The Cat Empire began as a trio with McGill, Riebl, and Monro in late 1999, and started playing a wide variety of gigs in Melbourne. The band soon expanded in 2001, adding Angus, Hull-Brown, and Khadiwala.
THE Cat Empire's message, on stage and in the studio, has always been about breaking down borders: musical, geographic, lingual. But they have never done it so powerfully as they do on their new album, Cinema. The album serves up a set which captures the inexorable force - and sheer joy - of their live performances, delivered in a format perfect for lounge-rooms, backyards, BBQ’s, cafes, road trips and parties all over the world.
Cinema, the band's fourth studio album, is a dazzling statement of a band at a peak of its powers, music designed to move the body and the mind. Right from the opening track, Waiting, this is music that leaps from the speakers.
All the elements that people love about The Cat Empire are there but the result is brighter, bolder. And yes, more cinematic. What grabs the ear immediately is that this is not a band playing with genres. In the past, The Cat Empire dived in to any musical style which took their fancy, from reggae to salsa, Latin to hip-hop. Cinema reveals a band that has developed an emphatic voice that is all their own.
``That's a sound that has emerged out of nearly 10 years of playing on stage together,'' says singer and percussionist Felix Riebl. ”The result is an album that's much more integrated than anything we've done before, with a Cat Empire sound that runs consistently through it. The lyrics are perhaps darker, but they are accompanied by music that is uplifting which gives it a strange but powerful feeling.''
Riebl adds: “At times the album is thoughtful, at times it makes you just forget and dance. But it is an album that has more sonic depth than we've ever had before, experimental in parts but with really direct choruses. It's going to be a great album to play live, especially on big stages and at festivals.''
Of course, the stage is never far from the thoughts of this band. In an age when so much of selling music seems to be about celebrity and fashion, The Cat Empire have risen to be one of Australia and indeed the worlds favourite live acts through sheer musicality and the power of their interaction on stage. The band - Riebl, Vocalist and trumpeter Harry Angus, keys player Ollie McGill, bassist Ryan Monro, drummer Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid Khadiwala (aka ‘Jumps’) on decks - played their 700th show in Amsterdam last year, and will hit the 800 mark in 2010. While it is not well known in Australia, The Cat Empire are one of the country's most successful musical exports, doubling their audience numbers at every return stop.
They have headlined some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Summersonic (Japan), Rock am Ring (Germany) and V Fest (UK), playing Bonnaroo (US) as well as to an audience of 300,000 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. They have also played on some of world's highest rating entertainment shows, including Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. This year their worldwide tour in support of the international release of Cinema will see them return to Canada, US, Europe, Japan and the UK, where they will play to a full house at London's Brixton Academy.
The knowledge that they would be playing songs from the new album on so many big stages focused the song writing sessions for Cinema. The album was recorded close to home at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram, and he encouraged them to make an album that was their most collaborative song writing effort yet.
``That was a deliberate decision from all of us,'' says the lion of the live show - Vocalist and Trumpeter Harry Angus. ``With six people in the band sometimes there will be a song on an album that not everyone wants to play live. This album certainly gets around that problem. And I think that after so many years playing together the guys are much more confident about contributing to the writing. Steve encouraged us to do that. That's been great for us.''
Of working with The Cat Empire, Schram says “it was the perfect studio scenario; amazing players open to trying anything and willing to take a back seat when required. Egos were left at the door.” He adds “In terms of musicianship, it's no secret that they don't come much better than The Cat Empire. Yet Cinema shows that simplicity and one well placed note packs more of a punch and serves the song far more than musical chops alone. We set out to explore in depth the mood and character of each song while maintaining a focus on performance rather than studio trickery. “
After taking their longest break from studio recording after the release of 2007's So Many Nights, the band reconvened feeling refreshed. ``In 2008 we took a break from touring for 8 months. Then in 2009 we released our (live album) Live on Earth” Riebl says. ``When we came back to the band, and then into the studio we all rediscovered what we loved about The Cat Empire in the first place; that it is a band that can do the unexpected, that we have great energy and make music that is always a lot of fun to play on stage. The feeling right now is just like when we were starting out. We're all very excited about that.''
Cinema will be released ...
JUNE 25, AUSTRALIA
JUNE 29, CANADA
JULY 6, USA
AUGUST 2010, EUROPE & JAPAN
See www.thecatempire.com for tours and information
Call Me Home
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I feel no ground
Sometimes I feel the sky won't open
And turn these words around
At night I am woken by
Images of the flood, oh oh
I'm living on the border
You say there is no order
You say there no cause
You say there is no reason to find
Happiness at all
Call me home - Is anybody?
Is anybody out there and
Call me home - Is anybody?
Is anybody out there at all?
Have we forgot our brothers?
Have we forgot our kin?
Have we forgot who loves us dearly?
Have we forgot who'd sink or swim?
I went down to the water where
My heart beats slow, oh oh
The river started flowing
And I know where it goes
Call me home - Is anybody?
Is anybody out there and
Call me home - Is anybody?
Is anybody out there at all?
Call me home...
The lyrics of The Cat Empire's song Call Me Home are an introspective exploration of the artist's inner world. The first stanza speaks of feeling vulnerable and unprotected at times, like there's no shield from the perils of life. The second stanza hints at troubled dreams, imagery of a flood that is unsettling and disruptive. The artist seems to be in-between spaces, living on the edge of things, unable to find stability. The third stanza touches on the theme of existentialism and the search for happiness and meaning. The final stanza is a call for connection, for belonging. It questions if we have lost sight of those who matter to us, those who offer us a sense of security and comfort in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I feel no armour
There are times when I feel completely defenseless and vulnerable
Sometimes I feel no ground
There are times when I feel lost and without direction
Sometimes I feel the sky won't open
There are times when I feel like I'm trapped and unable to escape my negative thoughts
And turn these words around
And unable to find a way to express my feelings and thoughts positively
At night I am woken by
During the night, I am disturbed by
Images of the flood, oh oh
Memories of a catastrophic event constantly come to mind
I'm living on the border
I exist on a fine line between two extremes
I'm living on the mud
I am struggling and stuck in a tough situation
You say there is no order
You allege there is no control of the world
You say there is no cause
You claim there is no reason for anything
You say there is no reason to find
You believe that there is no logic or explanation to uncover
Happiness at all
Leading to absolutely no access to bliss
Call me home - Is anybody?
Can someone call me back where I truly belong ?
Is anybody out there and
Is there anyone listening or even answering me?
Have we forgot our brothers?
Have we removed the familial bond we share with our own people?
Have we forgot our kin?
Have we lost touch with our family and our roots?
Have we forgot who loves us dearly?
Have we disregarded the people who are caring and loving us deeply?
Have we forgot who'd sink or swim?
Have we neglected people who would do anything for us, regardless of the cost?
I went down to the water where
I came down to the stream where
My heart beats slow, oh oh
My heart is beating slowly and heavily
The river started flowing
The river started to drift downstream
And I know where it goes
And I know where it is leading me
Call me home...
Bring me back to where I truly belong
Contributed by Blake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lucky lunie
love, love, love, these guys, they're music is exceptional, it goes straight to your soul!
Anna Garrido
I love this song. It moves something inside me that makes me feel alive, happy, connected... as if everything was a dream, full of magic and completeness. And I just want to cry, touched by a bigger source of energy (specially when you do the climax at 3:12). The older I am, the less things make me feel this way... thank you, Cat Empire. You are big, you are INSPIRED. I can't wait to the concert next Nov in BCN.
couchayy
definitely one of the best songs they've done. saw them perform this live, uber awesome. :)
Tom Lofmark
Saw these guys play live a couple of days ago, absolutely amazing
Tom Rooke
One of my favourites of the album
Gabble Ratchet
@NCP141111 And I'll have you know they are electric dynamite on stage! Any chance you get to see them live is the best investment you'll make! Incredible band and beautiful music indeed :)
Poifection
Saw these guys live in Saskatoon a year ago... Easily the best concert I've been to.
guanato92
this is my kind of music, this is the music that 40 years from now it'll come on the radio and i can tell my kids "this used to be my song back in the days! it is today still" haha.
Lucio M.
great song!!
beeaffraid
im obsessed witht the album cinema its been like over a year and im still playing it daily