The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. T… Read Full Bio ↴The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. Their sound has been described as a fusion of jazz, funk, and rock with heavy Latin / Salsa influences (not to mention reggae, ska and dub). Currently, the Cat Empire consists of Ollie McGill (keyboard and backing vocals), Ryan Monro (bass and backing vocals), Felix Riebl (percussion and vocals), Harry James Angus (trumpet and vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), and Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala (decks, percussion). A strong, recurrent theme of their music is the rejection of materialism, war, and intolerance and an enthusiastic embrace of cultural diversity and the simple, carefree life.

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

Days
The Cat Empire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To the gods in the sky
There's one thing you can do
You can send us some sun
And we'll play you this tune
Because sitting in our room
Lying down with a scoob
And the sunshine
Through our window

It's days like these
That make us happy
Like a puppy getting lucky
With Lassie hassle-free
Hours passing by
With the beat one two
Said it's days like these kicking back
Just doing what we do

Number one I'd find some
Loving in the sun
With someone that can make me
Growl and hum say hmmm
A boom boom shake
And the beat that she throw at me
Knocking me flat

Number two
I'd cruise where the grass is smooth
And the sound of the sea
Is a dreamy melody
Snooze all afternoon
Till the night time wake me
'Cause shakedown soon

Number three
I'd be dancing like a monkey up a tree
Find sweet simplicity
By kissing my honey
Get funky like Bond
When he's played by Connery
And get crafty
Like Don Corleone

Four
Watching Oliver jam a little more
Remember the night when I saw
What I never never never seen before
Lavender wrestling a rich wild boar

CHORUS
HARRY'S NIGHT TIME RHYME
And dirty hands
I like them see
They make the music that we play
Sound oh so sweet
And my mother always made me eat broccoli
And now look at me
I'm as strong as can be
So put some spice in my sauce
Honey in my tea
An ace up my sleeve
And a slinky plan be
And most importantly
My mad family
They named me lucky

And for that I'll sing about
Days like these

Overall Meaning

The Cat Empire's song "Days Like This" is an upbeat, cheerful tune that celebrates the simple pleasures of life. The song is addressed to the gods in the sky, asking them to send some sunshine so that the band can relax and enjoy their day. The lyrics paint a picture of lying in a room with a joint in hand, soaking in the warm sun streaming through the window, and listening to music that lifts their spirits.

The chorus emphasizes that days like this, where there's nothing to worry about and everything is carefree, fill them with happiness. The song is not just about being idle, but also about finding joy in the everyday experiences. The verses describe four different activities that the band members would engage in to make the most of such a day. These activities include finding love in the sun, lounging by the seaside, dancing, and spending time with family.

The song presents a fun, carefree vibe while also promoting the importance of embracing the little pleasures in life. It encourages the listeners to take a break from the stress of daily life, and just enjoy the moment while it lasts.

Line by Line Meaning

To the gods in the sky
Addressing gods, we ask for help

There's one thing you can do
We believe that sending some sun is possible

You can send us some sun
We need sunshine

And we'll play you this tune
We'll thank you by performing a song

Because sitting in our room
Describing our current state of being indoors

Lying down with a scoob
Relaxing with a joint

And the sunshine
The sunlight entering the room

Through our window
It's coming from outside

It's days like these
We appreciate moments when

That make us happy
We feel joy

Like a puppy getting lucky
Similar to a dog being fortunate

With Lassie hassle-free
Without any problems like in the television show

Hours passing by
Time is flowing

With the beat one two
To the rhythm of the music

Said it's days like these kicking back
We relax at times like this

Just doing what we do
By being ourselves

Number one I'd find some
Firstly, I'd search for

Loving in the sun
Love in a sunny place

With someone that can make me
With a person who's able to

Growl and hum say hmmm
Make noises

A boom boom shake
The shaking sound of a beat

And the beat that she throw at me
The rhythm that she creates

Knocking me flat
Overwhelming me

Number two
Secondly

I'd cruise where the grass is smooth
I'd go where there's grass that's comfortable to walk on

And the sound of the sea
The noise of the ocean

Is a dreamy melody
Is a peaceful song

Snooze all afternoon
Take a nap during the day

Till the night time wake me
Until it's evening and I wake up

'Cause shakedown soon
Preparing for a party

Number three
Thirdly

I'd be dancing like a monkey up a tree
I'd dance crazily

Find sweet simplicity
Discovering something basic and enjoyable

By kissing my honey
Kissing my partner

Get funky like Bond
Dance stylishly like James Bond

When he's played by Connery
Referring to the actor Sean Connery who played James Bond

And get crafty
Being creative

Like Don Corleone
Similar to the character Don Corleone of The Godfather movie

Four
Fourthly

Watching Oliver jam a little more
Observing Oliver play music

Remember the night when I saw
Recalling a past moment

What I never never never seen before
Something new that I hadn't seen before

Lavender wrestling a rich wild boar
Unlikely events occurring

HARRY'S NIGHT TIME RHYME
Referring to a person's poem

And dirty hands
Unclean hands

I like them see
I enjoy seeing them

They make the music that we play
Their contribution to our group's sound

Sound oh so sweet
Sounds amazing

And my mother always made me eat broccoli
Referencing a parent's influence on eating habits

And now look at me
Current state due to past actions

I'm as strong as can be
Feeling physically capable

So put some spice in my sauce
Add some excitement to my life

Honey in my tea
Adding sweetness to my tea

An ace up my sleeve
Prepared for any situation

And a slinky plan be
Having a sly strategy

And most importantly
The most significant

My mad family
My crazy family

They named me lucky
I have been given a fortunate name

And for that I'll sing about
Expressing gratitude in song

Days like these
These wonderful moments

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, BMG Rights Management
Written by: FELIX RIEBL, HENRY ANGUS, OLIVER JAMES MCGILL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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