California indie pop singer/songwriter Nic Hessler got his start at a very young age, releasing sweetly sung, jangly, catchy songs under the name Catwalk when he was a mere lad of 14. His work caught the ear of Oxnard, California-based label YAY! Records, who began releasing singles -- "Shiny Girl" in 2007, "Past Afar" in 2008, and "Bona Fide"in 2010. The singles made Catwalk one of the up-and-coming indie pop bands to watch, and they were soon snapped up by Captured Tracks when Hessler was 18. After releasing two singles for the label, 2010's "(Please) Don't Break Me" and 2011's "One by Words," the band was getting ready to tour when Hessler was struck with Guillain–Barré Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that left him partially paralyzed for nearly four years. As he got better, he returned to making music, releasing a series of demos under his own name on a Soundcloud page. Captured Tracks stuck by him throughout and released his debut album, Soft Connections, in early 2015. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi