INTERVIEW: Fantastic Cat Talks Their Band, New Album, and The Hamptons

Many incredible bands have graced the Stephen Talkhouse’s stage, one of the most iconic music venues in the Hamptons. On Saturday, June 8th, Fantastic Cat will join that illustrious list to celebrate the release of their sophomore album, “Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat,” out on June 7th. After hearing a sneak peek of the album, I can confidently say they are a perfect fit for the Stephen Talkhouse. With infectious guitar riffs, upbeat drum beats, and fun lyrics, it promises to be a night of dancing and drinks.

Fantastic Cat sat down with Hamptons.com to discuss their band, new album, and the Hamptons.

Your band started as a side project for each of you but has now evolved into something much more. What prompted the decision to form Fantastic Cat, and how did the concept of wearing cat masks come about?

Fantastic Cat was sort of born out of us all taking ourselves too seriously for too long.  Being solo artists requires quite a bit of self-aggrandizement, and I think we were all a little burnt out on trying to tell the world about our “most personal albums to date.”  So we decided the rule in Fantastic Cat was that if it was too ridiculous to try in your solo career, the band was a place to experiment and truly have as much fun as possible.  It should’ve been obvious to us that people would catch on and want to have fun as well since all of this is supposed to be fun.  We all got into this to never grow up, and somewhere along the line, that got lost.  But now it has been found!  The cat masks are so people don’t have to look at our faces because they are boring. 

“All My Fault” seems to poke fun at the ego and delusion often associated with the music industry. Can you share more about the inspiration behind this song and its lyrics?

“All My Fault” is Anthony’s baby, but I (Brian) will try to wax philosophical on it for a moment.  Ant brought in the tune and said, “Wouldn’t it be funny to be really bold and cocky in a song?” And he played us what he had for “All My Fault,” and we all thought it was a blast and a super great take on how deluded you truly have to be to stand in front of hundreds or thousands of people a night and sing your songs.  I know he’s still a little anxious about how intentionally obnoxious the lyrics are, but I think the irony is pretty cutting.  Ant has a way with the words.  

How does the dynamic of having four lead singers influence the songwriting and creative process within the band?

It’s total chaos.  On the next record we’re all gonna have our lawyers in the room with us, like The Eagles. 

Rolling Stone described “All My Fault” as “gloriously fun” and praised your ability to balance seriousness with humor. How do you navigate between these two aspects of your music?

That’s kind of the rub with our band; the satire is our calling card, but we take the music dead seriously.  I think they kind of go hand in hand.  Satire is a really powerful tool to get a serious point across, but most great serious writers have a killer sense of humor.  

The band’s image and videos seem to embrace a playful and lighthearted approach. How important is humor and fun in your creative process?

Generally, if we can make each other laugh, we figure everyone else will come along for the ride, even if it feels a little “inside baseball.”  Striking on something funny usually means there’s a truth to it anyways, and truth is what every creative person is looking for.  Some of the best lyrics on this album were born out of jokes. 

Can you give us some insight into the making of your upcoming album? Are there any particular themes or messages that you explore throughout the record?

Well, our first record was really us discovering what “Fantastic Cat” was.  So, for this album, we went in with a really strong mission to make it a true collaborative effort.  The first song, “Oh Man!” is the sound of us all hammering it out in the room — Don’s chorus, Anthony’s lyrics, my bridge, Mike’s Motown drum groove.  And I would say we sort of built the theme of the album around that song; we’re a working-class band in a van, doing the best we can.  There’s a real underdog theme to every song on the record.  

With each member having established solo careers, how do you find a balance between your individual projects and the collective efforts of Fantastic Cat?

There is no balance, and everyone is way over their heads!  Ant and I put out solo records last year, and I plan to do the same next year and our wives are not happy, but it’s go time.  It’s very rare in this industry that you get a project that catches a tailwind, and I think we all know how special that is.  No rest for the wicked. 

How do you see Fantastic Cat evolving in the future? Are there any new directions or goals you hope to explore as a band?

I think Fantastic Cat will continue to be a tax shelter for all members of the band for now, and when we inevitably all sue each other, Mike Montali’s Fantastic Cat will be performing at Caesar’s Palace (in the Poconos) while Don Dilego’s Fantastic Cat will be at The Bellagio (in the Poconos).  

But in all seriousness, I think we all see this band as “sky’s the limit.”  It’s a really special thing when we all play together, rotating instruments for each song, jumping all over the stage.  And I think we’ve got a classic record in us.  

What do you hope listeners take away from your music, particularly from the upcoming album?

I think we set out to make something that we felt, as fans, was missing from the current musical landscape.  An adventurous, weird, sincere-but-strange collection of material designed to make you laugh and cry.  There is a looseness to it that was missing from our own solo works and something that all the great bands had, that at some point they stopped having, and that thing is fun. 

Is this your first time in the Hamptons? If so, is there a place you are excited to check out?

No, Don used to come out here all the time to “entertain” married older women in the late 1990s, so he knows all the best spots.  We’re probably just gonna post up at Stephen Talkhouse and maybe get a sandwich down the street because another band we toured with ran into Paul McCartney at that very sandwich spot, and we’re really banking on a major celebrity coming to our show.  We’re picturing Jimmy Fallon, after a long day at the beach with his family, stopping in for a cold one just as we take the stage.  He watches the show in awe, stopping only to text his music supervisor that we NEED to be on the show immediately, forever changing the trajectory of our lives.  We leave the crowd sweaty, breathless, begging for more.  That’s the kind of night we’re expecting to have.