Shawn David McMillen - Catfish

Guitarist and composer Shawn David McMillen is a native of the East Texas town of Lake Jackson, known as “The Cancer Capitol of America” due to its large concentration of chemical plants. Quintanna, where the Brazos River meets the Gulf Coast beach, formerly was home to the Karankawa Indians—whose legacy is commemorated in Shawn’s song "Quintanna’s Head Dress." 

Shawn’s stepfather, a member of the Christian rock band Waves of Joy, introduced him to garage bands and deep-sea fishing. Shawn lived in many different households until he left home at 16 for Houston and a glamorous lifestyle of playing in punk rock bands while sleeping in parks, vans, and the homes of friends.

In the early Nineties, Shawn met Tom and Christina Carter Charalambides—now considered early pioneers of the present avant-folk movement.

Recorded mostly at night, Catfish is acoustic-based only because Shawn had no electric guitar at the time. Other instruments include autoharp, Roland keyboard, Indian goat bell, Indonesian gongs, bowed electric bass, African kalimba (thumb piano), and shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute). Cited influences at the time include American Indian lore, music from the Middle East and India, Phil Yost, Robbie Basho, and Malachi Favors.

Catfish was released in 2005 as limited vinyl issue on the Emperor Jones label. Afterwards, McMillen released a double LP with The Friday Group (with Tom Carter); currently, he plays in Rubble along with King Coffee of Butthole Surfers.

A WIRE review stated that Catfish “shares the peculiar sense of temporal and topographical resonance that exemplifies the soporific, glazed music created by artists from Texas. Through their music references psychedelia (a notionally 'placeless' aesthetic), there is something very specific about the manifestations of place and space in Texas psych….”

“The extended ‘Quintanna's Head Dress’ is the highlight of the record. The beatific grace of the opening moments recalls ritual movement, unraveling all kinds of clattering sound sources before resolving to an elegant drone.”