Lead by sibling duo Robin Christensen-Marriott and Catherine Marriott, Oxford band Catgod return to grace our ears with immersive new single Keep My Promises out now.
Taken from forthcoming EP Heartbeat In My Hand, Keep My Promises is a spellbinding fusion of sounds. Interweaving swirling folk-tinged melodies with trip-hop-inspired beats, Robin’s soaring vocals are perfectly complemented by Cat’s exquisite harmonies. Showcasing the band’s unique musicality, it’s an epic, cinematic soundscape that’ll captivate on first listen.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Catgod about the latest release, challenges, motivations and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Our roots come from British and Irish Folk – our dad played lots of John Martyn when we were growing up. This has been a big influence for us melodically, so I guess we’ve naturally gravitated towards this style. We do love lots of genres of music though like jazz, trip-hop, old pop bangers too…
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
Catgod started when Cat moved back home to Oxford last year after being away in London. We started making music and singing together to reconnect and help each other through a stressful time.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Lyrics and melodies occur to me mostly when I’m lying in bed at night- when I feel like my subconscious is more open. The ideas are kind of waiting to be listened to if I’m in the right mood. Much of this EP’s lyrical content is inspired by relationships – whether they be lovers, family or friends.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
We’ve experimented more with our vocal harmonies/textures on this project. In some recording sessions we focused entirely on improv and layering – following our instincts. This gave Robin a lot more freedom to push our sound in new ways when it came to the mixing stage.
By experimenting with and pushing Robin and Cat’s vocals, and making this the focal point, we think we’ve sculpted a body of work that has a level on continuity as well as a good contrast between the songs.
What was the last song you listened to?
‘My Melancholy Blues’ – Queen.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl has always felt special and something we’ve grown up having in the house. Having a boogie to ‘Angel Dust’ (Gil Scott Heron) is good for the soul.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
(Cat)Spotify just because I got a free subscription when we were in our teens and we’re creatures of habit. We also like how you can put up tracks for friends and followers to comment on and give advice to on SoundCloud.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
We feel playing live is the best representation of us and the best way to connect with new listeners.The pressures of marketing your music online can take away from what we believe music is really about. Finding the right feline friend for our pictures can also be a challenge 😉
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
