Folk | Country | Rock | Americana
NEW RELEASE: August 8, 2026
The concept EP American Circus is named for the record’s third track, which won an Honorable Mention in the Mid Atlantic Song Contest as an allegory for America’s crumbling democracy. The songs on this EP tell an Read more
The concept EP American Circus is named for the record’s third track, which won an Honorable Mention in the Mid Atlantic Song Contest as an allegory for America’s crumbling democracy. The songs on this EP tell an emotional story of political breakdown, reflected in a range of styles from melodic ballads to lean folk arrangements to loud and angry rock - a departure from the steadier folk-country vibe of our first album.
Unlike the decades of songwriting captured on Union Station, these songs came fast and furious in just a few months. Although political, the songs are intensely personal. As long-time residents of Washington, DC we have been directly affected by our nation’s dramatic upheaval. We recorded half the songs at home, then brought in their “back up band,” The Damages, to record the other half in our hometown studio, Asparagus Media, where the entire EP was mixed and mastered.
Unlike the decades of songwriting captured on Union Station, these songs came fast and furious in just a few months. Although political, the songs are intensely personal. As long-time residents of Washington, DC we have been directly affected by our nation’s dramatic upheaval. We recorded half the songs at home, then brought in their “back up band,” The Damages, to record the other half in our hometown studio, Asparagus Media, where the entire EP was mixed and mastered.
Collide lands at the intersection of folk, rock, country, and Americana, with an alchemy of sound that is inviting, thoughtful, and fun. Their debut album, Union Station, hit #16 on the Folk Alliance chart with songs that spring from a lifelong well of love, loss, joy, and hope. Dave Eisner of WOWD Radio described it as "gorgeous." They followed up with a series of singles - including American Circus, which received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 MidAtlantic Song Contest (MASC).
Formed on the eve of the COVID pandemic in late 2019, Collide consists of Washington, DC singer/songwriter Catherine Messina Pajic and California-bred musician Daniel Ogden. Though relative newcomers to the music scene, both have performed and played individually for decades while they raised families and pursued other goals. Catherine - the driving creative force behind the music - had been a writer and composer since college, long before she met Daniel, a multi-instrumentalist with solid chops from his years in cover bands. Catherine's vocals range from the clear tones of Joan Baez to the soulfulness of Bonnie Raitt, and her songwriting is deeply personal, in the tradition of Joni Mitchell and Indigo Girls.
Together, they create music that their fans describe as both powerful and enchanting. They appear regularly at local cafes and taverns, art shows, and music festivals, offering crowd favorites from the 60s to today, along with original ballads and songs you can dance to.