Catfish Music, Chicago, was officially launched as a music house by composers/ producers Joel Raney and Jeff Boyle on New Year’s Day, 1999. But the pair had been collaborating closely for three years, working out of Raney’s recording studio, also called Catfish, while they were both represented by Chicago-based Com/ track.
Raney says that he and Boyle realized they worked very well together, which-besides the fact that "it was time"-prompted them to break away from Com/track in late ’98 to go solo. "Our relationship evolved during the time we were at Com/track," explains Raney. "We just fit. We’re two opposites that make a nice complete pie.
"I’m classically trained and good at orchestral scoring and piano tracks," he continues, "and Jeff is a self-taught rocker and a fantastic songwriter. Those elements combined give you a lot of leverage in the commercial music business."
"[Raney] is this mad professor and I’m this sort of auto mechanic," adds Boyle, "but it works."
It clearly works for the clients who have supplied Catfish with a steady stream of work. Among its recent jobs are spots for Subaru, J.C. Penney, Bank of America, and Nationwide Insurance, all via Temerlin McClain, Irving, Texas; and a spate of projects for Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB), Chicago, for clients including Kraft, Sara Lee, Coors Light, Keebler, Tombstone Pizza, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Shout and Illinois Tourism. Additional credits include spots for Bud Light via DDB Chicago; McDonald’s and Dryel, both out of Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, and the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) via Fusion Idea Lab, Chicago.
In early January, Boyle and Raney were reunited with another former Com/track colleague-composer/ producer Gary Fry, who joined Catfish just as he is celebrating his 20th year in the commercial business. In addition to completing recent jobs for Kellogg’s and Nintendo, both via Leo Burnett, Fry composed 14 commissioned works for the Chicago Symphony and Chorus. He has also composed and produced six albums of children’s music for Warner Bros. and Kid Rhino Records.
