The story of Cat & Mouse begins in my Northcote garage circa 2013. I had just released my debut E.P. "Countless Verse"  when I was invited by one of my favourite Australian song writers, Whitley (aka Lawrence Greenwood), to sing on his song "My Heart Is Not A Machine". I toured with Whitley as the opening act and as a member of his band up and down the east coast, the highlight of which being an amazing show at Splendour In The Grass in Byron Bay.  Around this time I stumbled across a new guitar, a Gretsch resonator, that I bought from my partner Colin's parent's shop down on the Mornington Peninsula. Despite guitar not being a musical strength for me (and having to put it on my credit card) buying this guitar changed everything. It marked the point when I stopped writing songs on piano. This new toy had an instantaneous effect on the sound and the style of the songs I was writing and set me on the path to the Cat & Mouse E.P.

   
Left: On stage with Whitley - Splendour In The Grass 2013
Right: The new Gretsch Resonator Guitar.

With my new songs ready to go (all written on my Gretsch), I teamed up with my partner, record producer Colin Leadbetter and Lawrence Greenwood (Whitley) to start recording. After a very productive couple of days at Northcote's Tender Trap studio's, we came away with basic tracking of the E.P.  Lawrence's sparse production aesthetic fitted the songs beautifully, and he added valuable guitar and piano contributions. Colin filled things out with drums and percussion and life-long friend and musician Jesse Williams (and his banjo) paid us a visit. My cousin Nathan Holt also joined us to add trumpet, trombone and flugel horn. Then in the spirit of keeping it in the family, we invited Cathy Holt (Mumsie) who contributed some beautiful violin and viola and Davin Holt (Dadsie) who contributed some dramatic cello and  double bass (photos of all these lovely people at then end!).  

At this point we decided to complete one song and send it into the world. 'By Water' was chosen and I teamed up with talented Sydney director Jess Hallay and invited Jolene (aka Jackson Rouse) in all her glory, to make a music video.
People on the interwebs have been nice and said great things about 'By Water':
“evoking an atmosphere that's sweet, with a hint of darkness.” - Indie Shuffle

"Holt is a fully fledged multi-instrumentalist, whose undeniable talents comes via the form of melodically sweet, moody indie country infused folk songs like ‘By Water’." - Tone-deaf

“a melodious voice and a force to be reckoned with on the contemporary popular music scene - absolutely beguiling in every sense” - Spreadntheseed

But now i need your help! 
In order to mix and master the rest of the songs we have recorded, print CD's, merchandise and then release it into the world, we really need your support.
This pozible campaign will allow you to pre-purchase your copy of the Cat & Mouse E.P. Or, if you're really keen,  get yourself some merchandise as well. We have tote bags, stickers, badges and limited edition Cat & Mouse wine, plus some other personalised goodies along the way.   
Thanks in advance for all of your love and support! 

Big love, Esther x

People

Cost involved with finishing this project include:
- Mixing
- Mastering
- CD Production
- Merchandise Production
- Publicity
Any extra funds raised will be greatly appreciated and will contribute towards things such as creating film clips, paying musicians, rehearsing, performing and touring expenses. 

The only thing that could stop this project from coming to fruition is a lack of funds. Unfortunately money makes the world go around, and the music industry can be expensive. As a solo and independent artist, the costs involved in being active in the music scene are immense and rest solely on your shoulders! However, in this age of connectivity, we can utilize this great platform to take action.