Six-piece alternative rock band The Cat Empire hail from Melbourne, Australia. Their sound has been described as a fusion of jazz, funk and rock with heavy latin/salsa influences. A strong recurrent theme of their music is the rejection of materialism, war and intolerance and an enthusiastic embrace of cultural diversity and the simple, carefree life.

The Cat Empire began as a trio in late 1999 and have since expanded, now consisting of members Ollie McGill, Ryan Monro, Felix Riebl, Harry James Angus, Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid ‘Jumps’ Khadiwhala.

To date the band has released four full-length studio albums: 2003’s self-titled debut, 2005’s ‘Two Shoes’, 2006’s ‘Cities: The Cat Empire Project’ and their latest album ‘So Many Nights’ which saw its release in 2007. The band are currently working on material for their upcoming album which will be released in mid-2010.

The Cat Empire will be performing live at Manchester Academy on Tuesday 26th October.