Even though all the year-end festivities are done with, there is still a glimmer of happiness at the end of the tunnel that fans of Cate Le Bon can look forward to with a trifecta of new announcements. Eagerly and excitedly, the folks at Drag City Records are happy to announce that the fourth album by singer/songwriter Cate Le Bon Crab Day will be released to the public on April 15th, giving fans the chance to rejoice at a new set of folky pop rock songs to jam out to. Also, to accompany the new LP, Cate has released a trailer to the new short film shot in Germany and directed by film-maker Phil Colins. Last but not least Cate has also revealed a small set of shows she will be playing in various venues in Europe as well as the US.
Beginning off in Penboyr, Carmarthenshire, Wales, Cate Le Bon started off her career in 2006 by backing up many popular artists in order to establish a name for her self, trying to gain public attention by supporting singers and songwriters on stage with her soothing vocals was only the stepping stone to her major career, gaining experience as well as connections established a firm foundation in the industry. After years of being featured on other artist’s albums Le Bon finally released her debut album, Me Oh My (previously known by the working title Pet Deaths) in 2009, followed by her second LP Cyrk which was closely followed by the Cyrk II EP.
In January 2013, Le Bon moved to Los Angeles to further her career in the US. Her latest album, Mug Museum, released November 2013, was produced by Noah Georgeson and Josiah Steinbrick in Los Angeles, and features her then partner H. Hawkline on guitar and Sweet Baboo on bass. It was for the most part praised by critics by its understated musical arrangements and lyrical content based on the theme of relationships, which was partially inspired by the recent death of Le Bon’s grandmother.
The Wales native has continuously been involved in many projects throughout her career to add to her impressive solo career, but now after much hard work, Le Bon finally is releasing her new masterpiece. According to Cate: “Crab Day was lovingly formed in the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, as it quietly mocked us with its magnitude. It’s the sound of the ‘accidentally on purpose’ coming together of the right people at precisely the right time in an environment that furnished and fueled the abandonment we felt effortlessly. It’s a coalition of inescapable feelings and fabricated nonsense, each propping the other up. Crab Day is an old holiday. Crab Day is a new holiday. Crab Day isn’t a holiday at all.”
What makes this album all the more special is not only the beautiful tracks that are on it, but also the projects that will accompany this new LP. After recently spending time in Berlin Cate chose to shoot a film, directed by visual artist and film-maker Phil Colins, and decided to release a trailer which gives us a glimpse of a behind-the-scenes view of the creation of a possible music video for the album.
To get fans even more excited for Crab Day, and to complete the hat-trick of announcements, Cate told the media about the shows in NYC and LA, where she will perform Crab Day in it’s entirety with Los Angeles semi-experimental, semi-improvisational music ensemble BANANA! Comprised of Josiah Steinbrick, Josh Klinghoffer, Stella Mozgawa, Stephen Black, H.Hawkline and Cate, BANANA will present a special opportunity to hear Crab Day in full color and with the complete experience.