After a much needed rest-year, The Cat Empire is back with a renewed thunder and the announcement of a whopping 16 show national tour.
Canberrans can rest assure that The Cat Empire have our city firmly in their diary, with a show planned for Sunday 1st March at the Royal Theatre.
Touring relentlessly for the last 8 years, The Cat Empire welcomed a stationary 2008.
“We honestly took a break because we didn’t want to get jaded with touring,” front man Felix said.
The break saw Felix trek up to the Northern Territory where he met his ‘now’ girlfriend at a caravan park, and fell in love.
“I spent time with indigenous communities too, which was a beautiful thing to do.”
They say a change is as good as a holiday, but when reversed is change the inevitable of a holiday?
“I think we are not the same people as we used to be, but what is the same is the the energy that we feel when we perform, it is pretty much the same as the very first time we played together.”
The Cat Empire’s roots are in the late night jazz clubs of Melbourne, but they’ve since sprouted wings over the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, where they’ve negotiated a series of record deals and played sell out shows, without surrendering a note of their freedom.
“Our show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl was amazing because it marked when we first started out in Melbourne; playing in a tiny pub. I still think it was the best thing that could have happened in the world at that time. 6 years on and to play our own show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl…that was such an amazing moment.”
With musical influences including a swarm of African drums, Latin American beats, raw jazz and upbeat ska, it’s a surprise to discover Felix’s latest musical fixation is opera.
“It sounds bizarre but I met a guy called Richard Mills, who is an Australian opera writer and he gave me song books and a whole lot of opera music to listen to. I have had such fun with it, you learn so much about writing because the songs are so melodic and moving.”
“I think we are at a stage where we are The Cat Empire, what ever we do.”
True to form, Felix remained un-phased when nominated for the highly contested and media hyped ‘Cleo’s Bachelor of the Year,’ last year.
“Cleo Bachelor was a pretty lame event. I have done a bit of press and stuff but I don’t think I would do anything like that ever again. It doesn’t feel like me, you can see the look on my face in all the photos, it’s pretty forced…and it’s really just not me.”
Breaking down boundaries and with careless abandon for convention, The Cat Empire continues to play on the streets of Byron Bay and at the local backpackers, every year after the Blues & Roots festival.
“We donate the money to charity, to support a special friend of ours, Dave Addis.”
The Cat Empire have also been listening to their fans need to savour their live energy and have been working hard at their next release, The Cat Empire Live on Earth. The CD and DVD release features unique moments from The Cat Empire’s live performances.
“It was a really nice process actually because when you are on the road, everything goes past in a bit of a blur. But when you listen back to it years after, you can almost relive it from a different perspective.”
The Live on Earth CD and DVD are out 21st February 2009.
Tickets for the Cat Empire’s Canberra show, Sunday March 1st are available now from ticketek.com.au.
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