Scratcher Music Home Page

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So what is 'Scratcher'?

Scratcher / (n) skratch'er / is a band that was conceived in New York City during the winter of 2001. The band comprises of Pete Amos (guitars & vocals), Peter DeLuca (drums & percussion), Neil Gorny (bass & lead guitars) and Patrick Tafoya (guitars & keyboards). In addition, the vocal talents of Audrey Kellar and Robert Dodd were enlisted to bring to life Pete's lyrics.

The band would practice once a week at Smash Studios in New York as a 'release' from the pressures of work. Pete Amos would offer up song ideas which over time would evolve into the finished songs you'll find at this site. Several sounds clips of songs recorded at these rehearsals are available here and highlight the transition from jamming to finished song.

Brooklyn Bridge Picture

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As the number of songs grew, it was decided that they should be recorded not only as a reminder of those rehearsals but as an archive prior to working on further new material. It was fun to jam in the studio but recording the songs would add another depth to the material and give them the time and effort they deserved.

A self-produced album, "The Henry Street Sessions", was the culmination of 4-months of Sunday afternoons recording at Peter's flat in Brooklyn and at Neil's apartment in Manhattan. A digital 16 track recording studio was used along with numerous guitar effects and bottles of beer.

With roots in the indie-pop scene from the 90's, Scratcher's sound is diverse, and has been said to be reminiscent of The Cure, The Cardigans, New Order and The Sundays. Despite such diversity, with three featured vocalists (including special guest Robert Dodd), Scratcher managed to maintain their own distinct style.

The guitar-based songs provide the perfect platform to showcase Audrey Kellar's enchanting vocals, evident on opening tracks "Battle of Britta", and "Thirteen".

The songs have character and the melodies are infectious. The album is full of jangly guitar hooks, solid rhythms and smooth bass lines.

"The Henry Street Sessions" CD offers 3 bonus tracks including the 'dominatrix' remix of Britta that Patrick created using samples from the original recordings. When he's not DJ'ing, Patrick still creates remix tracks in his apartment in New York - some of these can be heard at this site at The Remix Zone.
Check the News Page for any additions to the site.

This site will continue to provide updates of any projects the band are working on (individually or in collaboration) and will also be a showcase for songs as they are completed.