Poison Thoughts: Getting To Know Catalyst...
Words: Angelina Rios-Galindo
December 8, 2023
Composed of Connor Kelliher (20) on vocals, Aidan Lavoie (22) on drums, Dave Lemme (20) on guitar, and Andrew Trow (22) on bass, Catalyst... is on its way to define a generation of
DIY productions. The self proclaimed “4 losers from Rhode Island” sat down with me this summer to debrief their first US tour, discuss the screamo resurgence of 2023, and mull over the complexities of growing out of a small-town scene.
DIY productions. The self proclaimed “4 losers from Rhode Island” sat down with me this summer to debrief their first US tour, discuss the screamo resurgence of 2023, and mull over the complexities of growing out of a small-town scene.
Have you ever heard of
Quahog hardcore emo?
Championing the Family Guy moniker and embracing their roots as Rhode
Islanders, Catalyst... has emerged as a genre-defying beast and figurehead of
hardcore emo in Providence, and across the nation.
We met at the station in July for the interview, and the first thing I asked them was
what genre(s) they define themselves as. We talked about skramz, screamo, emo, and punk but ultimately couldn’t choose just one. What we landed on, instead, was this: that their identity as a band, both musically and personally, is ever-evolving and complex.
Catalyst... exists as a culmination of the things they know, love, and learn about. After spending a month on tour, their music absorbed the memo-
ries of the people they met and places they visited.
“We came back and we’re making music that sounds, like, cooler to us and we’re experimenting more. Our sound changes, it’s like a chameleon.” - Andrew
If you look on Bandcamp, the tags on each of their projects catalog this per-
fectly. From flagging their first release as “punk, angry, sad, Providence,” to labeling their newest EP as “punk, angry, sad, Providence, bad, emo, screamo, skramz,” it’s clear that the band holds true to their ocean state origins even in the pursuit of new inspirations.
On The Come Up
Since their debut in 2021 with CATALYST (self titled), the band has amassed over four million plays and nearly 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. While much of their early success can be attributed to “Nice to see you,” (which, at present, accounts for nearly a quarter of their streams), Catalyst... has produced hits across
two full-length albums, an independent EP, and two splits. Songs like “Call me an uber,” “Live like an animal,” and “Carhartt beanie” inaugurate the Catalyst... discography with the juvenility and aggression expected of the first album from an
emerging punk band, but “Kill Cops” reveals the anti-establishment values and the anti-capitalist core of CATALYST (self titled).
Put out just seven months later, Pomona sharpens the themes that materialized from their first record. “Government Laced My Check,” “Media Control,” and (my favorite song) “Skinhead Scum” are angry, and lie on the premonition of authority.
The sophomore album also, however, stirs a sense of maturity from the band. “Find Your Way,” “12.28,” and “Same” describe the responsibility, despair, and monotony that come with age. They’re songs of regret, of wondering; the totality of life.
..., their EP release from earlier this year, and the Dim/Catalyst Split are perhaps even more adult. The message of collective disdain becomes the mourning of the individual and the reimagining of truth. “Are You Here With Me?” is written of Andrew’s mother, who passed away last October. It’s a love letter to her memory; to hear it live is enveloping and cathartic, like the emotions that arise in the face
of loss. “is this all that we’ll be?” and “forget it ill figure it out” are defined by frustration and disillusionment; they’ve emerged as fan favorites, each earning roughly 300 thousand streams in just the past six months.
Catalyst...’s relatively recent beginning launched them down a path of immediate, massive growth. In short, they blew up—for which they thank their listeners, and those who have supported them thus far. “If it wasn’t for everyone that listens to our shit, there’s no fucking possible way that we could have went across the country. It’s people buying merch, people showing up to shows, paying door covers, all the things. It makes us who we are.” - Connor
Homecoming and Community In New Heights
When I asked the members of Catalyst... what their favorite show from tour was, they all groaned. It was impossible to pick just one, so I asked for stories. Chronicled by Graeme of HOTSTUFF PRODUCTIONS, they told me of Miss April Washington in Philly, who found them by chance at a house show in her neighborhood and hopped on mic for the first time ever.
“It was fucking insane, just to see how welcoming the community was for a person completely out of their realm. You know, [someone] living their day to day life and just stumbling upon this and falling in love with it is amazing.” - Dave
They told me about bands like Clay Birds and herlovebeheadsdaisies who opened their doors, and fans from across the country who showed them love they didn’t know was out there.
“I live on a street called Pomona Avenue in Providence. Right after we released the album, people were like, ‘Oh, is this about Pomona, California?’ And I was like, ‘No, this is just the street I live on.’ But after going and playing Pomona in Pomona, it was like, shit. Shit. Maybe it was about this.” - Aidan
Catalyst... played their first hometown show post-tour at Red Ink Community
Library. Sharing the bill with bands Hysteria, Dearstreet, and Potter’s Field, Catalyst...’s homecoming signaled both a beginning and end. Their return marked the close of an experience to shape the rest of their lives, but the line that trailed far down Cypress St. indicated the onslaught of something bigger than them.
For Catalyst..., the bittersweet tinge of changing times meets the warm familiarity of DIY principles: even after a full US tour, they still play in basements and write their setlists on Post-it notes.
Championing the Family Guy moniker and embracing their roots as Rhode
Islanders, Catalyst... has emerged as a genre-defying beast and figurehead of
hardcore emo in Providence, and across the nation.
We met at the station in July for the interview, and the first thing I asked them was
what genre(s) they define themselves as. We talked about skramz, screamo, emo, and punk but ultimately couldn’t choose just one. What we landed on, instead, was this: that their identity as a band, both musically and personally, is ever-evolving and complex.
Catalyst... exists as a culmination of the things they know, love, and learn about. After spending a month on tour, their music absorbed the memo-
ries of the people they met and places they visited.
“We came back and we’re making music that sounds, like, cooler to us and we’re experimenting more. Our sound changes, it’s like a chameleon.” - Andrew
If you look on Bandcamp, the tags on each of their projects catalog this per-
fectly. From flagging their first release as “punk, angry, sad, Providence,” to labeling their newest EP as “punk, angry, sad, Providence, bad, emo, screamo, skramz,” it’s clear that the band holds true to their ocean state origins even in the pursuit of new inspirations.
On The Come Up
Since their debut in 2021 with CATALYST (self titled), the band has amassed over four million plays and nearly 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. While much of their early success can be attributed to “Nice to see you,” (which, at present, accounts for nearly a quarter of their streams), Catalyst... has produced hits across
two full-length albums, an independent EP, and two splits. Songs like “Call me an uber,” “Live like an animal,” and “Carhartt beanie” inaugurate the Catalyst... discography with the juvenility and aggression expected of the first album from an
emerging punk band, but “Kill Cops” reveals the anti-establishment values and the anti-capitalist core of CATALYST (self titled).
Put out just seven months later, Pomona sharpens the themes that materialized from their first record. “Government Laced My Check,” “Media Control,” and (my favorite song) “Skinhead Scum” are angry, and lie on the premonition of authority.
The sophomore album also, however, stirs a sense of maturity from the band. “Find Your Way,” “12.28,” and “Same” describe the responsibility, despair, and monotony that come with age. They’re songs of regret, of wondering; the totality of life.
..., their EP release from earlier this year, and the Dim/Catalyst Split are perhaps even more adult. The message of collective disdain becomes the mourning of the individual and the reimagining of truth. “Are You Here With Me?” is written of Andrew’s mother, who passed away last October. It’s a love letter to her memory; to hear it live is enveloping and cathartic, like the emotions that arise in the face
of loss. “is this all that we’ll be?” and “forget it ill figure it out” are defined by frustration and disillusionment; they’ve emerged as fan favorites, each earning roughly 300 thousand streams in just the past six months.
Catalyst...’s relatively recent beginning launched them down a path of immediate, massive growth. In short, they blew up—for which they thank their listeners, and those who have supported them thus far. “If it wasn’t for everyone that listens to our shit, there’s no fucking possible way that we could have went across the country. It’s people buying merch, people showing up to shows, paying door covers, all the things. It makes us who we are.” - Connor
Homecoming and Community In New Heights
When I asked the members of Catalyst... what their favorite show from tour was, they all groaned. It was impossible to pick just one, so I asked for stories. Chronicled by Graeme of HOTSTUFF PRODUCTIONS, they told me of Miss April Washington in Philly, who found them by chance at a house show in her neighborhood and hopped on mic for the first time ever.
“It was fucking insane, just to see how welcoming the community was for a person completely out of their realm. You know, [someone] living their day to day life and just stumbling upon this and falling in love with it is amazing.” - Dave
They told me about bands like Clay Birds and herlovebeheadsdaisies who opened their doors, and fans from across the country who showed them love they didn’t know was out there.
“I live on a street called Pomona Avenue in Providence. Right after we released the album, people were like, ‘Oh, is this about Pomona, California?’ And I was like, ‘No, this is just the street I live on.’ But after going and playing Pomona in Pomona, it was like, shit. Shit. Maybe it was about this.” - Aidan
Catalyst... played their first hometown show post-tour at Red Ink Community
Library. Sharing the bill with bands Hysteria, Dearstreet, and Potter’s Field, Catalyst...’s homecoming signaled both a beginning and end. Their return marked the close of an experience to shape the rest of their lives, but the line that trailed far down Cypress St. indicated the onslaught of something bigger than them.
For Catalyst..., the bittersweet tinge of changing times meets the warm familiarity of DIY principles: even after a full US tour, they still play in basements and write their setlists on Post-it notes.