Newcastle-based indie-alt-pop quartet Cat Ryan is driving excessive for the reason that launch of their debut EP King of the World. With a particular mix of indie-rock, splashes of synth, and pop melodies, the band has constructed a popularity as an thrilling reside act and studio outfit.
Fronted by lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Mary-Anne Murphy, King of the World showcases among the band’s strongest work up to now, highlighting what’s so thrilling about them. The uncooked, recent, restrained nature of their soundscapes and their capacity to tread the road between commercially accessible and vibrant different indie tones shine throughout the five-track launch.
I caught up with Mary-Anne to speak about what the band has arising, their highlights from the previous few months, and delve extra into what makes them tick.
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LTW: Cat Ryan has been actually building momentum during the last yr, each as a reside band and on-line as properly. What have been a few of your highlights?
Mary-Anne Murphy (Cat Ryan): We’ve had some wonderful moments over the previous yr! Firstly, getting chosen to play the primary stage at Y NOT Festival final yr and in addition enjoying at Truck Festival was an absolute dream come true. Plus, getting included on Spotify UK’s New Music Friday playlist was surreal. I used to be simply scrolling down the playlist as a result of I test it each week for brand spanking new tunes, however then I noticed our track on it, and my coronary heart simply dropped!
How did you first get into making music? How did the band type?
My musical journey really started in London, the place I’m from initially. I started writing music solo, creating my signature sound, which I then introduced as much as Newcastle in 2018 after I moved right here for college. Then I fashioned the band with two of my uni mates, and we began performing reside, and it’s simply been upwards from there. It’s been a very long time coming, nevertheless it’s actually been definitely worth the onerous work, with 2023 being an enormous yr for us, and 2024 shaping as much as be even greater, it’s beginning to repay!
Supporting Hot Wax for DIY ought to hopefully be one other large step for the band (info here). How are you making ready for the present, and are you planning something particular in your set?
Opening for Hot Wax for DIY goes to be a blast. We’re spending quite a lot of time in the intervening time refining our set to verify we’re able to impress. We’ve acquired a number of surprises up our sleeves, and we’re simply actually excited for it!
Who or what are your fundamental musical influences?
I’ve a large mixture of so many alternative influences which have crept into my music. You can’t fairly put our sound right into a field, so I discover it troublesome to outline our style fully. You’ll discover hints of indie-pop and shoegaze, combined with storytelling lyricism, which has typically been impressed by the likes of Vampire Weekend all the way in which to Irish conventional music, the origin of my musical background.
King of the World does rather well in capturing the purity of your sound, not overdoing it with pointless manufacturing however showcasing some fascinating preparations and nice musicality. Tell us extra concerning the EP (the way it was recorded, the themes it covers lyrically)
King of the World EP is certainly showcase of our debut sound. I recorded and produced the tracks at home to get a transparent imaginative and prescient of the sound I wished after which despatched all of it off to Eliott Glinn, who combined and mastered the songs. With the EP, I wished to showcase my signature guitar-focused type from after I first started writing music, however I additionally wished to incorporate some newer stuff, like Rex Mundi, in addition to some extra synth-based tunes, like Speeding Too Slow, to showcase our numerous sound and the way it’s developed. Each monitor additionally type of tells a narrative, delving into themes of id and self-discovery. The EP actually showcases my songwriting evolution in 5 tracks, and I’m actually pleased with it!
What’s one silly, enjoyable, or simply bizarre reality about yourselves that not everybody would know?
We’ve all acquired individual random information about us, some stranger than others…. For me, I used to be an All-Britain banjo champion after I was 12, and I’ve been on Britain’s Got Talent twice, as soon as doing a mashup of Nicki Minaj x Justin Bieber, and the opposite masking Wrecking Ball (tragic I do know). Charlie, our drummer, is outwardly a grasp of quickscoping and holds his breath in between metro stations. Jake can demolish an entire packet of custard lotions in 5 minutes and can be a giant bouldering fanatic. And as for Dan, he’s really an award-winning mixologist and is vulnerable to hitting his head on low ceilings as a result of he’s so tall.
What’s subsequent on the horizon for Cat Ryan?
As for what’s subsequent, properly, we’ve acquired genuinely very large plans within the works, some that we are able to’t legally reveal but… But we now have plans for a second EP later this yr, which we’re very excited to share. We’re additionally going to be doing a giant tour to tie in with it, however I gained’t reveal any extra!
Follow Cat Ryan here.
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All phrases by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes might be discovered at his writer’s archive.
Photo by Will Copley
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