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
Sunny Moon
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They take me out and into places some are real and some imaginary
And though she sways between a mystery and light
She walks with me, she walks with me alone into the night
Tonight I see the sunny moon is rising again
Three seasons passed since you were here then disappeared a friend
Yet now exploded from its dreams back in that place oh how it beams
And you’ve been here all along
Ah you never left my side and now I feel my arms grow
Stronger
You may forget the details and you can forget the dates but never
Forget the moment when the night revealed her face
To be poor by lack of money but by god be rich in prize
I found my youth’s desire dark within her eyes
And the tent kept breathing something and then she cried -
‘Hold on we’re going somewhere else tonight’
We’re going somewhere else tonight baby yeh!
And my friends they are the heroes of the loneliness that’s life
And though everyone has a weakness only some they are defiant
While most of us can see only a few have the gift of sight
Would you walk with me
Would you walk with me alone into the night?
The sun is set
and it's hard to see in the darkness, but the singer finds solace in climbing the ladder of black and white keys, which can represent the keys of a piano or the keys of life. These keys take him to places, both real and imaginary. The person he's walking with is somewhat of a mystery, perhaps someone he's lost or someone he's searching for. However, he feels a connection with this person, and they walk together into the night.
As the sunny moon rises, he reflects on a friend who disappeared three seasons ago. He realizes that this person has been with him all along, and he feels their presence even more strongly now. He encourages the listener to never forget important moments in their life, even if they forget the details surrounding them. He remembers a moment in his youth when he found what he desired most within someone's eyes, and they went on an adventure together. He also reflects on his friendships, and how they help him combat the loneliness of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I climb the ladder of those black and white keys
I am playing music on the piano and it takes me on a journey to places that are real or imaginary
They take me out and into places some are real and some imaginary
The music transports me to different locations both in the physical world and in my mind
And though she sways between a mystery and light
The woman I am with is a mix of enigmatic and bright qualities
She walks with me, she walks with me alone into the night
She accompanies me as we venture into the darkness of the night
Tonight I see the sunny moon is rising again
The full moon is visible in the sky tonight
Three seasons passed since you were here then disappeared a friend
It has been three seasons since my friend was last here and then left suddenly
Yet now exploded from its dreams back in that place oh how it beams
But now the moon is back and shining bright like it was just a dream before
And I see that you were glowing in the shadows
I can see that even when I thought my friend was gone, they were still present in the background
And you’ve been here all along
My friend has been here with me all this time, even when I thought they were gone
Ah you never left my side and now I feel my arms grow stronger
My friend never actually left me and knowing this makes me feel stronger
You may forget the details and you can forget the dates but never
You may forget specific information but never forget the moment that mattered
Forget the moment when the night revealed her face
Never forget the moment when the night and all its mysteries came alive
To be poor by lack of money but by god be rich in prize
You may not have a lot of money, but you are rich with valuable experiences
I found my youth’s desire dark within her eyes
I found a sense of longing and passion for life in her eyes that reminded me of my youth
And the tent kept breathing something and then she cried -
The atmosphere was heavy with emotion and then she started to cry
‘Hold on we’re going somewhere else tonight’
She wants us to change our surroundings and experiences for the night
We’re going somewhere else tonight baby yeh!
We're going on a new adventure together tonight
And my friends they are the heroes of the loneliness that’s life
My friends are the ones who help me through the difficulties and loneliness in life
And though everyone has a weakness only some they are defiant
Everyone has weaknesses, but some people have the strength to push through them
While most of us can see only a few have the gift of sight
Most people can only see what's in front of them, but only a few have true insight
Would you walk with me
Will you accompany me
Would you walk with me alone into the night?
Will you accompany me alone into the mysterious darkness of the night?
The sun is set
The day is over and the sun has gone down
Contributed by Thomas R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ash Y
This is one of my favourite songs 💗
Alan Gonzalez Martinez
You are alone pal ;)
Lana D. Taber
You are not alone pal! This song is just absolutely beautiful and descriptive. I am not sure if it's his voice but when I listen to this song I can imagine it and almost feel the night. Beautiful written song and the trumpets are just so lively that make you wanna dance. I love this band!
K U Z A
not alone at all. This song gives hope
Ben
Still one of my favourite songs
alistair watt
mine too!