In 2005, at the age of 14, Nic Hessler created the alias Catwalk to write, record and perform his music. Two short\u00a0run 7″ singles were released on the now defunct Yay! imprint, making the rounds in small indie record stores and mail-order distributors. This led to Nic, as Catwalk, to be signed to\u00a0Captured Tracks at the age of\u00a018.<\/p>\n
Two Captured Tracks\u00a07″ releases in 2010 and 2011 gained Hessler media praise and support from the music community of Orange County. Catwalk’s path was focused on\u00a0a full length and non-stop touring.\u00a0However, none of that came to fruition\u00a0because Nic\u00a0was diagnosed with\u00a0Guillain\u2013Barr\u00e9 Syndrome,\u00a0a\u00a0rare autoimmune disorder that’s\u00a0sometimes\u00a0mistaken for Multiple Sclerosis, and he was left\u00a0partially paralyzed for a period during these four\u00a0years.<\/p>\n
Nic re-emerges in 2015 without\u00a0the Catwalk moniker,\u00a0healthy and reinvigorated, with a more fully-formed and ambitious sound\u00a0that is\u00a0Soft Connections<\/em>, his debut LP years in the making. The album\u00a0bridges the songwriting influences of the vintage American power-pop of Emmitt Rhodes and Alex Chilton with UK giants like The Kinks and XTC. Tracks like Hearts,\u00a0Repeating<\/em> and I Feel Again\u00a0<\/em>show the maturity in craftsmanship Nic’s been honing these past four years.<\/p>\n Lead single, Hearts, Repeating<\/em>, is\u00a0the perfect introduction to Hessler’s vibrant power-pop sensibilities. Take a listen to Hearts, Repeating<\/em> via Soundcloud below.<\/p>\n