Cotton Mather (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1990 in Austin, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Robert Harrison |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
| Website | robertharrisonofficial |
Cotton Mather is a rock ensemble originating from Austin, Texas, established by Robert Harrison in 1990. The group began as an avant-garde duo featuring guitar and cello but later transformed into a quartet emphasizing guitars and vocal harmonies. Active between 1990 and 2003, they reunited in 2012 after a nine-year break. Their sound has drawn comparisons to the Beatles, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Squeeze, and Guided by Voices. In his 2007 publication, Shake Some Action, John Borack placed their album Kontiki at number 26 in his Top 200 Power Pop Albums list, comparing it to the Revolver era of the Beatles, as well as Big Star and The Apples in Stereo. The magazine NME described Cotton Mather as "the most exciting guitar pop band since Supergrass."
Formation and early development (1990–1996)
Cotton Mather originated as an experimental art rock collaboration between Robert Harrison and cellist Nat Shelton. After Shelton’s departure from Austin in 1991, Harrison steered the project towards a more conventional rock style. The lineup for their debut album included Harrison on guitar and vocals, Whit Williams handling guitar and backing vocals, Matt Hovis on bass, and Greg Thibeaux on drums. They recorded Cotton Is King at Ardent Studios in Memphis under ELM Records. Following the album’s lack of commercial success, Hovis and Thibeaux left the band, leaving Harrison and Williams to continue writing and recording—sometimes supported by bassist George Reiff and drummers Dana Myzer and Darin Murphy—for their sophomore release.
Breakthrough with Kontiki and subsequent album The Big Picture (1997–2003)
The album Kontiki was primarily tracked using 4-track cassette and ADAT technology, incorporating found sounds alongside psychedelic influences. While most songs involved overdubbing, three tracks were recorded live with the full band, underscoring their rock-oriented approach. Nashville-based musician Brad Jones was responsible for mixing and assembling the album. Although initially failing to gain traction in the United States upon its 1997 release, it saw a reissue in 1999 through England’s Rainbow Quartz label, earning endorsements from Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis.
Work on their third studio album, The Big Picture, commenced in 1998 with Brad Jones producing. Following the UK success of Kontiki, Harrison postponed releasing this nearly completed record to produce the EP Hotel Baltimore, which featured both revamped songs and new material. By 2000, The Big Picture was finalized and mixed by producer Dave Fridmann, then launched by Rainbow Quartz in October 2001.
Hiatus period and individual endeavors (2003–2011)
Due to disappointing sales of The Big Picture coupled with conflicts involving their record label, Cotton Mather entered a hiatus starting in 2003. Band members pursued separate paths: George Reiff became active as both performer and producer collaborating with artists such as Chris Robinson, Court Yard Hounds, and Jakob Dylan; Josh Gravelin worked alongside musicians including Ian Moore and Alejandro Escovedo. Whit Williams and Dana Myzer joined the band Stockton, which released an album in 2007; Myzer subsequently became part of London-based act Farrah. Williams also authored poetry under the name Harold Whit Williams. Drummer Kevin Whitley formed The Pretty Please with Matt Hovis and Carrie Clark, issuing an EP produced by Robert Harrison in 2004.
In 2007, Harrison established The Star Apple Kingdom as a platform for his production efforts and creative projects. Its inaugural release was Future Clouds and Radar’s self-titled debut—a project largely driven by Harrison with contributions from Reiff, Gravelin, Murphy, Jones, and Fridmann. This collective followed up with their second album Peoria in 2008.
Reunion phase (2012–present)
During Cotton Mather’s inactive years, their music retained some visibility: "Lily Dreams On" from Kontiki appeared on the soundtrack of the television series Veronica Mars, while "Lost My Motto" from Hotel Baltimore was featured on Steven Van Zandt’s compilation titled The Coolest Songs In The World. The underground acclaim surrounding Kontiki prompted Harrison to coordinate an expanded reissue in 2011. Released in spring 2012 as the Kontiki Deluxe Edition, this version included a bonus disc containing outtakes. That year also saw several live performances along with a 7" single featuring two previously unreleased tracks from The Big Picture sessions that included organ contributions by Ian McLagan.
What began as occasional shows supporting the reissue evolved into ongoing live performances and recording activity. With Dana Myzer and Josh Gravelin less involved, the core lineup comprised Harrison, Williams, Reiff, and Murphy.
In 2016, the album Death of the Cool, issued via Star Apple Kingdom, marked the initial release within Harrison’s "Songs from the I Ching" series—an ambitious set of compositions inspired by each of the 64 hexagrams found in the ancient text I Ching. This record garnered critical praise and was followed by three additional tracks featuring vocalist Nicole Atkins. The project expanded further in 2017 with both a full-length album titled Wild Kingdom and an EP named Young Life, consisting of six songs. During this period, longtime bassist and producer George Reiff became ill and sadly passed away from lung cancer in May 2017.
No new releases emerged throughout 2018. A crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic aimed at financing a new album did not reach its target; Harrison attributed this pause partly to personal recovery following Reiff’s death. In February 2019, Harrison initiated a Patreon page through which he shared sixteen new compositions from the ongoing I Ching project alongside unreleased Cotton Mather recordings and archival footage documenting the band’s history during the eras of Kontiki and The Big Picture. This Patreon endeavor continued into 2020.
Name
The group takes its name from the 17th-century Puritan minister and writer Cotton Mather, who served at Boston's North Church. The choice of name came about when Harrison and his brother, in search of a band name following their uncle's funeral, found "Cotton Mather" to be a fitting and somewhat humorous option, connecting to Harrison's theological studies.
Albums
- The Crafty Flower Arranger (1992) (demo recordings aimed at obtaining a record deal)
- Cotton is King (1994, ELM Records)
- Kontiki (1997, Copper Records; reissued 1999 by Rainbow Quartz; re-released 2012 through Star Apple Kingdom)
- The Big Picture (2001, Rainbow Quartz)
- Death of the Cool (2016, Star Apple Kingdom)
- Wild Kingdom (2017, Star Apple Kingdom)
- Buffalo Nickels (2019, independently released)
EPs
- Hotel Baltimore (1999, Rainbow Quartz)
- Cotton Mather With Nicole Atkins (2016, Star Apple Kingdom)
- Young Life EP (2017, Star Apple Kingdom)
Singles
- Payday (1993, Biffco)
- She's Only Cool (1999, Rainbow Quartz)
- Password (1999, Rainbow Quartz)
- My Before And After (1999, Rainbow Quartz)
- 40 Watt Solution (2001, Rainbow Quartz)
- I'll Be Gone/Animal Show (2012, Euclid)
- The Book Of Too Late Changes (2016, Star Apple Kingdom)
- Eleanor Plunge (2017, Star Apple Kingdom)