Leisa’s passions bounce around music, theater, food, art, family, and friends that’s supported by an IV line of dark roasted coffee. Single and a recent graduate from the University of Montana with a BA in Creative Writing, she learned what it was like to be a co-ed in her 40s.
She currently works as an Office Manager at Inter-State Studio and Publishing, working on school photos and yearbooks. Her personal life and nightlife is where she discovers and creates creative non-fiction stories. She has four supportive, loving children: Dustin, Michael, Jalynn, and Mark (adopted through marriage to Dustin) who are all artistically creative in writing, theater, dance, and singing. Leisa likes to think she moves faster than they do.