The young Orlando alternative-rock band Catnap is set to release their second mini-album, Songs From the Darkroom, on Friday. Formed by childhood friends who met in middle school, the trio will perform the new material at upcoming shows in Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville. Their sound draws from 1990s alternative rock influences while incorporating newer shoegaze and emo elements.
Catnap, an alternative-rock trio from Orlando, consists of Nina Friend on guitar and vocals, Julia Deason on bass and vocals, and Angie Benbeneck on drums. The band members, who have known each other since middle school, began making music together after Friend and Deason explored violin and cello compositions early on. They formalized the group after Friend picked up the guitar, Deason the bass, and reunited with Benbeneck, a childhood friend who had started drumming.
Their breakthrough came with the song 'Talk!', which Benbeneck described as 'the first song that we wrote that was actually catchy.' This led to the release of their debut EP, Talk!, in 2023. Catnap played their first live show in late 2023 at the Orlando Girls Rock Camp Fest, an event featuring emerging bands from the camp alongside established Central Florida acts. Benbeneck recalled the excitement: 'I was so excited when we played our first show, I could not stop smiling.'
The band's sound evokes early-1990s alternative rock groups such as Helium, Juliana Hatfield, Tsunami, and Belly, with initial heavy influence from Smashing Pumpkins. More recently, they have drawn from contemporary shoegaze and emo artists. Songs From the Darkroom, their second mini-album, was recorded at Greenwood Recording studio with producer Kyle Hoffer, who has worked with Cathedral Bells and Hail the Sun. This marked a step up from their debut, which was recorded at home. Friend noted the personal growth in the lyrics: 'The lyrics on this EP are the most vulnerable lyrics that I’ve ever written.' Benbeneck added about the process: 'We’ve never done anything like this before... when we were all in the room, listening to it come together, that was really awesome.'
The release coincides with a series of local performances. On Sunday, March 15, they play at Conduit in Winter Park with S.M.O.P., Misspell, and Fawn. Additional shows are scheduled at the Orpheum in Tampa with Mossheads and Indigo Lane, and at Hard Love in Jacksonville with Anthony Mikus, Kicklighter, Gnomes of Neptune, and Echo Foxtrot. Catnap is part of a supportive young Orlando music scene, with Friend highlighting bands like Misspell and S.M.O.P., the latter of which started at the Girls Rock Camp. Benbeneck emphasized the inspiration from local drummers: 'More than with bigger bands, I feel more connected to them.' Friend credited early experiences at venues like Stardust Video for shaping their path: 'That was eye-opening for me.'