Catchpenny

Philanthropists, musicians, and adventurers are three words that describe Catchpenny. Over the past ten years, Catchpenny has grown into a group that entertains not only for their love of music, but also for their passion to bring happiness to those who need it across the world.

One invitation to perform for the troops turned into over 150 shows for those serving in Iraq, Kuwait, and other Middle Eastern countries. Along the way, they faced sniper fire, surface-to-air missiles, car bombs, and extreme conditions that landed band members in a medic’s tent on several occasions.

All of this work didn’t go unnoticed as the Pentagon named Catchpenny “Armed Forces Entertainers of the Year.” Col. Ed Shock, who presented the award, added, “Catchpenny toured their butts off playing for troops in the Middle East... It was the smiles on the faces of these troops that played a big role in the decision to make Catchpenny the recipients of the award.”

Vocalist Zachary Schauf says the group went to Iraq because they felt like it was the right thing to do, not for the attention. “Once you get over there and see the changes you can make, it changes your life too.” says Zachary Schauf. “The funny thing is, the story followed us home, and it seems like the more we give, the more we get.”

Offers started coming in including a performance of the National Anthem live on ESPN for the Phoenix NASCAR race, playing in front of 95,000 people in St. Paul last summer, performing again for a sold out Target Field this past Father's Day, and even a few upcoming roles in films.

Catchpenny's most recent recording effort, “Three,” is an admitted departure from the band’s second record “From Where You Are”, but one that feels natural to the guys in the band. “We are constantly learning and evolving. While I’m proud of our past albums, I think this record is more of who we are than our previous records.” says singer Zachary Schauf. Michael Bland, who has worked with Prince, Dixie Chicks, Soul Asylum, and Jonny Lang, helped produce this record. But the band, comprised of brothers Christian and Zachary Schauf, and guitarist Mark Kelly, spent a majority of their time in the band’s studio tracking on their own.

What happened in the studio was a record with classic influences. From the Tom Petty-esque “Runaway” to the Paul McCartney vibe of “Over Her Head”, this album is chalk full of hook-laden songs. “It’s another chapter in our story, and we think it’s pretty good.” Says Christian Schauf “I’m excited to get it out there and see what people think. We’re not 18 anymore, and we’ve experienced a lot. Hopefully this record represents that.”