Crannk Interviews Father Before Me -

NYC’s Punk band Father Before Me is due to drop the latest single, “Until Lambs Become Lions” on February 12th ahead of the forthcoming second Ep “Ruby” and, I recently caught up with solo-artist and multi-instrumentalist Elijah for a chat about all things Father Before Me.

On the heels of their debut EP Emerald, Ruby opens up with the in-your-face track “Until Lambs Become Lions,” setting the stage for an EP of songs that accelerates what audiences heard earlier – bigger, breathier, faster. When asked about his family connection to music, he would emphatically reply, “I am a musician, like my father before me.” His father’s operatic voice would go on to influence Father Before Me’s strong belty vocal melodies. While the elder Catrone had passed years before Father Before Me’s inception, Elijah posits that he would have been very supportive and happy with the band’s endeavors.

The influences behind the songs are as wide-ranging as the songs themselves. From the catchy, skate punk notes of NOFX and Lagwagon to the metal harmonies of Iron Maiden and 80s Metal. Father Before Me melds many styles to forge its own.

Both Emerald and Ruby were recorded with veteran production engineers Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak of Atrium Audio (August Burns Red, Carousel Kings).

The biggest challenge faced is that of a solo artist depicting a full four-piece band. Catrone plays the multifaceted role of singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer as well as that of songwriter for all songs on both Emerald and Ruby. In detailing a specific obstacle, Catrone remarked that “normally you’d expect to have a longer break between recording parts but I settled for getting 5 minutes breaks in between tracking. I’d get these blisters on my fingers after drumming which made it tough to jump into guitar sweeping.”

Ultimately, Father Before Me aims to channel the positive energy that has inspired Catrone himself as a musician. The rhapsodic, idealistic lyrics and catchy melodies laid on top of progressive instrumentation serve to project a theme of fearlessness for listeners and to inspire fans to discover and celebrate their passions.