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

Reasonably Fine
The Cat Empire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I lost my shoes
I lost my wife
I lost my keys
I lost my kind?

And though I'm young at heart
I'm so much older

Subway eyes and banked up skies
And violent towns and frozen pies
And all them football crowds
Who lost are colder now

But you're the same as you
And I'm the same as me
And hopefully we can find
Ways to let us be reasonably fine
Reasonably fine
At least to beat my drums in time

Suddenly I've realised
That I won't be here when I die
And life upon this plane is somehow fleeting

Time and all it's precious wine
Somehow primed to make us whine
And fret even when we should be sleeping

But you're the same as you
And I'm the same as me
And hopefully we can find
Ways to let us be reasonably fine
Reasonably fine
At least to play my pretty chimes

Empty cries and hollow tubes
And all the signs that have no use
Fingers point accusingly, a cynic

Humanless hypocrisy
And all the crimes we didn't see
The side that knows the devil might be winning

But you're the same as you
And I'm the same as me
And hopefully we can find
Ways to let us be reasonably fine
Reasonably fine
At least to let my music shine

And maybe it's the greatest test
Man surrounded by his death
Reaches out and tastes the sweetest honey

That's how you make me feel
I love you more when death is real
It's sad, but in the end it might be funny

But you're the same as you
And I'm the same as me
And hopefully we can find
Ways to let us be reasonably fine
Reasonably fine
At least to leave an open mind

And you're the same as you
And I'm the same as me
And hopefully we can find
Ways to let us be reasonably fine

Reasonably fine
At least to beat my drums in time

Overall Meaning

The Cat Empire's song "Reasonably Fine" is a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the challenges that come with it. The opening lines "I lost my shoes, I lost my wife, I lost my keys, I lost my kind?" establish a sense of loss and confusion. Despite being young at heart, the singer feels much older due to the difficulties and challenges they have faced in life. The lyrics then move to a description of the harsh realities of the world, such as the "violent towns and frozen pies" and "all them football crowds who lost are colder now," conveying a sense of disillusionment with the world.

However, amidst the chaos and confusion, the singer finds solace in the fact that they are still the same person and that hopefully they can find ways to be "reasonably fine." The repetition of this phrase throughout the song emphasizes the importance of finding contentment and peace, even when life is difficult. The lines "And maybe it's the greatest test, Man surrounded by his death, Reaches out and tastes the sweetest honey" suggest that even in the face of death and darkness, there is still beauty and sweetness to be found in life.

Overall, "Reasonably Fine" is a poignant and introspective song that encourages listeners to find peace, contentment, and beauty in life, even when faced with challenges and difficulties.

Line by Line Meaning

I lost my shoes
I have lost something physical and tangible in my life.

I lost my wife
I have lost someone I care about very deeply.

I lost my keys
I have lost access to something important.

I lost my kind?
I may have lost some of my kindness or empathy towards others.

And though I'm young at heart I'm so much older
Even though I still feel young on the inside, I have become jaded by life and feel older than my years.

Subway eyes and banked up skies And violent towns and frozen pies And all them football crowds Who lost are colder now
I have seen a lot of negative things in the world, including overcrowded subways, polluted skies, violent towns, and disheartened sports fans.

But you're the same as you And I'm the same as me And hopefully we can find Ways to let us be reasonably fine Reasonably fine At least to beat my drums in time
Regardless of what we have lost or how life has affected us, we are still fundamentally the same people and can work together to find ways to be content and fulfilled.

Suddenly I've realised That I won't be here when I die And life upon this plane is somehow fleeting
I have come to the realization that life is short and that I will not live forever.

Time and all it's precious wine Somehow primed to make us whine And fret even when we should be sleeping
Despite the fact that time is a valuable and finite resource, we often waste it on worry and concern instead of enjoying it.

Empty cries and hollow tubes And all the signs that have no use Fingers point accusingly, a cynic
There are many meaningless gestures and symbols in the world, and people often point fingers rather than taking responsibility for their own actions.

Humanless hypocrisy And all the crimes we didn't see The side that knows the devil might be winning
There is a lot of hypocrisy in the world and many injustices that go unnoticed or ignored, leaving us feeling powerless against the forces of evil.

And maybe it's the greatest test Man surrounded by his death Reaches out and tastes the sweetest honey
Perhaps the greatest challenge we face in life is facing our own mortality and making the most of the time we have left.

That's how you make me feel I love you more when death is real It's sad, but in the end it might be funny
When faced with death, I am reminded of how much I love and value the people in my life, even if the situation is ultimately bittersweet or ironic.

And you're the same as you And I'm the same as me And hopefully we can find Ways to let us be reasonably fine Reasonably fine At least to beat my drums in time
Ultimately, we are all human and trying to make the best of our lives. Despite its challenges, we can find ways to enjoy and appreciate life, including making music together.

Contributed by Blake N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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