Harry, the firebrand trumpet-playing vocalist from the hugely successful band The Cat Empire. Harry’s solo work is its own beast though.

About this event

Harry James Angus, the firebrand trumpet-playing vocalist from the hugely successful CatEmpire. 

Silence is a powerful thing for a musician. For one as prolific and restless as Harry James Angus, a whole year of emptiness can change the game in strange ways. 

"The home-time COVID imposed on me was at first very disturbing, because like a lot of people, it was the ruination of all my plans," he says. "But then something really good happened. Without that crazy cycle of making music and launching it and doing gigs and tours and festivals and all that strategic career stuff… all that was left was me and my creativity."

For the first time in 20 years, since he hitched his trumpet to a promising jazz party band called the Cat Empire in his hometown of Melbourne, "I remembered what it felt like when creativity is just a game," he says. "It's like playtime. You make music not because you've got a plan, but because it's fun."

Followers is the first taste of where that playtime might be leading. A serpentine sideways dance of drums, piano and trumpet with echo-chamber call-and-response vocals, it's a song about social media's churning kaleidoscope of second-hand views. "Original thought and opinions are harder to come by," Harry observes. "It's harder to arrive at the truth."

To celebrate the release Harry will be playing shows right across the east coast and further afield.

The Cat Empire, is known both for his thrilling live performances and for his constant musical re-invention. His full-time gig with The Cat Empire has had much success. 6 Australian top ten albums and huge chart success all over the world, appearances at every major festival including Glastonbury, Montreal Jazz and TV appearances on Letterman and Jay Leno. 

Harry’s solo work is its own unique beast though.

It takes the raw intensity, chaos and improvisation that has helped make The Cat Empire such a world-renowned live experience, but redirects it towards a slightly darker, more weirdly beautiful universe. A universe inspired by artists like Nina Simone, Van Morrison and John Coltrane Grab your tix here!