Little Hurricane Interview

Little Hurricane, an American rock and blues band out of San Diego, California, was formed in 2010. Since then, they’ve released four albums, including 2017s “Same Sun Same Moon.” Renier Fee, Director of Marketing at Music & Arts, interviewed Anthony “Tone” Catalano, about his past, favorite gear, and the future of the band.

I’m a fan of your music so it’s exciting to have you on The Vault!  Thank you for your time.

Thanks Renier! Glad to be a part of it..

Both you and your drummer, Celeste “C.C.” Spina, took jazz band in high school. What are some of your favorite memories playing music back then?

Yes! CC was in Jazz band in Chicago, IL while I went to school in Santa Cruz, CA. One of my favorite memories from Jazz band was the entire class sneaking out and climbing over a fence to hide from the teacher while he was in his office. We took all our instruments with us for some reason and nearly broke the neck off m

y guitar. Jazz band was my favorite part of the day since almost every song the band leader would give me a guitar solo and let me improvise and improve my skills.

I read that you worked as a sound engineer, recording artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, and Metallica. Where did you pick up those skills?

I realized early on as a musician from being in studios that I needed to learn how to record. It started when I wanted to know how to contribute to the mixing process in technical terms. So I started teaching myself in high-school on a 4-track then got a job at a recording software company during college and got deals on building up my studio equipment. Since then I’ve worked with some of the top producers and with many artists to varying degrees. So- I’ve have only briefly worked on tuning vocals for RHCP.. and recorded a live show once for Metallica in Mexico City.. But have worked more in depth with Gwen for her solo stuff. Not sure how Wikipedia ends up with certain credits instead of others.

Any good Flea stories you can share?

No, never met him…

Not every musician has the opportunity to make it as a performer.  Do you recommend that young musicians get training in music education, production, and engineering as another way to stay in the industry?

Being a “performer” is just one facet of being a musician in my opinion.. The most important thing for being a musician is finding what works for you and finding a way to keep it exciting and original. There are so many paths you can take within the “music” field and they generally all go hand in hand so it’s all a learning experience.

Congrats on your third studio album, “Same Sun Same Moon”, which came out in April!  How has your writing process evolved since the first Little Hurricane album?

Thanks! It hasn’t changed too much since the first Little Hurricane album.. I’m always writing and pushing the process for myself, releasing albums is part of that process.. clearing out my favorite songs and moving forward is important. Recording has been intertwined with the writing process for me for a long time..

Talk to me about your gear.  What kind of guitars did you use?  Amp preferences?

I used to play Les Pauls but they are too heavy! I switched to vintage silvertone 1410’s a while back when I heard the pickups.. something about the late 60’s single coils just scream! I have been playing a 1992 Matchless clubman 35 through 2×10″ guitar warehouse speakers for some time now and love it.. I recently added a 60’s Supro Super and they pair up nicely.

When you and I spoke last year, Laurel Canyon was an unknown brand to you.  Now that you’ve had a chance to play on Laurel Canyon acoustic and uke guitars, what do you think about their sound and quality?

Yes, well I haven’t tried the acoustic but the uke is super fun! I like translating songs to the uke and hear them in a different light.. The Uke makes everything simple and happy sounding. The quality is impressive.. all sorts of abalone inlays!

June and July are Guitar Month at Music & Arts.  For our young readers out there, how should they celebrate?

Hmm, try something new with guitar! Whether it be a 12-string guitar, Tenor guitar, Baritone, Mandolin, Uke or even using a capo on your own guitar. Trying something new has always been a fun challenge for myself as a guitar player.. Never limit yourself- sounds cheesy but I remember thinking early on, “I’ve learned all the chords.. got this guitar thing down pretty well.. 6 strings, 20 frets or whatever..  kinda bored with it”.. then I heard my friends older brother playing and it blew my mind, I made a mental note to never limit what a guitar can do again.

What are five accessories every beginning guitarist should have?

G7th Performance 2 Capo– not the cheapest capo- but will last a lifetime if you don’t lose it!)

Mogami Gold Instrument Cable Angled-Straight Cable – this is cable I use- Right angle plugs are the way to go.

Boss TU-3 Chromatic Pedal Tuner Standard – I’ve had this tuner for almost 20 years now.. still works great.

D’Addario Planet Waves Pro Winder String Winder/Cutter Standard – gotta changes those strings! might as well have some help

Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks – this is my pick of choice when I use a pick

Where can fans find out about the new album and your touring schedule?

They can check out our website or just google “Little Hurricane” for updates and tour dates!