The Cat Empire are giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of their latest album.
The Melbourne jazz/funk maestros have just released Bird in Paradise, their tenth studio album and most multilingual yet. With languages including Creole, the native tongue of the Seychelles, the album shows off a unique mix of global sounds.
Flamenco and Cuban influences run deep, with longtime collaborators Richard Tedesco and Music Director Roscoe James Irwin shaping the early writing alongside core members Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill. Strings and horns bring a cinematic touch.
Tracks like “La Gracia” pull from trumpeter Lazaro’s first trip to Spain, “Doing Fine” serves up sun-soaked Latin vibes, and “Blood on the Stage” brings their trademark live energy straight into the studio.
Before they hit the road for a massive 57-date tour across North America, Europe, and the UK, The Cat Empire will take the stage at Bluesfest this month. We got a backstage look at their process – check out the shots below.
The Cat Empire’s Bird In Paradise is out now via BMG Australia.
Grace laying down some vocals on the title track, ‘Bird in Paradise’. Fun fact: Grace often sings in Creole (a French dialect from her home country of the Seychelles).
We usually use a grand piano on our albums, but the upright piano at The Aviary studio in Melbourne seemed to suit the sound of these songs, so we rolled with it.
Felix workshopping some lyrics in the vocal booth.
One of the most prominent new colours in the band’s sound is the addition of Felix’s Tres (a 3-pitched, 6 stringed Cuban guitar)
Lazaro working on some pregones (a common vocal arrangement style from Cuba) for ‘La Gracia’
Neda bringing all the smiles and glowy vibes while tracking some Brazilian percussion on ‘Shooting Star’.
Roscoe sitting in the producer’s chair, picking takes and calling out arrangement and performance details between passes.
