The Beat That My Heart Skipped

For the small group of followers we have that attend Katerwaul shows, this is the song they most talk to me about. For a large percentage of the people seeing us for the first time at these shows a small number of those come to me and ask me about this song. So i think that it is safe to assume that this song is regarded as one of our most popular tunes.

I think its mostly because of the 4 minute massive wall of sound followed by the acapella part performed by every member of the band. Suddenly now we've forced you to listen to the words, simply because there is nothing else there. Acapella rounds such as the one we've employed in this song are not often used in modern music, a sad fact seeing as its one of the oldest musical forms. I can't say given the subject matter of the song that we have not done it on purpose. I felt such a subject as the one we are tackling needed such musical subtlety. The message is more important than the music in this instance.

I don't want to go into great detail picking apart every metaphor and simile, but I will say that this song is about personal matters, a failing relationship, but coupling it with the contrasting end to that of the late Mark Speight and his partner Natasha Collins. No matter how bad things were for me it was nothing compared to the setting of a modern day Romeo and Juliet story, that one could argue is the story of Mark and Natasha. With all the media hype and rumours aside, it was Jeremy Burridge's (Mark's best friend and co-host of SMart) article "Mark and Me" that hit me. There's was a tragic love story that will forever be tainted by rumours and speculations and they will no longer be remembered for their careers or who they were. And Mark will be the forgotten inspiration to many children aspiring to enter the art world. Yes he was a cartoon funny-man but for me and many other people in their twenties he was a great inspiration leading to who we are today. You can laugh all you want at such an odd claim but I'm sticking by it.

So here are the lyrics as they are before being committed to the new album, enjoy.

" i find myself wearing the flames of our love
through a spirit of recklessness, for my love of violence
and i hide from your name
it burns my ears, the catalyst of everything
and my heart is shivering
and you were everything, everything
and you wear such infamy

the beat that my heart skipped
the beat that my heart skipped
the beat that my heart skipped
the beat that my heart skipped

and they found her in the bathtub all loaded with pills
he was hanging from the rafters at the bottom of the hill
and the noose it didn't kill him he died of a broken heart
this is how they'll be remembered and not for their love nor their art
and now its time to breathe

so what now of the children in this trivial end?
keep the lies from their mouths, from their hearts
so what now of the children in this trivial end?
shut the lies from their mouth, from their hearts"

thanks for reading, feel free to sing along at our next show

you can read "Mark & Me" by Jeremy Burridge here http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/18/bbc.television

Katerwaul Live In Kilau

Kilau has a lot of regular customers. Most of them are lovely, some you'd rather not see again for the rest of your life but yet they still come in and you fight the temptation to gouge their eyes out with the nearest tea spoon to hand, why a tea spoon? Because its dull, it'll hurt more. But then we get our favorite regular customers. Such as Mr and Mrs Cappucino, Alan Cynic and Topher Henderson. We'd hate it if any of these customers just suddenly stopped coming, but still the annoying frequentuers turn up in their drones with their eye balls crying to be heaved out by coffee stirring implements. Well one said customer IS leaving us. John Hekert. He has brightened up many a day with his Dutchness, beardyness and plain silly banter. He's decided to move back to Holland (its a long story in-appropriate to talk about on my blog) leaving a new position of nice regular customer to be filled.

So in honor of this big beardy man Kilau are holding a gig to say thanks for the last few years of custom, you crazy dutch bastard. And this is the poster I've designed. Katerwaul are playing as are John's two musical projects in Green Pony and Welfare Mothers. If you're in aberdeen on this day come along. I think we're going to premier a new song called "take heart from watching something die" we like it so much that we've pushed back the release of our new album to record it and crowbar it in there.

Here There is No Why sneak peak

Here is a sneaky peak at the front cover of the new Katerwaul album entitled "Here There Is No Why". The art work employs a theme of child like innocence. The album's format will be that of a children's book for reminiscing adults.

There is no release date for the album but it will feature tracks like the wintery "December Doesn't Hurt", the bleak anti love ballad "The Beat That My Heart Skipped" and fan's favourite "I Moved Forward Out Of The Blackest Sleep".

"Here There Is No Why" is the first full length LP by Katerwaul and is again produced in colaboration with "Prologue" (Katerwaul's first EP) producer David Milne. While Prologue was an entirely live EP Here There Is No Why sees us record using overdubs as well as live takes, a process we've never used before.

A special edition version is planned as well as a deluxe edition for those who helped out with the acapella singing on "The Beat That My Heart Skipped". The special edition will feature the entire artwork booklet with the CD and a bonus live EP featuring re-imaginings of our songs performed semi acoustic at Kilau Coffeeshop in Aberdeen earlier this year.

To Topher Henderson, Sarah Henderson, Rae Duncan, Shaun Hughes and Duke; for your sterling help in singing acappella with us, you guys will get a hardback edition of the album to say thank you for coming along.

The new album will be out Feb/March 2009

Click here for Katerwaul myspace

Emily Short Film

Emily is in its final stages of post production. After a whole year of punishing personal issues for myself and Shaun we have finally put together a final edit and David Falconer is in the middle of brushing up the sound for us. We've already sent a copy off to the Glasgow Film Festival with any luck it will be accepted. I'll keep you updated of any up coming screenings.

This here is a movie poster I designed. Its not the final official one but I thought I'd put it online as a lo res sketch. Its inspired by old Hitchcock posters like "Vertigo" and the new Cohen Brother's film "Burn After Reading" poster.

Emily is a 15min short film due for release early 2009