Cat Thomson
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE
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Press
With a little bit of luck and a whole bunch of talent, Cat Thomson is about to explode onto the music scene.
While she often gets asked if she has horseshoes stuck in her back pockets, after landing a full-ride scholarship at Louisiana State University’s opera program, having been discovered on a vacation cruise ship with her parents and signed with 604 Records thanks to social media, Thomson said it didn’t come as easy as it appears.
“I think it always comes down to if you are meant to do something then you will find a way to do it and doors will naturally open up. I have always said I have done different routes in music but the constant is that it has always been music,” she said. “People say you just walk in and it happened for you. It seems like that but there is years of training. I have been doing this since I was five, was a part of choirs, did theory and lessons. It all adds to where I am now but I do definitely feel very lucky and fortunate.”
Still, timing has been everything for the singer. It is why she was patient in releasing her album Puzzle, due out this summer, and to jump into full-blown tour mode. Her first single and video, Sticks and Stones, was released months ago yet she just only started on her Spring Into Summer tour which comes to Penticton on Thursday at The Elite. She hopes 2014 will be a busy year; already she has lined up gigs at Canada Music Week.
“We had to time it right. I came from a classical background so I did a lot of stuff in the opera world and put singer-songwriter in the back. It was almost like starting from scratch again. We gave a deadline that 2014 is the year and now I will have my album, music video and tour across Canada,” said Thomson.
Her darkly powerful voice, dramatic range and refined musical sensibilities are already there. Thomson’s training gives her the range to write harmonies and orchestrations that many can’t. Starting out in opera, Thomson said it was only recently she found her own voice.
“For me to be at home on stage, it is when I am performing my own music, lyrics and melodies. It is not singing someone else’s music. Classical is a lot of training, understanding new languages and diction. It felt like work. Doing my own stuff, it is a passion,” she said.
Thomson recorded the song Forget Me at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver. It is the same place where classic albums by Heart, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Loverboy, Sarah McLachlan and Tegan and Sara all laid down tracks. The studio has a long history in Canadian music, but has since been relocated to Toronto. - Penticton Western News
West Coaster’s Cat Thomson and Good for Grapes turned up the volume at Toronto’s Supermarket on May 7 during Canadian Music Week 2014. No, they didn’t jam with apples and the fresh bread. Sorry!
Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Cat Thomson now resides in Vancouver, BC, where she preps her cool Adult Contemporary Pop tunes. Learn more about her in our CMW Artist Profile.
Good for Grapes was formed in 2010 thanks to the coming together of close friends during a trip to Victoria, BC, drawing crowds the minute they boarded the ferry. It’s cool when music just makes everything flow. This six-piece group brings together cool voices and multiple instruments to create a tuneful blend of Folk, Indie, and Rock.
The two talented acts played the Supermarket on May 7 and our photographer Steve Murakami was there to catch all tunes. Check out the photos from the evening below. - The Arts Guild
Cat Thomson, West coast recording artist signed to 604 Records made everything fit just right with her debut EP release Puzzle on Wednesday October 22, 2014. A six song collection that tackles various subjects including, bullying and overcoming heart break. But there are also tracks detailing lessons learned from life experiences and memories lived giving Puzzle an almost autobiographical reflection.
I received an advance copy of her album via a download card at Canadian Music Week 2014 in May. Her live set is spectacular as Cat holds the audience from the start of the first note right down to the ending phrase of the last song. Her album didn’t change significantly from pre-released copy to the final product, a song or two switched out, but overall the same tone and amazing quality. Shout out to producer Kevin “Kevvy” Mental lead vocalist from Fake Shark Real Zombie for the phenomenal job.
Starting off with the title track, Puzzle presents a vintage almost off the record player sound with building theatrics was a unique way to capture the listeners’ attention quickly. The orchestral arrangements add body and showcase her voice brilliantly.
Goodbye accurately describes the emotions of a breakup in a sultry ballad evoking emotion as her vocals cascade over a rather simple melody.
Many years of professional training is put to work with fantastic results through complex vocal arrangements and moving piano melodies. The entire EP has a hauntingly beautiful tone that fits her mature sound. The album seems to be in tune with her artistic vision and (in my opinion) will find a home in many music lovers’ hearts. Because of her versatility, playing with styles comes easy to Cat. It is for this reason I can’t wait to hear more of what Cat has cooking up in that musical brain of hers. - Canadian Tapped Promotions
Discography
Puzzle EP 2014
Photos
Bio
It seems impossible that an artist can arrive as fully formed as Cat Thomson, and yet here she is. When the singer-songwriter arrived in Vancouver, she had little more than a few low key solo gigs behind her. But the darkly powerful voice, dramatic range and refined musical sensibilities were already there, marinated in life experience rather than the usual back story of teenage bands, criss-crossing van tours, or music industry near-misses.
All the same, debut EP Puzzle is the result of Thomson’s efforts to close in on a dream she’s had for her entire life. “I’ve had a lot of experiences and taken a lot of roads, but I always knew that music was the only option,” she says. “There was no plan B.”
There was, however, five years of schooling at Louisiana State University, where Thomson majored in opera and vocal performance (on a scholarship, no less)—long before she ever stepped into a recording studio. The preternatural songwriting chops come from somewhere more mysterious, however. On Puzzle, Thomson demonstrates an intuitive feel for the alchemy of sophisticated adult pop. The voice soars without spilling over into histrionics. And her grasp of metre, phrasing, and arrangement is there in the expertly paced title track.
“I think my songwriting has gotten better, just from vibing off other people.” True or not, she clearly found the perfect ally when 604 Records—having discovered Thomson after label head Jonathan Simkin followed her Twitter to a humble YouTube page—put the singer-songwriter in a room with producer Kevvy.
“Kevvy says it feels like his baby, too,” she says of the completed record. “There is a classical aspect to my music and I wanted to make sure that the genres I was influenced by were all on there. For both of us it was a learning experience.” Kevvy’s contribution is actually a revelation. From the elegantly bare “Down” to something as strong and fabulous as “She’ll Never Be Me”, Cat’s producer musters an always tasteful sonic palette, abetted by finesse players like Carly Rae Jepsen's band member Tavish Crowe, session guitar whiz Mike Schlosser, and, of course, Thomson herself caressing the ivories.
In all cases, Thomson’s classy mien brings the best out of everyone—mostly herself. The result is an album as deep and rich as the voice behind it; a plush work of adult contemporary pop that could sit somewhere between Fiona Apple, Florence and the Machine, and Mariah Carey without being diminished by any of them.
Thomson is set to release her new single, “Lies”, November 18th. The track showcases Thomson’s remarkable versatility, departing from the prominent styles found on Puzzle and exploring the dance genre. Utilizing the powerhouse vocals that can stand up to the divas of dance that came before her, Thomson and producers Tavish Crowe and Nygel Asselin draw on 90s influences to create a dynamic pop track that captivates with its layers of sound and modern twist.
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