Richie Kotzen came off the road with Smith/Kotzen planning to rest. Instead, he went back into the studio. The result is “Catch a Star,” a newly recorded single with an accompanying lyric video, released as a surprise digital drop for the fans who’ve followed him across decades of music.
The song had been sitting in his archives in semi-completed form, waiting. Coming back to it after the tour, something clicked. “While going through old archives, I rediscovered ‘Catch A Star’ in a semi-completed form and for whatever reason, the direction suddenly became obvious to me in a way it hadn’t before,” says Kotzen. “Once that happens as a writer, you must trust your instincts and follow the momentum.”
He played every instrument on the track himself, layering each part individually in the studio. Kotzen digs into his Philly musical roots throughout, building soaring verses, soulful melodies and choruses, and driving rhythms that push his guitar and bass work in directions he hasn’t fully explored before.
The arrangement reflects a deliberate choice. “The chorus arrives immediately, the arrangement stays intentionally simple, and the focus is really on the melody, lyric, and atmosphere,” he explains. That directness is precisely what gives “Catch a Star” its pull. Nothing is buried, nothing overstays its welcome.
Kotzen’s approach to releasing music has shifted. Rather than holding a track until a full album materializes, he’s moving in real time, sharing music as it arrives. “If it eventually leads to a full-length album, great,” he says, “and if it doesn’t, for now, that’s fine too.” It’s a creative posture that suits an artist whose output has always moved faster than any format can contain.
