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
The Heart Is A Cannibal
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Underneath the shadows of her thoughts, shadows of her thoughts, she rings a bell for you
I wish that she was a statue made of gold and nobody could bring her down
(chorus)
Goodness knows I don't like sadness, she cries before she wakes
And so my friend, if you love her, don't turn away
Don't fight it
Don't run away
We're people, and we're animals
You're thunder, and the heart is a cannibal
I ask you do you love me more than all the men that have ever come before, come before
And when I'm a storm, kiss me, hurt me, heal me with your words, so nobody can ever bring me down
(chorus)
When love is gone, your thoughts are calm
Your words are holy, your days are long
Your blood gets older, and your face is old
And the days flow by like water
You miss the stormy weather
And she was gold
(chorus)
The Heart Is A Cannibal by The Cat Empire is a poignant song that explores the complicated nature of love and relationships. The song opens with the line "She hates you, then she loves you more." This line highlights the unstable nature of the relationship being described in the song. The chorus urges the listener not to turn away from love despite the sadness it may bring. The song acknowledges the animalistic nature of human beings and the cannibalistic nature of the heart, which can consume and destroy love.
The second verse of the song continues to explore the theme of the stormy nature of love. It urges the listener to love the stormy parts of their partner and to use words to heal and soothe them during those times. The final verse speaks to the inevitability of love fading, becoming old, and eventually being missed. The song is a bittersweet reminder that love is complicated and unpredictable, but it is worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
She hates you, then she loves you more
She has a complicated relationship with you - switching between loving you and hating you frequently
Underneath the shadows of her thoughts, shadows of her thoughts, she rings a bell for you
She constantly thinks about you, despite trying to hide her feelings and emotions
I wish that she was a statue made of gold and nobody could bring her down
The singer wishes that his love interest was immune to negative influences and was a symbol of purity and strength
Goodness knows I don't like sadness, she cries before she wakes
The artist does not like seeing his love interest in a melancholic state, as she often cries before starting her day
And so my friend, if you love her, don't turn away
The artist advises his friend to not reject his love interest if he truly cares for her
Don't fight it
The singer advises to not resist the natural feelings that arise when in love
Don't run away
The singer advises to not flee from the situation when things get tough
We're people, and we're animals
We are humans, and we are emotional creatures by nature
You're thunder, and the heart is a cannibal
The artist compares the intensity of love to thunder, and suggests that the heart devours everything in its path
I ask you do you love me more than all the men that have ever come before, come before
The artist is questioning the depth of their love, compared to past relationships they may have had
And when I'm a storm, kiss me, hurt me, heal me with your words, so nobody can ever bring me down
The singer wants to be kissed, hurt, and healed by their love interest in times of emotional stress, in order to feel invincible
When love is gone, your thoughts are calm
After a relationship ends, one's mind becomes more tranquil and at peace
Your words are holy, your days are long
You find solace in being alone and reflecting on the past, as your words and thoughts become sacred
Your blood gets older, and your face is old
As time passes, you start to age both physically and mentally, carrying your past experiences with you
And the days flow by like water
As you get older, time seems to pass by more quickly
You miss the stormy weather
You realize that the emotional highs and lows of life are what makes it worth living
And she was gold
The artist remembers their past love interest as a symbol of purity and perfection
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lucillemurray3395
Absolutely love this song and this band.
@misterbadcock
This is a banger! This could make a neat arrangement for marching band