When a band sports a waving-wacky-inflatable-arm-
Enter the whacky lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll world of The Cathys. The jangly pop outfit will serenade you with sweet riffs, erratic drums and goofy vocals until you get up and dance like an inflatable man.
Hailing from Sydney the four piece are a concoction of much-loved local bands King Tears Mortuary, Julia Why?, Hell Setzer and Plum. Sam Giddey, Caleb Jacobs, Julia Wylie and Luke McEwen were “just a buncha pals playing some pop tunes kinda loud”, the band tells Happy, and decided to make it a thing. Inspired by Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Stone Roses and Cleaners From Venus, the guys draw out great elements from their idols to create short and sweet tunes.
Much like my Great Aunt, the members have never met a Cathy who wasn’t fun so they thought it would be a priceless name for a band. Lead vocalist/guitarist Sam Giddey embraces a coolness in his goofy baritone voice that channels Lou Reed, particularly in his melodies. “I guess it’s noisy pop,” he says, “all our songs are real short, so much that two minutes feels like a bit of a marathon.”
Petite songs have become their trademark since their teensy EP Long Lend in 2013. Releasing debut Hysterical Monument on a 7- inch meant they had to cram four songs to fit on the available space, resulting in the creation of little pocket rocket tunes that brim with energy. The band agree that 7-inch’s are the best: “So many of our favourite tunes have been released on 7’s,” says Caleb.
Hysterical Momentum has a bit of a Mac Demarco vibe with their lo-fi goofiness and giddy rock riffs. Caleb describes their musical process in these simple step: “Sam usually writes a song. Then him and I usually play with it for about half an hour. Then we get it going as a band.” Oh how he makes it sound so easy.
Hysterical Monument is out now on 7” vinylm and digitally via Bandcamp.
You can catch their EP launch in Brisbane Saturday July 25 at Trainspotters with Kitchen’s Floor, Cannon and Point Being.
