The Cat Empire wins our accolade of best lockdown video

Melbourne-based band The Cat Empire put out a belter of a lockdown performance, earning our accolade of best lockdown music video. Their rendition of their hit ‘Kila’ was a joy to watch, an energetic and uplifiting rendition that delighted fans. Trumpet player and guitarist Harry Angus’ dancing, coffee drinking and general good cheer made for addictive viewing!

The band has also been very vocal about the hardships facing musicians during lockdown, estimating around $750,000 in lost income, due to cancelled gigs, not including non-recoverable expenses. ‘Our industry, like many, is under serious global threat as gatherings in public spaces are cancelled,’ the band said in a statement. ‘We have experienced this first-hand with 17 imminent shows cancelled, bringing us to our knees financially. There is no bailout package for musicians and songwriters and yet, we all desperately need their beauty reflected in the world so we can find our way through dark times.’

The Cat Empire came up with the concept of #LockdownGetDown to help musicians by asking people to stream more music and to consider moving to a paid streaming subscription. They also encouraged fans to create a playlist, name it lockdowngetdown, and share it with friends. They also asked fans to post their Lockdown Get Down photos and videos with hashtags #lockdowngetdown and #thecatempire ‘so we can see you all rocking out at home’.

‘In every family, there will be someone we need to protect, and we see you as part of our bigger family, so please let us know if you need help,’ they said. ‘There are so many amazing people in our Empire community and this is the part where we all come together to look after each other, so let’s work out the best ways to do that over the coming months.’

(Photo of The Cat Empire: Sunflower Session Photography)