The Cat Empire

First with three, then with six, The Cat Empire started out on the Melbourne scene. Their colourful jazz fusion is already causing a stir and the band is quickly exporting to the whole of Australia before setting their sights wider. And their reputation precedes them. Without ever having released an album, they were programmed in the United States and quickly made a breakthrough in Europe. In 2004, a year after the release of their first album, they were present in France at the Eurockéennes in Belfort. 

After the success of their first two albums, they finally decided to record in a studio and this was the consecration of the festive jazz of The Cat Empire. Their third album, Two Shoes, went straight to number one in Australia. The eponymous single conquered the world with its reggae accents, which were as much a contrast as they were a part of the band's jazzy swing.

They know the Bataclan. They have brought their infectious good humour there more than once, making the Parisian public dance like never before. After the tragedy of 2015, they dedicated a song to it on their new album, Rising with the Sun, with part of the lyrics in French. For them, music is clearly a universal language and they call to roar again, to silence the pain by pounding the drums. Bataclan is a poignant track and one of the few pieces of music from the band where good humour leaves a little room for gravity

After more than 20 years of touring the world, The Cat Empire announced its transformation at a concert event in Sydney. Of the six original members, four are leaving for new horizons. But this is not the end. Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill continue the adventure and start a new chapter with musicians who come with their own influences. There is no doubt that the band's jazz fusion still has a long way to go!