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
Feeling's Gone
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And look down at the darkened
Silhouettes of tall black windowsills
And my heart jumped every ledge
Until one bright morning when I woke
I heard bells, girl she gently spoke and said
'Choice my man's to breath or choke
So go die, or learn to hope'
Get back on your way at the end of the day
Under the fire and the rain
The whole big bloody parade until that
That feeling, feeling's gone
You wake up on your own
Sometimes walls come caving in
Sometimes the world just hits your chin
And sometimes shadows haunt your back
And sometimes I feel so flat
Then like some rare eagle on the wind
Well it turns and life comes bursting in
And the earth you thought would beat you down
Lifts up and lights your ground
Get back on your way at the end of the day
Under the fire and the rain
The whole big bloody parade until that
That feeling, feeling's gone
You wake up on your own
/ Lifts up and sends you homeward bound
/ Lifts up and then you're found again
/ Lifts up and turns your world around
/still scarred of love lived on the ledge
And the Earth you thought would eat you up
Well it lifts you high and fills your cup
/carries
And right then I learnt to hope / the point of hope / I knew the way ahead/ to go
/ lifts up and clears your hallowed ground
*So scared that love lived on the edge /
Scared of love lived on the ledge / Like love lived on the ledge
/ As if my love required a ledge
Bring you down
Lifts up, your heart just leaves the ground
/and how you love your ground / high above the ground
/ and the earth you thought would end your song 'song'
/ lifts up and now . . . the feeling's gone feelings gone
And you wonder how on Earth you
When you're high
The Cat Empire's song "Feeling's Gone" talks about the ups and downs of life, and the power of hope to overcome obstacles. The lyrics describe the singer's journey from moments of despair, like looking down at "tall black windowsills", feeling "so flat", and being "scared of love lived on the ledge", to moments of hope and redemption, when "life comes bursting in" and "the Earth you thought would beat you down/ lifts up and lights your ground". The song highlights the power of choice, the need to face difficult times, and the importance of staying resilient during "the whole big bloody parade". Consequently, the chorus, "Get back on your way at the end of the day/ Under the fire and the rain/ The whole big bloody parade until that/ That feeling, feeling's gone", stresses that everyone needs to keep moving even after facing obstacles, and the feeling of despair will eventually fade.
The lyrics of this song, in general, convey the idea of how life can sometimes feel unbearable, but with the help of hope, one can overcome their problems. It is about stepping out of your comfort zone to find your place in this world, about taking control of your life, and about believing in yourself. The central message of the song is that hope is essential, and even when everything seems chaotic and confusing, it is essential to keep moving and never give up.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to ride up on the hill
I used to spend time on the hill looking down at the darkened silhouettes of tall black windowsills.
And my heart jumped every ledge
Seeing the tall black windowsills made me nervous and anxious
Until one bright morning when I woke
But one bright morning when I woke up, everything changed
I heard bells, girl she gently spoke and said 'Choice my man's to breath or choke So go die, or learn to hope'
A girl spoke to me and said that it's my choice whether to give up or to have hope and keep on going, despite the difficulties.
Get back on your way at the end of the day Under the fire and the rain The whole big bloody parade until that That feeling, feeling's gone You wake up on your own
No matter how tough things can get, you have to keep on going until that feeling of despair is gone. And when you wake up and face the world, you are on your own.
Sometimes walls come caving in Sometimes the world just hits your chin
Life can be tough and sometimes you can feel like you're being suffocated or being hit hard by the world
And sometimes shadows haunt your back And sometimes I feel so flat
Sometimes you feel like you're being followed by dark thoughts, and sometimes you feel empty and emotionless
Then like some rare eagle on the wind Well it turns and life comes bursting in
But then, like an eagle soaring on the wind, life can suddenly turn around and bring you new opportunities and hope.
And the earth you thought would beat you down Lifts up and lights your ground
Even when you feel like the world is against you, it can lift you up and show you the way forward.
Lifts up and sends you homeward bound Lifts up and then you're found again Lifts up and turns your world around
After feeling lost and disconnected, you can feel found and connected again. It can turn your world around and give you a fresh start.
And right then I learnt to hope
In that moment, I learned the importance of hope and realized that it can guide you through tough times.
And the earth you thought would eat you up Well it lifts you high and fills your cup
Even when you feel like the world wants to swallow you whole, it can raise you up and give you more than you expected.
As if my love required a ledge
I used to feel like love required some kind of safety net, but I realized that it doesn't have to be that way.
And how you love your ground
You can feel comfortable with where you are and what you have, but sometimes it's important to take risks and try something new.
And the earth you thought would end your song Lifts up and now...the feeling's gone
Even when you feel like everything is against you and that the feeling you have will never go away, things can change and the feeling can vanish. The earth can become a source of support and strength rather than an obstacle.
Contributed by Lincoln H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kano whitman
You guys blow my mind with every song. Masterpieces!
Anya Ingram
The Cat Empire. Why are you all so amazing?!
Miroslav Šimšić
Sound like Flea is singing. Great song!
Rose Meek
You are what I want to be!!!!!