The Cat Empire

The Cat Empire are a Melbourne, Australia group active since 1999. They begin as a trio in late 1999, with Ollie McGill, Felix Riebl and Ryan Monro, and expand in 2001 when Harry James Angus, Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid Khadiwala join. The group later includes Grace Barbé, Daniel Farrugia, Neda Rahmani, The Empire Horns and Roscoe James Irwin.

Sound and style

The Cat Empire play a mix of acid jazz, folk, jazz, latin, reggae and rock, with their sound also described in terms of jazz, funk, rock, ska, dub and strong Latin and salsa influences. Their music often carries themes of rejecting materialism, war and intolerance, while emphasising cultural diversity and a carefree way of life.

Line-up

Core members include Ollie McGill on keyboard and backing vocals, Ryan Monro on bass and backing vocals, Felix Riebl on percussion and vocals, Harry James Angus on trumpet and vocals, Will Hull-Brown on drums, and Jamshid Khadiwala on decks and percussion, sometimes referred to as “Jumps”.

Live work and recordings

The band builds much of its reputation on live performance and interaction on stage. It plays a wide range of shows in Melbourne early on, then grows into a major international live act, appearing at large festivals including Summersonic in Japan, Rock am Ring in Germany, V Fest in the UK, Bonnaroo in the US and the Montreal Jazz Festival. It also appears on television programmes presented by David Letterman and Jay Leno.

The Cat Empire’s fourth studio album, Cinema, is recorded at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram. The album reflects a more integrated and collaborative writing process, with the band working together on songwriting. The group had previously released So Many Nights in 2007 and the live album Live on Earth in 2009.

Performance history

By the time of the Cinema period, the band has played hundreds of shows, including its 700th concert in Amsterdam and its 800th approaching shortly afterwards. It tours internationally across Canada, the United States, Europe, Japan and the UK, and plays to large audiences, including a performance at London’s Brixton Academy.