The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. Their … 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

Song For Elias
The Cat Empire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Meant to meet you but I couldn't stay
Till now never knew how life tears you away
Now I wait for the springtime in Spain
My love

A beautiful being's so sad and so strong
You gave me a story you gave me a song
When he played his guitar she would weep

My love

So one rainy day that spirit took flight
She made him a cap full of magic and might
For his birthday to rule a great stage
(and perform till old age)
My love

And why did you never arrive
When we - before you left I saw tears in your eye
And your mother just told me you
My love

Estava en Ottro Siteo

To state he was born by got rhythm within
Was to put it so mildly her crying face grinned
It would spring from all fibres of humanly everythings
My love

Nothing's sure but that love never reasons
Now the world might have lost all its springtimes
And all of the seasons are bleak without you
My love

Estava en Ottro Siteo

Meant to meet you but I couldn't stay
Till now never knew how life tears you away
Now I wait for the springtime in Spain
My love

Estava en Ottro Siteo

Overall Meaning

The Cat Empire's song "Song For Elias" is a touching tribute to a loved one who has passed away. The opening lines express regret over not being able to meet with Elias, a person who had a profound impact on the singer's life. The line "Till now never knew how life tears you away" suggests that Elias was taken away too soon, leaving the singer with a newfound appreciation for the fragility of life.

The song goes on to paint a picture of Elias as a beautiful yet sad and strong person who gave the singer a story and a song. The image of Elias playing his guitar and making his loved ones weep is especially poignant. The line "And why did you never arrive" highlights the pain of losing someone unexpectedly and not being able to say goodbye. The final lines of the song return to the idea of waiting for the springtime in Spain, which could symbolize the hope of renewal and rebirth after a period of mourning.

Interesting facts about the song:

Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.

Line by Line Meaning

Meant to meet you but I couldn't stay
I intended to meet you, but I couldn't stick around for long enough to do so.

Till now never knew how life tears you away
I never fully understood how life can separate people until now.

Now I wait for the springtime in Spain
I am waiting for a new beginning in Spain, when the flowers bloom and the skies clear.

My love
A term of endearment directed towards Elias.

A beautiful being's so sad and so strong
Elias was a beautiful and resilient soul, but was also deeply affected by sadness.

You gave me a story you gave me a song
Elias provided me with inspiration for a story and a piece of music.

When he played his guitar she would weep
Elias's music had a profound effect on those around him, moving them to tears.

So one rainy day that spirit took flight
One day, Elias's spirit departed from the physical world.

She made him a cap full of magic and might
To celebrate Elias's birthday, someone made him a special hat that imbued him with positive energy and confidence.

(and perform till old age)
Implied that Elias would continue to perform music until he reached an old age.

And why did you never arrive
Questioning why Elias never made it to a specific location or event.

When we - before you left I saw tears in your eye
Recalling a moment when Elias was emotional before departing.

And your mother just told me you
Received information from Elias's mother about him.

Was to put it so mildly her crying face grinned
Elias's mother was overjoyed to see her son display such a strong natural rhythm as a young child, but could not contain her emotional reaction.

It would spring from all fibres of humanly everythings
Elias's rhythm and vitality extended throughout all aspects of his being and his presence in the world.

Nothing's sure but that love never reasons
Love is an unpredictable force that doesn't always follow a logical path.

Now the world might have lost all its springtimes
Without Elias, the world has lost its vibrancy and vitality, as if all seasons have become bleak.

And all of the seasons are bleak without you
Implies that Elias brought warmth and happiness to every season of the year, and his absence is acutely felt.

Estava en Ottro Siteo
Recurring phrase in the song, translates to 'I was in another place' in Spanish. This line serves as a connecting phrase between the different parts of the song.

Contributed by Sarah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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