Tristan Dolce, a Long Beach-based songwriter and audio engineer, has released an album based on his experiences of hiking the Trans Catalina Trail a few years ago. Dolce said that after completing the TCT, he became a little obsessed with the island and its story and legends.
He began researching the history and tales of the island. He then wove some of those stories into a narrative of songs about the island. The title, Amory & Eleanor comes from two characters that traverse the island, from Avalon to Parson’s Landing, visiting sites, both real and legendary (Green Door Portal and Windward Lights), along the way.
“The songwriting interweaves folklore, myth, and personal memory, exploring ‘the pull of the island, the people we meet there, and the stories we carry home,’” Dolce said.
Recorded over the course of three days in Idyllwild, California, Amory & Eleanor was produced by Chris Schlarb, known for his work with Psychic Temple and other indie projects. Schlarb’s minimalist, hands-on production helped capture the album’s live, intimate feel in a short timespan.
Supporting Dolce on the album are a trio of seasoned contributors: Max Knouse on guitar, Ben Lumsdaine on drums, and George Madrid on pedal steel. This core group lends the music subtle folk-rock textures and an understated rhythm section, keeping the focus on Dolce’s storytelling. Amory & Eleanor is Dolce’s second release, following his 2024 debut Medium True, which established his reputation for vivid songwriting and warm, indie-folk arrangements.
The album will be available on 12-inch vinyl (a limited “Catalina Fog” color variant) as well as on digital platforms. In keeping with the album’s place-based storytelling, the physical vinyl release is accompanied by a foreword by Doug Oudin. Oudin is a former Two Harbors harbormaster and author, who penned the book Between Two Harbors: Reflections of a Catalina Island Harbormaster. The book is one of Dolce’s research sources.
Dolce also built a diorama of Two Harbors that was used for the cover of the album. Among the diorama are small sections, each of which is key to a song on the record.
“I’m pretty proud of how it came out, even though it doesn’t really look like the ithsmus,” Dolce said wryly.
Dolce is based in Long Beach, where he works as an audio engineer at The SoCal Sound (88.5 FM). Active in the Southern California music scene, he has built a career balancing technical studio expertise with creative songwriting. Dolce’s involvement in projects at local studios (such as Big Ego in Long Beach) and his role at 88.5 FM have honed his ability to capture authentic performances.
Amory & Eleanor was released on Feb. 20 in vinyl and digital formats via Camping Songs/Hear for the Music label. The album is available at campingsongs.com and streaming on most streaming sites. For more, visit tristandolce.com.
