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, BBQâs, 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. âThe 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: âAt 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 âJumpsâ) 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 âit 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.â He adds âIn 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. â
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 Earthâ 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
How To Explain
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what beast that must exist
It flies with music from our lips
And steals a kiss and blows it
Out into the mist
Where castles stand on cliffs
And cobbled streets they wind and drift
And moods are made and set but shift
And birds are big
We went to sleep in day
And woke again the same day
We have learned to cheat the time
And find the hours
That the clocks cannot define
As I looked up from that stage
I felt the thing that had been made
And how it raged
And how it raged
How to explain?
Something makes me howl
And shiver to the core
Oh outside if it was raining
Then inside there'd be a storm
We've got a pair of hands for climbing
And a pair of knees to spring
And a pair of balls for strength
And a pair of lungs to sing
And these nimble chords
That say: music is the language of us all
To write these songs is to be written
Ah the chorus always knows
What is in store
And what is more the thing that sings us
Is the thing that makes us roar
I felt that beast 'kisso my neck
We clapped our hands
And heard them spread
There was a trumpet and a call
A pack of Spaniards screamed for more
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
I find it hard to speak emotional
Cos these things are the things that
Can't be said
And when it's struck it strikes
The memory from our heads
Once I wrote two plays
To be immortal for a night
And despite the unknown hours
Something happens
When the night turns out the lights
Then we fade and yawn
To music that's the language of us all
The lyrics to "How To Explain" by The Cat Empire describe a transformative experience that occurs when music is being performed. The room becomes an altar, and there is a beast that must exist that is released through the music that takes flight and steals a kiss. The lyrics then describe a mythical landscape where castles stand on cliffs, and the streets wind and drift as moods are made and set but shift. The place where skies are low and birds are big is where this experience takes place.
The singer then describes a surreal experience where they went to sleep during the day and woke up again the same day, having learned to cheat time and find hours that the clocks cannot define. The singer feels the thing that has been made and how it raged, but finds it hard to explain what it is. They describe something that makes them howl and shiver to the core, and if it were raining outside, there would be a storm inside. The lyrics describe the power of music and how it can make us feel alive, with a pair of hands for climbing, a pair of knees to spring, a pair of balls for strength, and a pair of lungs to sing.
Overall, the song is about the transformative power of music and its ability to transport us to another world, where we can feel alive and connected to others through the language of music.
Line by Line Meaning
When a room becomes an altar
When a space transforms into a sacred place
And what beast that must exist
And the intense emotion that must exist within us
It flies with music from our lips
It is expressed through the music we create
And steals a kiss and blows it
And spreads that emotion out into the world
Out into the mist
Out into the unknown
Where castles stand on cliffs
Where dreams and grandeur exist
And cobbled streets they wind and drift
And where the journey is not always easy
And moods are made and set but shift
And emotions are controlled but can change suddenly
This place where skies are low
This world where we feel confined and limited
And birds are big
And where we feel as small as a bird
We went to sleep in day
We lived fully every moment of the day
And woke again the same day
And started a new day with the same energy
We have learned to cheat the time
We have found a way to make time stand still
And find the hours
And make the most out of every moment
That the clocks cannot define
That time itself cannot restrict
As I looked up from that stage
As I paused to reflect on my performance
I felt the thing that had been made
I felt the emotional masterpiece that was created through music
And how it raged
And how it stirred up such intense feelings within me
How to explain?
How to put into words?
Something makes me howl
Something that is too intense for words makes me howl
And shiver to the core
And sends shivers down to my very core
Oh outside if it was raining
If it were raining outside
Then inside there'd be a storm
There would be even more intense emotions within me
We've got a pair of hands for climbing
We have hands made for adventure
And a pair of knees to spring
And legs that can propel us forward
And a pair of balls for strength
And the courage to face anything
And a pair of lungs to sing
And voices to sing out our hearts
And these nimble chords
And these musical instruments
That say: music is the language of us all
That express the idea that music is a universal language
To write these songs is to be written
To create music is to put a part of ourselves into it
Ah the chorus always knows
Ah, the chorus always captures the essence of what we feel
What is in store
What is yet to come
And what is more the thing that sings us
And what is even more powerful is the emotion that drives us
Is the thing that makes us roar
Is the thing that makes us feel alive and invincible
I felt that beast 'kisso my neck
I felt that intense emotion wrap itself around me
We clapped our hands
We celebrated together as one
And heard them spread
And spread that emotion throughout the room
There was a trumpet and a call
There was the sound of excitement and joy
A pack of Spaniards screamed for more
A group of passionate fans demanded an encore
I find it hard to speak emotional
I find it hard to put these intense emotions into words
Cos these things are the things that
Because these emotions are too powerful to be expressed in words
Can't be said
Cannot be fully explained or put into words
And when it's struck it strikes
And when these emotions are evoked, they strike us with a force
The memory from our heads
That overwhelms our senses and takes over our thoughts
Once I wrote two plays
Once I created art to express these emotions
To be immortal for a night
To create something that would be remembered forever
And despite the unknown hours
And despite the risk of failure or the unknown
Something happens
Something magical happens
When the night turns out the lights
When the day ends and the creative energy is gone
Then we fade and yawn
Then we let go and rest
To music that's the language of us all
To the beautiful language that unites us all: music
Contributed by Thomas A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@aikefarro
When a room becomes an altar
And what beast that must exist
It flies with music from our lips
And steals a kiss and blows it
Out into the mist
Where castles stand on cliffs
And cobbled streets they wind and drift
And moods are made and set but shift
This place where skies are low
And birds are big
We went to sleep in day
And woke again the same day
We have learned to cheat the time
And find the hours
That the clocks cannot define
As I looked up from that stage
I felt the thing that had been made
And how it raged
And how it raged
How to explain?
Something makes me howl
And shiver to the core
Ah outside if it was raining
Then inside there'd be a storm
We've got a pair of hands for climbing
And a pair of knees to spring
And a pair of balls for strength
And a pair of lungs to sing
And these simple chords
That say: music is the language of us all
To write these songs is to be written
Ah the chorus always knows
What is in store
And what is more the thing that sings us
Is the thing that makes us roar
I felt that beast 'kisso my neck
We clapped our hands
And heard them spread
There was a trumpet and a call
A pack of Spaniards screamed for more
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
I find it hard to speak emotional
Cos these things are the things that
Can't be said
And when it's struck it strikes
The memory from our heads
Once I wrote to play's
To be immortal for a night
And despite the unknown hours
Something happens
When the light turns out the lights
Then we fade and yawn
To music that's the language of us all
@carloshernandezdicenta7294
Many years thinking: music is the language of the soul.. not us all đ
@goodbye3064
I have never heard a band that I like almost all of its songs but damn this band hits harder than any other I have ever heard before
@bonkus277
WHAT AN ABSOLUTE BANGER
@CADdesignr
These dudes are so musically brilliant!! Where did such a mix of talent come from!!!?? I mean i know.. Australia.. but still!! How to you catagorize The Cat Empire? other than just under brilliant? The accent? the just everything! and every song sucks somthing new into it! Clearly theres somthin in the aussie water!! Need to get over there! Heaps of bands that capture this feeling over there but none quite like Cat Empire!!
@Hoivess
WOOOOOOOOO SO TRUE
@FrameOverdoseGD
i like this song, probably my second fav song of the album (first being Hello)
@therag-a-muffinallstars9980
AMEN
@aikefarro
When a room becomes an altar
And what beast that must exist
It flies with music from our lips
And steals a kiss and blows it
Out into the mist
Where castles stand on cliffs
And cobbled streets they wind and drift
And moods are made and set but shift
This place where skies are low
And birds are big
We went to sleep in day
And woke again the same day
We have learned to cheat the time
And find the hours
That the clocks cannot define
As I looked up from that stage
I felt the thing that had been made
And how it raged
And how it raged
How to explain?
Something makes me howl
And shiver to the core
Ah outside if it was raining
Then inside there'd be a storm
We've got a pair of hands for climbing
And a pair of knees to spring
And a pair of balls for strength
And a pair of lungs to sing
And these simple chords
That say: music is the language of us all
To write these songs is to be written
Ah the chorus always knows
What is in store
And what is more the thing that sings us
Is the thing that makes us roar
I felt that beast 'kisso my neck
We clapped our hands
And heard them spread
There was a trumpet and a call
A pack of Spaniards screamed for more
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
I find it hard to speak emotional
Cos these things are the things that
Can't be said
And when it's struck it strikes
The memory from our heads
Once I wrote to play's
To be immortal for a night
And despite the unknown hours
Something happens
When the light turns out the lights
Then we fade and yawn
To music that's the language of us all
@declanfitzpatrick7690
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssâ€â€â€â€
@tomhilder5326
RAD