If a band announces it’s disbanding, but that the frontman and keyboardist will form a new band of the same name, has it really broken up? The Cat Empire, a joyous dance band from Down Under, did just that in September 2021, with most of the members who’d played with the band since its formation in 2001, including singer Harry James Angus, departing amicably.
No, the Empire didn’t break up in any traditional way. The veterans of more than 1,500 shows around the world, played a raging series of farewell gigs in Australia in late 2021 (breakup sex is no-holds-barred, right?). Then singer Felix Riebl and keyboardist Ollie McGwill recruited a diverse new lineup including women on bass and percussion and a Latin horn player. Their fun new single “Thunder Rumbles” and the accompanying video showcase the reincarnated Empire’s multi-hued complexion.
One might say it’s a cynical effort to expand reach, but Cat Empire has always played a world-beat brand of dance music. Now they just look the part more.
