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
Waiting
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the last time I will follow you at all
Cos woman you're my trouble
And woman I've been trouble and despair
My only care
Is standing here waiting when you're out there
The wind comes down and all our youth is in loose pages
The wind appeared like you and left the place I'd known
Now words have lost their meaning
The words have lost their meaning and she's bored
And I am bored
I'm standing here waiting and you don't call
I'm standing here waiting and you don't call
I'm standing here waiting but you don't call
I'm standing here waiting
You took my time I still love you the same
But I fell down every time that you
Came, Came, Came
Every time that you came
The leaves fall gently and like autumn she brings sadness
The leaves are left behind and winter's in my bones
But I won't stand here crying
I won't stand here crying anymore
I'm off the floor
I'm standing here waiting for you that's all
I'm standing here waiting and you don't call
I'm standing here waiting but you don't call
I'm standing here waiting
You took my time I still love you the same
But I fell down every time that you
Came, Came, Came
Every time that you came
The Cat Empire's "Waiting" is a soulful, bluesy track that captures the mixed emotions of waiting for someone who causes more pain than pleasure. The song bears witness to a tumultuous relationship, where the singer is torn between his love for a woman who brings him nothing but trouble, and his desire to move on from the cycle of hurt and despair.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer stating that this is the last time he will follow the woman he loves. He acknowledges that she is his trouble, and that he has been nothing but trouble and despair for her. Despite this, his only care is to stand here and wait for her, even when she is out there somewhere.
In the second verse, the singer compares the wind to the woman he loves, in that she appeared like a gust of wind and then abruptly left, leaving him with a sense of loss and emptiness. The words that once held meaning for their relationship have now lost their significance, and both he and his partner are bored with the relationship. He is standing here waiting for her, but she doesn't call.
The chorus repeats the line "I'm standing here waiting but you don't call," emphasizing the sense of longing and frustration the singer experiences. He still loves her, but every time she comes, he falls down, implying that their relationship is a vicious cycle of highs and lows.
The final verse sees the singer taking control of his emotions and deciding that he won't stand here crying anymore. Although he still loves her the same, he won't be held captive by her anymore. He is standing here waiting for her, but this time, it's different.
Overall, "Waiting" is a poignant commentary on the complexities of relationships, especially those that are marked by uncertainty and chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the last time I will follow you
I have realized that I cannot keep going after you anymore
This is the last time I will follow you at all
I am putting an end to following you completely
Cos woman you're my trouble
I view you as a source of constant problems for me
And woman I've been trouble and despair
I acknowledge that I have also been the reason for problems and sadness in our relationship
My only care
The only thing that concerns me at the moment
Is standing here waiting when you're out there
Is to wait here for you despite you being away
The wind comes down and all our youth is in loose pages
Time has passed us by and our youth has been forgotten
The wind appeared like you and left the place I'd known
You were a force that seemed to come and then leave, changing everything I thought I knew
Now words have lost their meaning
We have spoken so much that words have lost their weight and impact
The words have lost their meaning and she's bored
You have become uninterested and detached from our conversations
And I am bored
I have also grown tired and disinterested
I'm standing here waiting and you don't call
I am waiting for your call, but you have not reached out to me
You took my time I still love you the same
You have caused me to invest a great deal of time in you, but I still love you nonetheless
But I fell down every time that you
But every time you come around again,
Came, Came, Came
I end up falling for you and your charm once more
The leaves fall gently and like autumn she brings sadness
The leaves falling symbolizes the sadness and melancholy that sets in during autumn
The leaves are left behind and winter's in my bones
As the leaves fall and are left behind, winter's coldness has set into my heart
But I won't stand here crying
But I refuse to stay in this place and wallow in tears
I won't stand here crying anymore
I refuse to continue crying and feeling hopeless
I'm off the floor
I have picked myself up and risen above my sadness
I'm standing here waiting for you that's all
But I am still waiting for you, despite everything
You took my time I still love you the same
You have caused me to invest a great deal of time in you, but I still love you nonetheless
But I fell down every time that you
But every time you come around again,
Came, Came, Came
I end up falling for you and your charm once more
Contributed by Muhammad F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AFewOfTheCrewDubs
amazing!!
풀카넬리
I am hearing this song in sunny seoul.