Newly Formed Cassettiquette Prepares to Record Debut EP
Four-piece gains momentum with live shows
Believe it or not, the name Cassettiquette came from an especially well-behaved cat.
Shortly after the inception of the then-nameless indie-alt band, the members were having a beer at original bass player Hyatt Morrill’s house when someone commented on the great manners of Morrill’s cat, Cassette.
“Cassette had excellent etiquette, and then the name ‘Cassettiquette’ was born,” explained lead guitarist and songwriter of Cassettiquette, Connor Hausman. “Basically drunk cat observations.”
Now a foursome, the band currently consists of Hausman, Emma Freas on keys, Chris Gibson on bass and Trevor Martin on drums.
Purposefully or not, the eccentric origins of the band’s name reflect the same principles that set it apart from the legion of talent based in Charlotte, Hausman said.
“While our songs can touch on some hard topics, we are generally goofy and love to have fun while performing,” he said. “Sad boy lyrics with upbeat music.”
Though the band has yet to release any music publicly, they’ve played a number of live shows throughout the city this year at venues like Snug Harbor and Petra’s. Crowd-favorites like “Thelma and Louise” and “Disintegrate” draw inspiration from Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Horses, Radiohead and The Killers.
After months of live shows and building a fanbase, the band hopes to record a five-song EP with the possibility of more during its six-day studio run at Jason Scavone’s Sioux Sioux Studios in August.
Scavone is a Charlotte-based singer, songwriter, engineer and producer that Hausman has been hoping to work with for years. He never got the chance with his past project, popular indie rockers The Business People, but he’s now excited to get his wish.
For this project, Hausman brings songs to the band as he writes them. Though he starts the process, the arrangement of the song is a collaborative effort between members.
Read More: Hear & Now: The Business People
“I feel that can very quickly make a good song a lot better,” he told Queen City Nerve. “I am always thinking about how the songs will translate in a live setting. The entire band is ‘instrumental’ in that process. Pun, unfortunately, intended.”
Taking the time to test out which songs work during live shows has put the band in a good position for the money and effort it takes to record, a process Hausman is hopeful will return fully fleshed-out tracks by October.
Until then, follow the band on Instagram for updates on upcoming shows.
