Cattle & Cane

Cattle & Cane have come a long way in a short space of time. A little over a year ago the band formed as a brother and sister duo with John Hammill on guitar and lead vocals and sister Helen on lead vocals and keys. Since then the band has expanded to included another brother Frank on bass and Paul Wilson on drums. The band have had a huge impact on the local music scene on Teeside, seemingly going from virtual unknowns to playing the BBC introducing stage at T in the Park. To think that they have achieved all this within such a short space of time reflects highly on them.

Sold My Soul is a taster for the band and a good introduction to a broad range of their work. Their sound falls somewhere between Indie and Folk, and they have a clear talent for writing epic tracks, ranging from quietly hushed heartfelt efforts to all out foot stompers that assault the ears. Their debut EP is filled with perfect soaring harmonies, beautifully combined male and female vocals, and is smoothly produced. The full band sound certainly packs a punch alongside their excellent musical talent and lyrics.

Debut single and title track ‘Sold my Soul’ is a solid track, its beautiful lyrics complemented with a big chorus sound blasting out from its hushed verses. ‘Belle’ is a moodier track, much quieter, it again features their strong lyrics. It builds into a beautiful chorus with its layers of female and male vocals. It’s real life-affirming stuff. ‘Falling Over You’ takes a complete change of pace, it is more indie and less folky than the rest of the work on offer, though there is a nice violin instrumental in the middle. This track features different aspects of the band and their range, they seem to have an ability to write and record great tracks, each different from the last, setting them apart from a slew of generic indie bands. The EP ends on a quieter note with ‘We Stand’ with its hushed harmonies and delicately plucked guitars.

Sold my Soul reflects all sides of Cattle & Cane’s talents, each song is different and highlights the diversity of their work. To have achieved all they have within a year of forming is extremely promising for them and their future. They sound like a band that has been together for years, their sounds are lush, lyrics are smart and melodies are soaring. They are definitely one to watch out for in the future. - THE 405

Cattle & Cane have come a long way in a short space of time. A little over a year ago the band formed as a brother and sister duo with John Hammill on guitar and lead vocals and sister Helen on lead vocals and keys. Since then the band has expanded to included another brother Frank on bass and Paul Wilson on drums. The band have had a huge impact on the local music scene on Teeside, seemingly going from virtual unknowns to playing the BBC introducing stage at T in the Park. To think that they have achieved all this within such a short space of time reflects highly on them.

Sold My Soul is a taster for the band and a good introduction to a broad range of their work. Their sound falls somewhere between Indie and Folk, and they have a clear talent for writing epic tracks, ranging from quietly hushed heartfelt efforts to all out foot stompers that assault the ears. Their debut EP is filled with perfect soaring harmonies, beautifully combined male and female vocals, and is smoothly produced. The full band sound certainly packs a punch alongside their excellent musical talent and lyrics.

Debut single and title track ‘Sold my Soul’ is a solid track, its beautiful lyrics complemented with a big chorus sound blasting out from its hushed verses. ‘Belle’ is a moodier track, much quieter, it again features their strong lyrics. It builds into a beautiful chorus with its layers of female and male vocals. It’s real life-affirming stuff. ‘Falling Over You’ takes a complete change of pace, it is more indie and less folky than the rest of the work on offer, though there is a nice violin instrumental in the middle. This track features different aspects of the band and their range, they seem to have an ability to write and record great tracks, each different from the last, setting them apart from a slew of generic indie bands. The EP ends on a quieter note with ‘We Stand’ with its hushed harmonies and delicately plucked guitars.

Sold my Soul reflects all sides of Cattle & Cane’s talents, each song is different and highlights the diversity of their work. To have achieved all they have within a year of forming is extremely promising for them and their future. They sound like a band that has been together for years, their sounds are lush, lyrics are smart and melodies are soaring. They are definitely one to watch out for in the future. - THE 405

f anyone is following me over on Tumblr (I know you’re not, but you can if you like), you might have seen that I was at a gig last night….

A Tuesday night in The Water Rats, watching a support band playing their first gig in London wouldn’t normally inspire confidence, so I have to say I was hugely surprised to see this band, Cattle & Cane play a really storming set. They fall slightly left on the Mumford scale of nu-folk, they write sings that even in a Kings Cross dive bar, sound huge. Have a great dynamic, one minute playing wafer thin, heartfelt emotionobots, and the next stomping through a stormy, cold as the fuckin’ wind off the North Sea ear assault. But a polite one, at that.

The track you can hear below is their current EP, and as a taster for the band, it’s a good introduction, it sits very nicely in the middle of the spectrum of their sound. If you listen to the other track on their Soundcloud page, Belle it’s got that brooding, building kinda vibe that the Kings Of Leon have rinsed on their last album. They played another track last night, sung by their keyboard player Helen, I fink it was called Here Lies A Man, with was a beautifully fragile song, reminiscent of Laura Marling, and their set closer, The Poacher is a blod thunderstorm of a track, that reminded me of Doves and Elbow. Or Elboves, as I’ve never referred to them before.

So yeah if you’re in Middlesborough, cheer yourself up by going to see them play a gig. Don’t worry, Tony Mowbray can turn it around.* - andeveryonesadj.com

f anyone is following me over on Tumblr (I know you’re not, but you can if you like), you might have seen that I was at a gig last night….

A Tuesday night in The Water Rats, watching a support band playing their first gig in London wouldn’t normally inspire confidence, so I have to say I was hugely surprised to see this band, Cattle & Cane play a really storming set. They fall slightly left on the Mumford scale of nu-folk, they write sings that even in a Kings Cross dive bar, sound huge. Have a great dynamic, one minute playing wafer thin, heartfelt emotionobots, and the next stomping through a stormy, cold as the fuckin’ wind off the North Sea ear assault. But a polite one, at that.

The track you can hear below is their current EP, and as a taster for the band, it’s a good introduction, it sits very nicely in the middle of the spectrum of their sound. If you listen to the other track on their Soundcloud page, Belle it’s got that brooding, building kinda vibe that the Kings Of Leon have rinsed on their last album. They played another track last night, sung by their keyboard player Helen, I fink it was called Here Lies A Man, with was a beautifully fragile song, reminiscent of Laura Marling, and their set closer, The Poacher is a blod thunderstorm of a track, that reminded me of Doves and Elbow. Or Elboves, as I’ve never referred to them before.

So yeah if you’re in Middlesborough, cheer yourself up by going to see them play a gig. Don’t worry, Tony Mowbray can turn it around.* - andeveryonesadj.com

Another gem from Teeside, Cattle & Cane are a quartet that fuse together a wealth of folk, indie and blues influences and, on this their debut EP, showcase a mature and refined, fantastic sound that combines powerful choruses alongside contrasting gentle tenderness of the likes of Shady Bard and Fleet Foxes.

The EP's title track opens with an intricately picked guitar introduction sounding a bluesy folk vibe right from the off beneath Joe Hammill's smooth vocals. As the track pushes into a bigger chorus with a stronger, pop feel, his sister Helen joins him singing; two lush and smooth vocal tones that perfectly complement each other, then here's much of a fuller band feel to 'Sold My Soul's' second verse with dual vocals from Joe and Helen Hammill and violin and Paul Wilson's bass both doubling the melody that's picked out on the guitar throughout. After launching into a second chorus with a much fuller sound to how the song peacefully started out, the track then breaks down before building back with layers of stabbing strings, pounding drums and chugging guitars sounding a big, catchy and feel good sound which then dies away again to the solitary, peaceful, picked, Nickel Creek-like bluesy guitar.


'Belle' opens similarly empty and gentle with a picked guitar line accompanying solo male vocals, but the track gradually proceeds to build with pounding bass, thumping drums and rhythmic string parts. Cattle & Cane's sound oozes beauty with lush string parts, dual vocals that are wonderfully complimentary to each other and powerful repeated choruses that bring to mind the epic kind of festival chorus mastered by the likes of Embrace and Snow Patrol; this particular example, 'Belle', then concludes with the dual vocals in perfect harmony over a gentler accompaniment. 'Falling Over You' contrasts slightly with a fuller sound from the very start and soulful vocals over distinctive melodic bass parts and gentle suggestions of piano that are mixed into the easy going guitar blend. The track later breaks into a violin solo which further emphasises the influence of blues-folk; Cattle & Cane are like a more chilled out Kill It Kid. With its picked electric guitar part accompanying perfectly pitched multi part vocal harmonies, concluding track, 'We Stand', sounds a more atmospheric and echoey blend in its' down-tempo soothing balladry. A solid start leaving one eager for more! - Contact Music

Another gem from Teeside, Cattle & Cane are a quartet that fuse together a wealth of folk, indie and blues influences and, on this their debut EP, showcase a mature and refined, fantastic sound that combines powerful choruses alongside contrasting gentle tenderness of the likes of Shady Bard and Fleet Foxes.

The EP's title track opens with an intricately picked guitar introduction sounding a bluesy folk vibe right from the off beneath Joe Hammill's smooth vocals. As the track pushes into a bigger chorus with a stronger, pop feel, his sister Helen joins him singing; two lush and smooth vocal tones that perfectly complement each other, then here's much of a fuller band feel to 'Sold My Soul's' second verse with dual vocals from Joe and Helen Hammill and violin and Paul Wilson's bass both doubling the melody that's picked out on the guitar throughout. After launching into a second chorus with a much fuller sound to how the song peacefully started out, the track then breaks down before building back with layers of stabbing strings, pounding drums and chugging guitars sounding a big, catchy and feel good sound which then dies away again to the solitary, peaceful, picked, Nickel Creek-like bluesy guitar.


'Belle' opens similarly empty and gentle with a picked guitar line accompanying solo male vocals, but the track gradually proceeds to build with pounding bass, thumping drums and rhythmic string parts. Cattle & Cane's sound oozes beauty with lush string parts, dual vocals that are wonderfully complimentary to each other and powerful repeated choruses that bring to mind the epic kind of festival chorus mastered by the likes of Embrace and Snow Patrol; this particular example, 'Belle', then concludes with the dual vocals in perfect harmony over a gentler accompaniment. 'Falling Over You' contrasts slightly with a fuller sound from the very start and soulful vocals over distinctive melodic bass parts and gentle suggestions of piano that are mixed into the easy going guitar blend. The track later breaks into a violin solo which further emphasises the influence of blues-folk; Cattle & Cane are like a more chilled out Kill It Kid. With its picked electric guitar part accompanying perfectly pitched multi part vocal harmonies, concluding track, 'We Stand', sounds a more atmospheric and echoey blend in its' down-tempo soothing balladry. A solid start leaving one eager for more! - Contact Music

THIS could be the start of something very special for one young North Eastern crew.

Bursting onto the scene with their debut EP ‘Sold My Soul’, Cattle and Cane have fused the depths of lyrics, acoustics and passion with that tricky little minx known as ‘memorable’ to create a cracker of a first release.

Intense romance played out through some powerful pieces of instrumental guitar, their melodies are razor sharp, their intentions clear.

This ain’t no airy fairy folk concoction. This is the work of some young genius’ in the making. Title track ‘Sold My Soul’ is heart-warming in its delivery, and shows off the band’s choral strengths. Singer and guitarist Joe Hammill has certainly got it right with this one - his urge to gig his prized possession live evident throughout its flyby four minutes of play time.
Precise and tickled with grandeur , this is one folk rock track that will have you kickinditching your brogues and knee socks in the club – whatever the state of the floor.

Next up is the haunting Belle, which proves versatile and upbeat in its delivery. A good one to kick back, relax and do some real thinking to, its pace and honest pop back beats set it up as a probable festival favourite, and deservedly so.

Helen Hammill’s keyboarding skills are fresh and raw, bringing an element of creativity to the band that few other wannabe artists can match thanks to years of mindnumbingly perfect rockband rehearsals.

And their dreams of unmanufactured stardom become a family affair, with Frank Hammill on bass while pal Paul Wilson lends his talents to the drums.

Some may liken these gifted youngsters to Mumford and Sons, and thanks to the breaks between lyrics and the heavy pauses during songs, their similarities cannot go unnoticed.

But the powerful and experienced vocals on the closing ‘We Stand’ prove that the group can indeed stand on their own two feet - provided they stay true to the catchy and meaningful brand of earthy tunes that they have begun to create. Unique in their origins and talents, if Cattle and Cane can get this right, they’ve got a chance to make music that matters.

And whatever happens, this family-trio plus one certainly haven’t sold their souls. If anything, they’ve given themselves a brand new lease of life. - Glasswerk

THIS could be the start of something very special for one young North Eastern crew.

Bursting onto the scene with their debut EP ‘Sold My Soul’, Cattle and Cane have fused the depths of lyrics, acoustics and passion with that tricky little minx known as ‘memorable’ to create a cracker of a first release.

Intense romance played out through some powerful pieces of instrumental guitar, their melodies are razor sharp, their intentions clear.

This ain’t no airy fairy folk concoction. This is the work of some young genius’ in the making. Title track ‘Sold My Soul’ is heart-warming in its delivery, and shows off the band’s choral strengths. Singer and guitarist Joe Hammill has certainly got it right with this one - his urge to gig his prized possession live evident throughout its flyby four minutes of play time.
Precise and tickled with grandeur , this is one folk rock track that will have you kickinditching your brogues and knee socks in the club – whatever the state of the floor.

Next up is the haunting Belle, which proves versatile and upbeat in its delivery. A good one to kick back, relax and do some real thinking to, its pace and honest pop back beats set it up as a probable festival favourite, and deservedly so.

Helen Hammill’s keyboarding skills are fresh and raw, bringing an element of creativity to the band that few other wannabe artists can match thanks to years of mindnumbingly perfect rockband rehearsals.

And their dreams of unmanufactured stardom become a family affair, with Frank Hammill on bass while pal Paul Wilson lends his talents to the drums.

Some may liken these gifted youngsters to Mumford and Sons, and thanks to the breaks between lyrics and the heavy pauses during songs, their similarities cannot go unnoticed.

But the powerful and experienced vocals on the closing ‘We Stand’ prove that the group can indeed stand on their own two feet - provided they stay true to the catchy and meaningful brand of earthy tunes that they have begun to create. Unique in their origins and talents, if Cattle and Cane can get this right, they’ve got a chance to make music that matters.

And whatever happens, this family-trio plus one certainly haven’t sold their souls. If anything, they’ve given themselves a brand new lease of life. - Glasswerk

It’s been a busy year for Teesside based five piece, Cattle & Cane. Having just recently signed a publishing deal with Strictly Confidential UK, Tri-Tone and Sentric Music off the back of the success of their 2011 releases: ‘Sold My Soul’ and the self-titled Cattle & Cane EP, but that hasn’t stopped them from treating fans to two new video recordings from Wynyard Chapel.

For those of you who are yet to become acquainted with the band, their music is what the BBC describe as “life-affirming blue-eyed soul tinged with a pop sensibility”, but to me sits somewhere on the shelf between rock, pop and nu-folk. Made up of four members of the Hammill family, as well as family friend, drummer, Paul Wilson; Cattle & Cane are all set join an array of artists who prove that the family band is certainly not something to be sniffed at. Their music is distinguishable by its strong harmonies and engaging lyrics, both of which are prevalent in their newer numbers.

The first of these recordings, ‘In Your Arms’, has an almost Buckley-esque feel, created by Joe Hammill’s reverberating, finger picked guitar, and slow, emotive vocal with Helen and Fran Hammill, joining Joe on harmonies at various intervals throughout the piece. This song has a sense of poignancy that takes me back to the first time I saw Cattle & Cane, performing one of their earlier tracks, ‘We Were Children’, at The Sage Gateshead earlier this year. In both cases there’s something about the power and emotion behind the harmonies that enable Cattle & Cane to stand out from any other band of their kind.

The second track, ‘I Will Rise’, is a slightly heavier number, which sees Helen take the lead with her rich, effortless vocal. Joe and Fran join Helen with harmonies that have an almost Fleet Foxes like quality, which is contrasted by the rockier guitar riffs in the second half of the song. It’s a track that will see many an admiring, yet slightly envious, glance cast by their contemporaries and I wouldn’t be too surprised if we saw covers of this song appearing over the next couple of years, as the band’s audience continues to grow. - The Abacus Post

It’s been a busy year for Teesside based five piece, Cattle & Cane. Having just recently signed a publishing deal with Strictly Confidential UK, Tri-Tone and Sentric Music off the back of the success of their 2011 releases: ‘Sold My Soul’ and the self-titled Cattle & Cane EP, but that hasn’t stopped them from treating fans to two new video recordings from Wynyard Chapel.

For those of you who are yet to become acquainted with the band, their music is what the BBC describe as “life-affirming blue-eyed soul tinged with a pop sensibility”, but to me sits somewhere on the shelf between rock, pop and nu-folk. Made up of four members of the Hammill family, as well as family friend, drummer, Paul Wilson; Cattle & Cane are all set join an array of artists who prove that the family band is certainly not something to be sniffed at. Their music is distinguishable by its strong harmonies and engaging lyrics, both of which are prevalent in their newer numbers.

The first of these recordings, ‘In Your Arms’, has an almost Buckley-esque feel, created by Joe Hammill’s reverberating, finger picked guitar, and slow, emotive vocal with Helen and Fran Hammill, joining Joe on harmonies at various intervals throughout the piece. This song has a sense of poignancy that takes me back to the first time I saw Cattle & Cane, performing one of their earlier tracks, ‘We Were Children’, at The Sage Gateshead earlier this year. In both cases there’s something about the power and emotion behind the harmonies that enable Cattle & Cane to stand out from any other band of their kind.

The second track, ‘I Will Rise’, is a slightly heavier number, which sees Helen take the lead with her rich, effortless vocal. Joe and Fran join Helen with harmonies that have an almost Fleet Foxes like quality, which is contrasted by the rockier guitar riffs in the second half of the song. It’s a track that will see many an admiring, yet slightly envious, glance cast by their contemporaries and I wouldn’t be too surprised if we saw covers of this song appearing over the next couple of years, as the band’s audience continues to grow. - The Abacus Post