Cats:For:Peru

After several weeks of frantic emailing Sandman managed to cajole Cats:for:Peru (minus one drummer) into a darkened pub corner to discuss their new ep Asleep In Monaco, Clint Boon, and the horrors of cat eating.

Huddled around their pints and couple of packets of Monster Munch the band seems in a buoyant mood, if a little tired. Squeezing me in as they are before band rehearsals and their usual day jobs.

Singer Ad Follett was keen to get another band together following the split of his former band Crazy Fire Yellas. After roping in mates Lucy, Stella and Keith he put out an advert.

He explains: 'Richard answered and another guitarist, but he dropped out and it's ended up being just fine, really. Richard was that good. He played two at once!'

Guitarist Richard Walton chimes in: 'Yep I've got 3 hands! I've known Keith for ages, so that's how I heard about the advert'.

Ad agrees: 'We all kind of know each other anyway'.

As they attempt to explain the tangle web of family connections that brought them together each becomes slightly lost in the confusion.

Ad concludes, laughing: 'We're all related in some way. It's kind of incestuous!'

Sheffield band Cats:for:Peru have been shifting slowly into the collective musical consciousness for the past two years. Formed from the remains of local bands Crazy Fire Yellas, Southpaw and Mothership they've gently gained momentum and a growing presence on the live circuit. Struggling with varying degrees of success in their old bands they all agree on the moment they got their first real break.

Singer Ad explains: 'Clint Boon rang, who used to be in Inspiral Carpets, which I didn't know at the time. And said “alright it's Clint Boon from XFM and we'd like to put your song forward”. That was pretty special'.

Sessions with Alan Smyth, producer to the Arctic Monkeys and Long Blondes followed, along with their critically acclaimed Penicillin EP. Featuring tracks like the aggressively catchy 'Love In a Lift', politically charged 'Manifesto' and spine tingling epic 'Cutting Bridges In Half.'

Discussion returns to origins of their unusual name, which could be derived from a tale about 'The Man From Peru' or have an altogether more sinister meaning.

Ad laughs: 'When I answer this question I always think of that Sandman thing you wrote, which is much better than my rambles. That was spot on'.

Never one to turn down a bit a flattery I was cheered by this charm offensive. For those who didn't read the Ones To Watch, this was the bit Ad referred to;

Named after the strange tale of a small town in Parkgate, Northern Ireland everyone brought out their cats ready to sell to 'The Man From Peru'. The man never showed, and the story later turned out to be a hoax.

So what about the other possibility, that they were named after the popularity of cat eating competitions in Peru?

Ad replies confidently: 'That's St Ignatius day'.

Stella agrees: 'We all love cats, except Rich, so that's quite upsetting'.

Richard shakes his head at this determinedly: 'No, I love cats, love them'.

Keith laughs: 'Yeah he signed it with his blood when he joined'.

Ad adds: 'Prequisite, you have to own a cat for a year before you join the band!'

Their new single 'Asleep In Monaco' is available now with Bside 'Campfire Risk'. With hints of an early Elbow seeping through the vocals it presents a decidedly mellower front than the rampantly lustful 'IamtheO'. Plans are in the offing to release another 2 track EP but the band remains slightly sketchy on the details.

Known for their energetic live sound they have a slightly different approach when it comes to putting it on record. Singer Ad explains: 'I am a big fan of having the whole cd/live, not the same thing at all. Not that obviously its wrong them being the same'.

Stella joins in: 'You find different things when you record and when you do it live that adds extra dimensions to the song'.

Ad rounds off: 'I think we're conscious not to add too much, then you'll end up missing it when you play live. Kind of, you know backgroundy noise type stuff, we're into all that'.

Though they mostly gig around Sheffield, recently they branched out, playing gigs in Nottingham University and Manchester Dry Bar. Where are they next aiming for?

Ad says: 'We're trying to sort some London stuff out. I think the whole thing of that you have to go to London to get signed is not true. But yeah, anywhere really, apart from Leeds. We had a bad experience in Leeds, two bad experiences actually. Leeds is alright, it's just promoters and the football team!'

Richard concludes: 'It doesn't make sense to travel all over the country to play midweek to five people but if we go somewhere where they like the kind of music we play, then we'll play anywhere'.

In the past they have raised comparisons from bands as diverse as Arcade Fire, The Guillemots and their favourite description 'a mixture of Granddaddy and The Deftones'. Their own musical tastes are also pretty varied, ranging from obscure electronica and hiphop to good old-fashioned British Rock.

Adam: For myself, mainly electro stuff like Daft Punk,' adding 'We're all massive fans of Oasis'.

At this point the teasing begins in earnest as Rich chimes in: 'I wasn't going to go into it, but every single interview I mention Jay- Z. Some of his rapping is just fantastic and Kanye West, but it's never going to be a major influence, it's never going to really impact the way that we sound'.

Stella says: 'Ad likes really obscure electronica no-ones heard of'.

Adam replies: 'Not even obscure, just something if you've heard like the production of it can be an influence on how we record. We don't completely shove to the side other things, but if it works or if it doesn't we'll give it a go'.

Rich laughs: 'Like the rap I did on the last EP, it was special!'

Good natured banter aside it's clear the band have a strong work ethic, determined to make time for the band alongside full time jobs. Guitarist Rich travels in from Nottingham for rehearsals, while Ad often writes out lyrics while sat at his work desk.

Ad explains: 'Yeah, lyric wise, I usually work with just a lot of drafts in my email of lyrics'.

Keith laughs: 'Make sure don't press send!

Ad adds: 'I'm not someone who sits around writing lyrics out, but I'm also not someone who is on a boat and feels like 'I must write a song about this boat.'

Keith says: 'Or about your ukuele, you wrote a whole song about one!'

Adam retorts: 'That was just the one'.

Rich asks: 'Are any of the new songs about a boat?'

Stella says: 'That's new one to come!'

Adam replies, suppressing a laugh: 'I did write a song, on a balcony on holiday about the sea, that only time I've done that... anyway'.

All start giggling as Ad Sings 'I've got the sea, in front of me' with a dramatic flourish.

Order restored, Ad continues, slightly flustered: 'I've completely lost where I am now! I just write lines here and there and think 'I'll fit that in'. Sometimes they're a bit disjointed. Usually I'll read them over and think actually that sounds like I'm talking about this, and then I pretend that I wrote it about that in the first place!'

We shift onto the subject of Ad's ability to play a wide, and ever-growing collection of instruments. To date this includes Guitar, drums, synth, melodica, glockenspiel, ukele and the, apparently underrated, caterpillar rattle.

He explains: 'When we first started I went on Ebay and bought a load of random crap, we've used quite a lot of it. Which means you don't necessarily have to have to say “right I'm having this guitar, drums and bass and that's the song” it give us scope add new bits'. With that discussion turns to band like Arcade Fire, who boast a wide range of musician alongside the usual band. Ad admits: 'The original idea was to be a collective, kind like Broken Social Scene, but this way is easier'.

Onto their plans for 2009, with C:f:P intending to cut their teeth on more unsigned stages or 'get in on the action' by supporting bigger name bands on tour. Hopes are high to crack the elusive Leeds Festival as they voice their disappointment at not breaking through this year's shortlist.

The scene in Sheffield is visibly changing, with the star of bands like The Arctic Monkeys and The Long Blondes starting to wane. As a last parting shot I ask C:F:P if they feel this way, or are things the same as before?

Keith responds: 'I think things are definitely better from what they used to be. When I first started gigging in Sheffield about 10 yrs ago the only place worth playing was the Boardwalk and the Leadmill, even then you never felt you had a chance to get anywhere - it was always "got to get noticed in Manchester or London". I reckon people like Mr Hawley and Arctic Monkeys have helped put us on the map a bit more for the masses and so there's a greater musical interest in the city. But there's still a lot of very good talent in Sheffield that don't fall into that genre and will probably get ignored'.

Ad adds: 'Perhaps off the back of the New-Yorkshire movement, unsigned gigs in Sheffield are probably more popular than they have been previously in an attempt to find the "new Arctic Monkeys". On the other hand, I found the local scene a lot more exciting when bands like Rumpus, Yamaguchi, Chuck, etc were around and doing something truly innovative but maybe that is just down to taste. So really, I feel like the music scene in Sheffield has had a massive make over, but it's still the same underneath all that blusher....'

As they shuffle off to get back to the important business of rehearsing Cats:for:Peru leave a lasting impression. Underneath the harmless bluster they are incredibly determined, and though they maybe still finding their feet, they are definitely walking the right direction.

Interview by Kate Parkin
Photograhpy by Mark Tighe

www.catsforperu.co.uk