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When
you first hear Cat Martino perform live, you get the feeling
you're discovering someone already famous. Her voice is beautiful
and soulful, overflowing with raw talent. "Here Now,"
Cat's debut album is an eclectic mix of what Cat refers to as
"electro-space" rock, as well as acoustic guitar and
piano songs with layers of string and keyboard arrangements. The
album was recorded in New York with some of the best musicians
in the business. Cat talks here (and now) about being in the moment
with her musical projects, with her relationships, and with her
job teaching music in the New York City school system.
WOMANROCK:
Your
debut album is called Here, Now. How does that reflect your state
of mind?
CAT:
It's
about declaring - be in the moment in life and in the moment in
music. Its about letting go, accepting where you are and having
fun. Here Now also reflects the title of a track on the record
which is about changing a relationship with a lover to a friendship.
It attempts to see the growing pains of that process in a beautiful
light. When it came to putting out the record, I found I felt
the same way musically, it was time to decide it was done, time
to let go and watch it float away. That is part of the challenge
of putting out a record I think, and also the joy...
WOMANROCK:
Is
there an overall theme to the album? What do you like to write
about?
CAT:
Life
and love, the choas of the city...I write about myself, lovers
and friends....whatever comes out. Sometimes I don't intend anything
and just open up and write, then I look back and realize what
my sub-conscious was expressing. On the song "Good for the
Country," I had no idea what it was about while I was writing
it, then I looked back and saw it was filled with the consumption,
both material and sexual, that this society exhibits. On this
album there is a lot of love, images of the vulnerable human heart,
water, openings...
WOMANROCK:
Some
of the music has a very psychedelic sound. Where does that influence
come from? Who were some of your favorite bands growing up?
CAT:
The sounds on some of the more rock-pop songs, I would call it
more electro - space. The guitar sounds are influenced by everything
from modern bands like Radiohead to the Beatles. I like warmth
- we used a lot of vintage gear on this record which served us
well. Pete Kepler, who recorded a lot of the sessions, has old
tube amps, mics, compressors, etc. He's now on the road doing
sound for David Bowie. Plus, my guitarist Jack Petruzzelli, has
a lot of fun toyish instruments. We experimented putting an old
casio mini-keyboard or omni-chord through effects.
WOMANROCK:
Your
band is made up of some great players from the New York music
scene. Can you talk about your band, how you met and what they
bring to the process?
CAT:
Yeah,
well Jack Petruzzelli was suggested to me for some recordings
I did at Loho Studios in NYC a few years back. We've been collaborating
ever since, and he co-produced a lot of this record. Jack just
got off tour with Rufus Wainwright and is in the Joan Osborne
band, works with others as well... Then, Victor Luc, who runs
Loho played some of my stuff for producer/guitarist Jimmi Zhivago,
whose been a NYC music cat forever - Jimmi was really into my
stuff. Vic set us up for kind of a musical blind date, for Jimmi
and I to experiment in the studio... things felt organic and natural,
so we worked on five tunes for this record. My band can be somewhat
musical-chairish, with NY musicians out of town, but lately it's
been Matt Lindsey on bass, Lyris Hung on violin, Julia Kent on
cello, and Rich Mercurio on drums.
WOMANROCK:
Will
the musicians on the album be your touring band? Will you be going
out solo to promote the CD at all?
CAT:
Uh,
if they'll have me, that would be great...I really want to tour
with a full band, but until I have some financial support, I'll
probably have to tour solo, or in a duo, trio. Also, the musical
chairs aspect, always keeps it fresh, never the same show twice.
I really appreciate playing both the intimacy of playing solo,
and the sort of surround sound you get with a band.
WOMANROCK:
How
are you planning to promote the album?
CAT:
I
will do some touring this summer, and use radio as a resource.
I am still scouting out for distribution.
WOMANROCK:
Will
you have your own label to release the album? Is there a name
for it?
CAT:
Right
now I'm releasing the album on my own label, Never-Ending Records,
completely independent. I'd like to form more alliances in the
coming months to assist me on getting this record to the ears
it deserves.
WOMANROCK:
If
you were offered a record deal would you take it? Any thoughts
about the industry in general?
CAT:
Would I sell my soul to the devil? Hmmmm, maybe...depends which
devil. I don't have to tell you or anyone else about the craziness
of the industry right now - nobody knows which way to go. I know
independent musicians who are successful or miserable. I'm interested
in seeing what indie-labels could do for me. As for the majors,
I've never personally met anyone who's been happy signing to a
major label, or actually been kept on... I think though it can
be a passageway for some people. I'm not holding my breath, but
I know I need financial assistance. Of course, a connected patron
of the arts would be the dream! Ha, I saw Patti Smith last week,
and she was saying, "Yeah, I know some of you have been sending
angry mail about me signing with Columbia - but I'm still pretty
proud to be putting out a record on Columbia". I guess there's
still something classic and classy about that dream, even if it
is a farce.
WOMANROCK:
When
did you move to New York City? What have been some important musical
moments for you here?
CAT:
I
moved here in '98. Since then it's been an unfolding process,
meeting people, explorations... Last year I composed music and
played live with my band for Melissa Briggs Dance Co. at Merce
Cunningham Studios. That was very fulfilling... to watch these
dancers come to life and exist because of our live music. As far
as inspirations... in College I got really into Joni Mitchell,
she made me want to write songs. Her personal honesty and lack
of traditional form made sense to me, gave me an opening to say,
I can do that.
WOMANROCK:
Did
you study music formally?
CAT:
Yes
and no. I took piano lessons as a kid, but was never much of a
'practicer'. I was always into theater and choir in school, which
unknowingly was great training. I took that for granted, kids
don't have music class every day in NYC, such a shame. At Rutgers
College I ended up minoring in music. I failed and had to retake
some fundamentals like ear training composition class, but now
I like to write string parts by ear. Then I received some scholarship
money for voice training - after the 2nd lesson she told me she'd
give me an A if I stopped coming - I didn't want to sing the way
she was trying to teach me. So, yes and no. I guess I took whatever
'formal' training and made it my own.
WOMANROCK:
Now
you work teaching music classes to children in the New York City
public schools. Is it inspiring? Exhausting?
CAT:
Yeah definitely. I mean, those kids keep you real. Their innocence
is exciting. I like to make teaching fun and creative. I am teaching
a 6th grade girls choir - they all live in the projects across
the street in Brooklyn - they've never heard of John Lennon, and
I'm teaching them "Imagine" and "We Can Work it
Out". They love it, and put their own soulful rhythmic spin
on it. Then, I show them Civil Rights songs and we write our own
Protest Songs. How else could I possibly have that kind of creative
connection? A little Pre-K kid tells me she sings my song "Beautiful
Bird" as she goes to sleep. I also love to teach Creative
Movement, it really sets them free from their desks. Then there's
the down side, these programs LEAP and CREATE I work for don't
get the funding they deserve. And it is exhausting, they can eat
you alive and wear you right down. I wish I had more time always.
WOMANROCK:
I
know this is your first full length release, but have you done
much recording before this? Played with other bands?
CAT:
I
did release a 5 song EP last year called "Dance of Destruction".
This came out of collaborations I did with celloist Noah Hoffeld,
and has a dark Cabaretish mood. I also did a bunch of recording
here and there as I developed along the road. I started off doing
really bare solo acoustic songs - I don't know why I never released
them. I think I thought I was moving into something new. But I
might find them and release them sometime this year. I ran into
an old friend, Mike Jorgenson, who's now got a studio in Chicago
and is a band member in Wilco - he did my first 4 track recordings
in New Brunswick - I'd like to get a hold of them.
WOMANROCK:
Do
you use the internet as a promotional tool?
CAT:
Ha, right now I don't even have internet at my place. But last
summer I booked a tour out West using the internet mostly. I hope
to find it useful in promoting this record this year. It takes
a lot of rallying of energy to do self-promo. It's time spent
away from art-making and that sucks. But I have to kick my ass
to use it.
WOMANROCK:
What's
next for Cat Martino?
CAT:
Hmmm,
I'd like to get my voice and music out there as much as possible,
and have fun doing it.
Brenda
Kahn is a musician, writer and the Editor of WOMANROCK Magazine.
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