THE CAT EMPIRE

The Cat Empire, a six-piece combo from Melbourne Australia with soul, funk and jazz at the core of their musical trip, have caused quite a stir with their free form and spirited ambition. Their charisma is written all over their sound. The group create music that is uplifting; that makes you want to dance yet still gives you room to be pensive. Their mission is very much about high-energy performances and creating soulful songs. Led by the enigmatic vocalist Felix Riebl and the wild at heart Harry Angus (trumpet & vocals), the band is also made up of Ollie McGill (keys), Ryan Monro (bass), Will Hull-Brown (drums), and Jamshid Khadiwala aka. DJ Jumps (turntables & percussion). They’re a tight unit, one that rest their laurels on their instruments, and are purely in this for the love of music. The Cat Empire originally began as a trio in late 1999. Ollie McGill on Rhodes, Felix Riebl on Timbales, and Ryan Monro on Double Bass. The trio played in underground bars and worked their instruments til the sun came up, perfecting their craft and gaining a following, however small. A year later Harry joined the band and Will joined on drums soon after that. Then came Jumps, who introduced the band to Hip- Hop culture. Since then, with some good planning and a few bizarre lucky breaks, the band has toured non-stop in Australia, The USA, Europe, UK, and Asia, earning a massive following throughout the world. “We have been musicians for a long time. I think some groups get together and they create a fantastic record and they start playing live and they skip a process of building their sound and the energy. For us we were playing long before we put out a record. We had a touring career before we had a recording career. It’s been quite a natural progression for us, and we love it.” Said Felix Riebl. After 4 years of non-stop gigging and playing sell out shows around the Australia and the world (Europe, UK, Asia, USA and Canada), a number 1 album, a double platinum debut (on license to Virgin in Australia), and a sophomore follow-up nearing similar numbers, 9 Aria nominations (equivalent of the Grammys), and a whole list of other credentials to their name, the band have not stopped since they formed. The Cat Empires songs are romantic without being soppy, they’re about fun as much as they are poetic expressions. They write heart shaking anthems, songs featuring horns with a flirty vibe that have become a signature of The Cat Empire. But at the live shows, it’s the band members who create the backbone to the storytelling of the song writers, incorporating sensual rhythms, dance moves, fun choruses and that funk driven vibe. These days the guys spend at least 9 months of every year touring the world. They have played to millions of people, at over 500 shows, in less than 5 years. They don’t have to work too hard at promoting their shows, as the music speaks for itself, and the fans spread the word. And no doubt the record companies are chasing them too… *For further information www.thecatempire.com