Saturday, January 5, 2013

Phenomenal Cat - Wild Animals (Of The British Isles)


The 12th and final single of the "Single a Month" that has now completed the bands ambitious project, "Postcards From The British Empire."


Phenomenal Cat have now amassed an albums worth of songs, which was how this project was intended, the only difference is that they wrote and recorded a song each month to a deadline.  Of course, this could have amounted to little more than a couple of half decent singles and some fodder, but this, now 6 piece outfit, after the addition of a 2 piece brass section during the year, have an album of songs where each track is of single release quality.

Sam and Mik Guitars and vocals.


I was sold on this band from the bands first release "Letters Home From Nazi Occupied France" and eventually got in touch with them after the release of the second single "Ramshackle Heart" to find out some more.  At this time, singer Sam told me that there was a lot of pressure to write, record and produce a single each month and he wasn't sure that they would continue with the project.
Around this time, the band started to amass a following from all four corners of the globe and the bloggers started to blog about the band, radio stations in America, the UK and across Europe started to play their songs and halfway through the project the band were taken on by "Futureman Records" who released the first half of the album digitally, and thankfully the band continued with the recordings and completed the album.

Natalie, Bass.

I have a great admiration for the band for seeing the project through, I met them a couple of times in the year on my trips to the UK, they all have homes and jobs and some have young families and to produce 12 singles in a year is no mean feat, to produce 12 singles of this quality is amazing, and, if that wasn't enough, they have been gigging through the year too to promote themselves.
Also, another feather in this bands cap, every single that was released was pressed in a limited edition of 25 cds, they were then passed to a different charity shop each month who were told to sell the singles and keep all the profits for their charity.  Time for a massive applaud?  Not just yet, a friend of the band was commissioned to make a limited run of "Phenomenal Cat" keyrings for the band to sell at gigs with the all the money going to Guys and St Thomas' hospital charity in London, the first set of keyrings went at the first gig after they were made, another limited quantity were made and once again sold out at the next gig, raising even more money for Guys and St Thomas.  Now applaud, 12 great singles, and every penny they have made from the singles and bespoke keyrings going to charity.

Ben, Drums
So, what next for the "Cat?"  Well, a good rest and a break from the pressure of recording a single a month, a well deserved rest I would say, then the band are going to promote the 12 singles as an album and try to take the album to the next level and have it physically released during the year.   More new material?  Watch this space, but for now, enjoy the last single of the project and if you have not done so already, go and download the previous eleven singles for a name your price fee, this band is one of the best English bands out there right now, so go ahead and enjoy them!

Tim and Dan, Brass.

Download the latest single and all previous singles here: Bandcamp

Show the "Cat" some love, follow them, befriend them here: Facebook

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