TThe sound of the Boulder County Quintet Cards Catalog is as diverse as the name suggests. After establishing a bluesy baseline with their 2019 debut album, Pressthese years Snow Moon On the EP the band is more focused.
“I didn’t want to completely move away from blues rock, but rather go in a different direction to see what was out there,” says singer and rhythm guitarist Jenn Tatros. “I don’t even know what genre it is. We were told it was alt-rock. Someone said alt-metal.”
Drummer Kevin Kirkpatrick laughs off the alt-metal tagline, attributing it to the addition of lead guitarists Davy Ford and Will Perkins, who both joined after the release of Card Catalog. Snow Moonto improve the band’s acoustics, especially during live performances. Original bassist Kelton Kragor also rejoined the five-person band at that time.
“It’s a little heavier,” says Kirkpatrick. “It’s like Card Catalog Version 2. We took our influences and brought a lot of those things into it. Even though the current lineup is no longer the members who recorded it, they bring the heat to the song.”
Kragor, who helped found Card Catalog in 2013, remembers them all meeting at his house to rehearse, with Tatro using a microphone taped to a vacuum cleaner as a stand.
“It was fun being in a ‘bad’ band, grinding our teeth and figuring out what was going on,” he says. “That’s how we built a lot of the chemistry.”
Even after Kragor left to focus on other musical endeavors, he supported his friends and regularly attended their shows. Now that he’s back, he’s excited to see what Card Catalog can accomplish next, especially with some new players.
“It’s evolved in a way that makes me really happy and proud of what these guys are doing,” he says.
Street dogs
Although there is no new music from the latest edition yet, this summer has been about playing as many live shows as possible, including a show in the Midwest. So far, Card Catalog has performed 20 times.
“We just did our best and tried to get out there and support it,” Kirkpatrick says.
The next gig will be a headlining show at the Fox Theater on August 10th with locals Bury Mia and Dayshaper.
“I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Tatro reveals. She doesn’t give away specifics, but it’s in keeping with Card Catalog’s ethos of providing an unforgettable live experience.
Kragor gives a little hint about the upcoming setlist when he talks about some of his influences, particularly the Maynard James Keenan-led supergroup A Perfect Circle.
“Maybe you’ll hear something about it. I don’t know,” he says. “You’ll have to come and find out.”
School of Rock
The band’s love of turn-of-the-century radio rock is no surprise. The members of Card Catalog grew up listening to the heavy music of the 1990s and early 2000s, and included acts like Tool and Incubus in their rotation.
Perkins, the quiet guitarist who plays a few riffs on his guitar during the interview, is a bit more old-fashioned, citing Elvis and Led Zeppelin as his inspirations.
“I’m a very simple guy,” he says. “I just like to play really fast and fat.”
Ford, Perkins’ counterpart in the shred department, is a metalhead who plays by the rules of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
“I’ve always been a fan of two lead lines,” he says. Now, with two lead guitarists on board, Card Catalog follows that playbook.
“It sounds so much fuller. We’ve never tried this before, this dueling stuff,” adds Tatro, who looks up to dynamic singers Stevie Nicks and the late Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries.
There are only a handful of shows left on the programme until October, including an opening slot for Emily Wolfe on August 29 in Denver Black BuzzardCard Catalog is looking forward to writing some new songs before the end of the year, but given the band’s eclectic mix of styles, musicians and influences, there’s no telling what will come out of it.
“The name lives up to its name: card catalog,” says Kragor. “Just open the drawer and see what you find.”
