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Now you'd have to admit, that having the likes of Smashing Pumpkins D'Arcy and Urge Overkill's Scott Evers (Fever) on board, would have to lend a bit of impetus when it comes to scoring some high profile recognition. Yet after listening to Chicago based band Catherine's latest long player 'Hot Saki and Bedtime Stories', it's clear that the band can hold it's own quite nicely and considering they've been together just on eight years, then the fact that they've finally scored recognition in both Europe and Australia, is obviously something that is well overdue.
An album laced with that classic
retro feel, Hot Saki has already spawned the hit single 'Four Leaf Clover'
and is chock full of future hits, with the likes of 'Pink Floyd Poster'(that
erupts in all it's glory) and the follow up single 'Cotton Candy High'.
It's pop with a difference and it leans on no obvious fences.
On the line from hometown Chicago, cocktail in hand, drummer Kerry Brown (hey we thought you were a drum mag so i scored the interview) sings the woes of trying to crack radio play in Chicago at present.
"The album's been selling kind of mediocre" He replies to my question regarding local acceptance. "It's a really weird situation here at the moment, cos the whole independant thing has become like mainstream and there's like only ten or so bands getting all the maximum rotation on local radio"
Livewise, there's ample work around the traps, but the elusive radio market seems to have been cornered by the chosen few. Having just returned from a successful tour of Europe, Catherine have been chalking up plenty of live work and are ecstatic that Europe and Australia have picked up on the band. As we go to press, it looks pretty sure that Catherine will be heading our way in the next month or so. I wouldn't at all be surprised if their name pops up around Livid (Australian Festival) time. Is there the likelihood that Fever and D'Arcy will be accompanying the band to our shores?
"Oh yeah, definetly," says Kerry "Like, The Smashing Pumpkins just love it out there. There's negotiations going on right now and we're real keen to get down there. Probably in a month or two"
With the inclusion of one of their tracks on the recent 'Scream' soundtrack, the band has gained an even wider audience, an audience that a soundtrack inclusion can only serve to increase. The band is actually shooting a video clip for the album's opening track 'Whisper' and is using the son of the director of 'Scream' to help see it through.
More recording is already underway and shortly Catherine head back to Europe, taking in Denmark, Germany and the Reading Festival. Supporting the likes of Veruca salt and Matthew Sweet before, hopefully heading out to Australia.
As for the name, Kerry tells the story of an Ex band member who actually named the band some eight years ago, as they were sitting around watching some unknown movie on TV. The lead role was being played "By somebody named Catherine and He (Neil) just said Catherine, what's in a name?"
Simple as that!!!!................