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
No Longer There
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That sings everything's all right
The temperature is warm
The fire horses sleep
So gently comes the night
You close your eyes and stare
The ground they're on is bare
As wildest giants dreams
It's no longer there
And all of our desires
They mirror skies with flames
And smoke out heaven's halls
Who was that you called
They're no longer there
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead?
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept
What would you leave behind when those who bear your name
Are born in that place that you wrecked?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
Would you sail to distant shores?
And hide within the hills
And softly close your doors
Pretend the world is safe
And wait for heaven's call
Or would you turn and face the seas
And come beside your cave
There's chance but if you dare
And swift as honour's steeds
Before it's no longer there
Here it goes again
Here it goes agaaain
Here it goes aga .. ain!
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead?
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept
What would you leave behind
When those who bear your name are born in that place that you wrecked?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
To deny or to despair
It's really just the same
Everything between
It means we have to change
Cos when a one forgets
The world begins to fade
And all the shapes and shades
That made the colours see
When they suddenly turned grey
That they're no longer there
The Cat Empire's song No Longer There uses metaphor and symbolic imagery throughout the lyrics to convey its message. The song starts with a desire to hear a song that reassures that everything is all right. The serene setting of the warm temperature and sleeping fire horses sets the mood. However, as the song progresses, the lyrics reveal a deeper theme of loss and regret. The “bare ground” represents the decay of something that was once magnificent. The “wildest giant’s dreams” imply the enormity of what was lost – not just something small but a significant part of society. The line "It's no longer there" is repeated, emphasizing the magnitude of the loss.
The second verse of the song suggests that our desires have led to destruction in the world. The “territories” and “cities” are dead and drowned because of our actions. The line "What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?" questions the legacy we leave behind once we've gone. The chorus repeats with "Here it goes again," signifying that it is never too late to make a change. The last verse challenges us to take a stand and face the problems, rather than hiding from them. The song ends with the line, "When they suddenly turned grey, that they're no longer there," emphasizing that the loss is final and cannot be undone.
Overall the song No Longer There by The Cat Empire presents a powerful message about the consequences of our actions and the importance of taking responsibility for our decisions. It encourages listeners to make a positive contribution to society before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
And though you'd like to hear a song
Although one desires to listen to a happy song
That sings everything's all right
Which assures that everything is fine
The temperature is warm
The weather is pleasant
The fire horses sleep
Even the furious things are calm and peaceful
So gently comes the night
Gradually, the darkness approaches
You close your eyes and stare
As you shut your eyes and look
The ground they're on is bare
The land they are standing on is barren
But once it was as deep
But it was once broad and deep
As wildest giants dreams
As grand as colossal creatures' fantasies
It's no longer there
It is now gone and lost forever
And all of our desires
Each one of our aspirations
They mirror skies with flames
Reflects the sky that is ablaze with fire
And smoke out heaven's halls
And smoke filled the corridors of heaven
Who was that you called
Who's that you were calling for?
They're no longer there
They are not present anymore
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead?
When all your property is destroyed, what will you leave behind?
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept
When your lands are arid, and your cities are submerged
What would you leave behind when those who bear your name
What will you give to the generations who will remember you?
Are born in that place that you wrecked?
Who belong to the area that you annihilated?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
What will you be remembered for when you don't exist anymore?
Would you sail to distant shores?
Would you travel far to escape the situation?
And hide within the hills
Are you going to conceal yourself among the mountains?
And softly close your doors
Shut the door quietly
Pretend the world is safe
Act as if everything is protected
And wait for heaven's call
And wait for salvation
Or would you turn and face the seas
else will you confront the challenges?
And come beside your cave
Return to your shelter
There's chance but if you dare
You may have a chance, but it requires courage
And swift as honour's steeds
And as quickly as righteous horses
Before it's no longer there
Before it disappears forever
To deny or to despair
To refuse to believe or be unhappy
It's really just the same
It is precisely the same
Everything between
Everything in this range
It means we have to change
This necessitates us to alter and transform
Cos when a one forgets
Because when we forget
The world begins to fade
This world begins to fade away
And all the shapes and shades
And all the tones and colors
That made the colours see
That made all the colors visible
When they suddenly turned grey
When they promptly became dull
That they're no longer there
When all of those colors disappear
Contributed by Julia D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeffery Mistich
And though you'd like to hear a song
That sings everything's all right
The temperature is warm
The fire horses sleep
So gently comes the night
Now close your eyes and stare
The ground they're on is bare
But once it was as deep
And wild as giants' dreams
It's no longer there
And all of our desires
Could mirror skies with flames
And smoke out heaven's halls
Who was that you called?
They're no longer there
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept?
What would you leave behind when those who bear your name
Are born in that place that you wrecked?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
Would you sail to distant shores
And hide within the haze?
Softly close your door
Pretend the world was saved
And wait for heaven's call?
Or would you turn and face the sea
And calm decide you care?
There's chance but if you dare
And swift as honour's steeds
Before it's no longer there
Here it goes again
Here it goes agaaain
Here it goes aga . ain!
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept?
What would you leave behind when those who bear your name
Are born in that place that you wrecked?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
To deny or to despair
They're really just the same
And everything between
It means we have to change
Cos when a one forgets
Their world begins to fade
And all the shapes and shades
That made their colours see
Well they suddenly turn grey
Then they're no longer there
JubJubtheWonderHippo
"To deny or to despair, they're really just the same, but everything between, it means we have to change." Such an amazing line, love it.
Kenneth Cooper
One of the very best and talented group of musicians ever to have come out of Australia. very underrated and one of the nicest group of guys you could ever imagine.
Briannah Riordan
The Cat Empire is such a special band to me and in my books go own in history as one of the best bands in the world. One of my favourite memories is flying in Peru and the whole sky was covered with the most beautiful flat white cloud so thick you couldn't see anything under it except some mountains towards the end of the flight and the sunlight reflected off of the clouds like something I had never seen, I don't know if heaven is real but if it is I saw the pathway that day with no longer there playing in my headphones i cannot describe the feeling or how precious this moment was and what it still means to me to this day, these guys made something special and I'm sad I never had the chance to see them live. I wish I could add a picture with this comment to show the beauty I saw.
Eva Gockowski
I'm in love with The Cat Empire.
TeamSkulte
Agree 100%, they are also even better when performing live. Cat Empire, come back to London!
Jasmine White
So beautiful, I love all your work Cat Empire. Inspiring <3
Bouwn
I love all of you guys, and I just got here from a random fan animation I saw. Crazy good sound, and so unique!
Anna Torres
Amo este grupo musical...
Jeffery Mistich
And though you'd like to hear a song
That sings everything's all right
The temperature is warm
The fire horses sleep
So gently comes the night
Now close your eyes and stare
The ground they're on is bare
But once it was as deep
And wild as giants' dreams
It's no longer there
And all of our desires
Could mirror skies with flames
And smoke out heaven's halls
Who was that you called?
They're no longer there
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
Here it goes again
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept?
What would you leave behind when those who bear your name
Are born in that place that you wrecked?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
Would you sail to distant shores
And hide within the haze?
Softly close your door
Pretend the world was saved
And wait for heaven's call?
Or would you turn and face the sea
And calm decide you care?
There's chance but if you dare
And swift as honour's steeds
Before it's no longer there
Here it goes again
Here it goes agaaain
Here it goes aga . ain!
What would you leave behind when all your fields are dead
When your territories are dried out and your cities drowned and swept?
What would you leave behind when those who bear your name
Are born in that place that you wrecked?
What would you leave behind when you're no longer there?
To deny or to despair
They're really just the same
And everything between
It means we have to change
Cos when a one forgets
Their world begins to fade
And all the shapes and shades
That made their colours see
Well they suddenly turn grey
Then they're no longer there
mirandy28
I was up front during their last hour tonight. It was amazing.