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“Very sophisticated and relentlessly appealing sunny SoCal folk pop a la Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, the guys who invented it. Fully realized. Absolutely joyful.” - John Hiatt
“Melodic, colorful, emotional. A fun and bubbly trip through our dad’s cosmic mind”. - JEFF The Brotherhood
“REO has proved once again that he’s one of the best songwriters in Nashville. This album encapsulates the warm nostalgia of summers spent with friends at 467.” - Daddy Issues
“If there’s been a better record to come out of Nashville in the past few years let us know, cause we haven’t heard it” - Diarrhea Planet
Robert Ellis Orrall announces the August 27 release of his new album 467 Surf And Gun Club via Infinity Cat imprint Fixation Records. Father to JEFF the Brotherhood’s Jake and Jamin Orrall and owner of Infinity Cat Records, Orrall’s new album pays homage to the infamous house where he ran the beloved indie label and cultivated Nashville’s thriving DIY scene.
Explaining the album Orrall says, “‘It's all about the good times at 467 Humphreys St, home to 467 Surf And Gun Club and Nashville’s legendary indie label, Infinity Cat Recordings, where you could grab a BB Gun off the wall and fire away at the tin cans out back. There were meats on the grill and beers on ice, and surfing vids ran on the old tube TV.” He continues, “The video was drawn by one of our favorite regulars, Infinity Cat’s own Halle Ballard, who captured the vibe perfectly. We were lucky to have it while it lasted."
By the time Robert Ellis Orrall launched Infinity Cat from a house in downtown Nashville, the Massachusetts native had already enjoyed a milestone-filled career as a major-label artist signed to RCA Records and a behind-the-scenes songwriter racking up Top 40 hits from the ‘80s through the 2000s. He penned singles for artists including Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Lindsay Lohan and Katzenjammer, as well as #1 songs for Shenandoah and Clay Walker. He also co-produced Taylor Swift's multi-platinum debut album and garnered a CMA nomination for Duo of the Year with his duo Orrall & Wright. Serving as Infinity Cat's patriarch allowed Orrall to shift gears, guiding Nashville's punk-rock underground and launching the careers of bands like Diarrhea Planet, JEFF the Brotherhood, Be Your Own Pet and Daddy Issues out of the now-demolished house at 467 Humphrey Street.
"I've been in this business for 40-plus years," says Orrall. "As far back as high school, I knew I was going to be a songwriter and I hoped to make records. And that's what I've done ever since. All those years spent at 467 Humphrey Street were a high point for me — a lesson in what happiness can truly mean."
The Infinity Cat headquarters was more than a place to conduct business, it was the epicenter of a community where countless artists and curiosity seekers gathered to create music, shoot BB guns, grill steaks, watch surf films and forge lasting memories. Equal parts fact and fiction, 467 Surf And Gun Club reimagines that space as a neighborhood dive bar, with Orrall as the bartender. Mixed by Steve Marcantonio (John Lennon, Vince Gill) and featuring performances from the same bandmates who appeared on Orrall's early-'80s albums, 467 Surf And Gun Club tells the story of a legendary hangout where the nights were long, the lines at the bar were short and the music lasted forever.
"The Surf and Gun Club was home to young thinkers and old drinkers, more than a few regulars, and curious visitors," adds Orrall. "And even though the sign above the door said, 'You can’t come in unless you’ve been here before,' everyone was greeted like an old friend.