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
Hello
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With some evil in my eye
And some thoughts in my head
That were making me feel high
On my head was a hoodi
In my ears was some bass
Was walking by my dog
When I saw that sexy face
With a little cheeky smile
If she was a phone
I'd pick her up and dial
The fire brigade
Or zero zero zero
She stopped me in my tracks
And I said 'mmm hchello hchello'
I was sleeping in the sand
With some dreams in my head
That were causing an extension
To the towel and my bed
And the waves were rolling
Like the curves on those legs
Of a sweet beach bella
With that centrefold spread
In the midst of the slumber
I heard some footsteps creeping
And I woke to discover
The woman I'd been dreaming
She knelt down beside
Said 'can I share your pillow?'
I rolled over and I said
'well hchello hchello'
Some like money making
Some like cars
And some like the houses
With the rooftop spas
And some like to gossip
About some rich sugar daddies
But me and my friends
We like the golden brown honeys
And some like watching people
Living on TV
That's a little strange
If you're asking me
'Cause I like to eat and laugh
And **** and play down low
These are the things I know
Well hchello hchello.
Welcome to this night
Welcome to this song
Welcome to these rhymes
That be going on and on
Welcome to the empire
And the funky empire tunes
But most of all welcome
To the bellas in this room
Well hchello hchello
The lyrics to The Cat Empire's song "Hello" paint pictures of chance encounters with an attractive stranger and a dreamlike rendezvous with a beach beauty. The singer describes walking down the street with "evil in [their] eye" and "thoughts in [their] head" that make them feel high. They spot a sexy face, and they're immediately drawn to it. If the woman were a phone, the singer would pick her up and dial the fire brigade or emergency services. She stops the singer in their tracks, and they utter a seductive "hchello hchello" to her.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking down the street
I was walking casually on the street
With some evil in my eye
I had a mischievous look in my eyes
And some thoughts in my head
I had some thoughts in my mind
That were making me feel high
These thoughts were making me feel ecstatic
On my head was a hoodi
I was wearing a hoodie on my head
In my ears was some bass
I was listening to music with bass on my earphones
Was walking by my dog
I was walking my dog
When I saw that sexy face
I noticed an attractive face walking towards me
Come towards me
She was walking closer to me
With a little cheeky smile
She gave me a little naughty smile
If she was a phone
In a humorous comparison, I would pick her up like a phone
I'd pick her up and dial
I would pick her up and talk to her
The fire brigade
In a playful way, I would call the fire brigade
Or zero zero zero
In Australia, 000 is the emergency number to dial
She stopped me in my tracks
She caught my attention and made me stop walking
And I said 'mmm hchello hchello'
I showed interest in her by saying hello twice in a fun way
I was sleeping in the sand
I was napping on the beach
With some dreams in my head
I had some dreams while I was sleeping
That were causing an extension
These dreams caused me to have an erection
To the towel and my bed
I had the towel and bedsheet under me
And the waves were rolling
The waves of the sea were moving
Like the curves on those legs
The waves were similar to the curves of a woman's legs
Of a sweet beach bella
There was a beautiful woman at the beach
With that centrefold spread
Her legs were spread open widely
In the midst of the slumber
I was sleeping soundly
I heard some footsteps creeping
I heard some footsteps approaching quietly
And I woke to discover
I realized that my dream was coming true
The woman I'd been dreaming
The woman from my dream was actually there
She knelt down beside
She sat next to me
Said 'can I share your pillow?'
She asked if she could share my pillow
I rolled over and I said
I turned around and responded
'well hchello hchello'
In a playful manner, I said hello twice
Some like money making
Some people like to make money
Some like cars
Some people like cars
And some like the houses
Some people like big houses
With the rooftop spas
They may like houses with rooftop spas
And some like to gossip
Some people love to talk about other people's lives
About some rich sugar daddies
They may like to talk about wealthy older men who support younger women
But me and my friends
As for me and my friends
We like the golden brown honeys
We prefer attractive women with a golden-brown complexion
And some like watching people
Some people enjoy watching others
Living on TV
They may like to watch reality TV shows
That's a little strange
I find it a bit unusual
If you're asking me
If someone asked me for my opinion
'Cause I like to eat and laugh
I prefer to enjoy food and laughter
And **** and play down low
I like to have fun without any pretenses
These are the things I know
These are the things that make me happy
Welcome to this night
Welcome to this evening or party
Welcome to this song
Welcome to this musical performance
Welcome to these rhymes
Welcome to the lyrics of the song
That be going on and on
The music and lyrics will continue for a while
Welcome to the empire
Welcome to The Cat Empire's music
And the funky empire tunes
It has funky and catchy music
But most of all welcome
Most importantly, welcome
To the bellas in this room
A warm welcome to the beautiful women in the room
Well hchello hchello
A fun and friendly way of greeting people
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: FELIX RIEBL, HENRY ANGUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@limbobilbo8743
Everyone out here talking about the deadlycomics and georgia productions videos
Good, this song’s really good and its a shame the cat empire didn’t take off internationally as much so its nice seeing more people interested
@EmberTitan
Ever since I heard this song in the DeadlyComics animation, I can't get it out of my head. It's so good! New favorite band
@cloudshifter
DeadlyComics has that magic on people every time he makes a new vid. I am still stuck with "fell in love with a girl"
@theclassypineapple
Same
@thaerosthedragon1930
Big same
@sumboi9998
It hits different with animation
@wumbo4942
DeadlyComics has an awesome taste of music
@hollysearle8286
Just went to their last concert with the OG members!! this band will always my favorite and first band that I have listened to. I hope that the three members who are leaving go on to do great things. Good luck in the future.
@annika1999
if this was at womad i was there too <3
@hollysearle8286
@@annika1999 Yesss
@todidatwee4571
Guys i just saw a commbank ad using THIS SONG!!!