Cat & Calmell Are Bringing Back Raucous Recession Pop
Photography by Sara Regan
Exploding onto the scene in 2020 with their viral hit dumbshit, Sydney based duo Cat & Calmell cemented their unique voices into Australia pop music and playlists across the globe. After joining Camilla Cabello on her Australian tour leg earlier this year and garnering millions of global streams the pair have released their biggest and boldest record yet.
LIVE LAUGH COOL STAR, is a playful recession pop mixtape. Yes, you read that right, mixtape, “We didn’t want to put pressure on ourselves. In past projects we would have very big concepts. For example we made a short film for ‘give urself 2 me’ where all the music videos strung together like a narrative. But with this mixtape, we wanted to do whatever felt right, it’s meant to be a mixed bag” (Calmell). Steeped in nostalgia and y2k energy, What began in the weary eyes of a hangover during a hiatus, blossomed into Cat & Calmell’s most authentic sound yet.
Newest single Rot dissects the grey cloud hanging overhead of young people and the feeling of time slipping away in your 20’s, “Everyone's got their own demons. We're all kind of depressed and anxious. But at the same time, we feel the pressure to live our life to the fullest, to show face. My mental illness is like eating away at what should allegedly be the best years of my life. Am I really losing all of my 20s, these prime years, to just laying in bed?” (Cat). The track juxtaposes what you might expect from such subject matter. A raucous and technocolour club track that is designed for anything but bedrotting. Rot reassures its listener that we are all going through something and so you might as well take it to the dancefloor.
The evolution of Cat & Calmell’s music over the years is leaps and bounds. Previously, what would be described as glossy and polished pop has transformed into Charli XCX adjacent grunge girl club bangers. “We were worried, is this too much of a change? But I think the best feedback we've received is that, all these different versions of ourselves have still felt authentic to where we were at, at the time” (Calmell). The duo are fearless in their musical transformation, steering clear of putting themselves in a box sonically, “A lot of the people that follow us have grown up with us. And so I feel like with each step of the way, they've been there, going through similar changes or experiencing similar things. And so even though the vibe or the sound may be different, it's still connecting with people” (Cat).
A quick skim over the duo's social media will have you transported to what can only be described as a bygone era. Macbook photobooth images, side swept bangs, facebook status updates and animal print. A true nostalgic representation of the y2k aesthetic. “With our previous projects we did our social media in a particular way that just didn't really feel like us. We felt like we were doing what everyone else was, because it was maybe easier to digest. Once we began to incorporate the photo booth, the early 2000s social media aesthetic, we began having a lot of fun again” (Calmell).
Hotness, the second single from LIVE LAUGH COOL STAR is an unapologetically raunchy track, celebrating and revelling in feminine sensuality. “The song explores our individual views on what makes us each feel sexy and confident” (Calmell). The music video is a steep departure from the rest of the mixtapes visuals, shot entirely on 16mm film, a softer colour palette and mirrored choreography between the duo. A true celebration of feminine power sexual liberation.
Cat & Calmell are the next it girls. Their radical acceptance of themselves and authentic fearlessness to transcend expectations leave no room for self doubt. LIVE LAUGH COOL STAR is a tongue in cheek manifestation to where the popstar lifestyle may lead them, which I have no doubt is global stardom.
You can stream LIVE LAUGH COOL STAR HERE! And you can catch Cat & Calmell on tour HERE