With the release of her new album, 'Inner North', Melbourne singer-songwriter Cat Canteri muses upon her childhood experiences growing up in the city's inner-north suburbs.
“I grew up in Northcote, which is now pretty famous for its live music venues and arts culture. But when I was growing up it was a little bit different to how it is now,” Cat explains.
“It was a bit more of a working-class area with a lot of Greek and Italian migrant families... I've got an Italian background.
"I love having a good chat to people after the gig."
"I grew up in a beautiful, little neighbourhood that, even though it was in the inner-city, it kind of felt like a country town.”
'Inner North' is built around the stories of Cat's youth and her own passion for the local area where her family has had strong roots going back several generations, which heavily influences her songwriting.
“I grew up in a family where my parents were really involved in the community, so a lot of community activism like getting parks improved and stopping high-rise development, things like that,” she says.
“For me personally, I've always been really passionate about local issues and local history, and I think that's really reflected not just in my music but also in my identity.
"A really big part of how I identify is where I'm from, so because it's so central to my identity it bleeds into my music in a really natural way.”
Cat says she has always been drawn to music about human stories that explore different parts of the human condition and bond us all together as a species. “With this album the thread that ties all of the songs together is that part of my identity that connects to my local area,” she says.
“On some of the songs it's very obvious the time or place I'm talking about because you can hear it in the lyrics, but there are other ones.
"There are a few songs on the record that are fundamentally about relationships and when human relationships become complicated.
“There's a real mix and there are human relationship stories, but there are also stories that touch on different social issues like poverty and homelessness, sexual assault, post-natal depression and suicide.”
Cat will be sharing 'Inner North' on a national album tour, accompanied by her band The Hipster Proof Fence, that includes an afternoon at Brisbane Powerhouse for the regular LiveSpark series of live performances.
“I really love the Turbine Platform stage at Brisbane Powerhouse, it's such an amazing space and it's just a really beautiful environment,” Cat says.
“l'll be doing what I do at all my shows: I'll be talking about my songs and I'll be hoping that people will come along with open ears and open hearts, and come to listen and enjoy.
"But also, I love having a good chat to people after the gig. So hopefully there will be a few of those as well.”
'Inner North' is available now.
Cat Canteri Tour Dates
Wed 4 Jul - Heritage Hotel (Wollongong)Thu 5 Jul - Brass Monkey (Sydney)
Fri 6 Jul - The Sly Fox (Sydney)
Sat 7 Jul - Wauchope Arts (NSW)
Sun 8 Jul - Brisbane Powerhouse (matinee)
Sun 8 Jul - Lefty's Old Time Music Hall (Brisbane)
Tue 10 Jul - Brisbane Unplugged Gigs @ New Farm Bowls Club
Wed 11 Jul - 5 Church St (Bellingen)
Thu 12 Jul - Beach Hotel (Byron Bay)
Fri 13 Jul - Upper Lansdowne Hall (NSW)
Sat 14 Jul - Stag & Hunter (Newcastle)
Sun 15 Jul - Smith's Alternative (Canberra)
Sun 22 Jul - Leaps & Bounds Festival (Melbourne)
Sun 5 Aug - Melbourne Guitar Show @ Caulfield Racecourse
Sat 11 Aug - Blues Tram (afternoon show, Bendigo)
Sat 11 Aug - Guildford Family Hotel (evening show, VIC)
Sat 1 Sep - St Leonards Wines (Wahgunyah, VIC)
28-30 Sep - Dashville Skyline (Hunter Valley)
