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 trumpeter/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 trumpeter. 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.
