Jump to content

Cate Le Bon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cate Le Bon
Le Bon performing at the Roundhouse in London, 2022
Le Bon performing at theRoundhouseinLondon,2022
Background information
Birth nameCate Timothy
Born(1983-03-04)4 March 1983(age 41)
Penboyr,Carmarthenshire, Wales
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2007–present
Labels
Websitecatelebon.com

Cate Le Bon(bornCate Timothyon 4 March 1983[1]) is a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. She sings in both English andWelsh.[2]She has released six solo studio albums, to date, and is one half of theexperimental musicduoDRINKSwith her partnerTim Presley.[3]Her stage name is a tribute to English musicianSimon Le Bon.[4]

As a record producer, Le Bon has worked withDeerhunter,John Grant,H. Hawkline,Kurt Vile,Josiah SteinbrickandWilco.

Career[edit]

Le Bon was born on 4 March 1983 inPenboyr,Carmarthenshire, Wales, and first gained public attention when she supportedGruff Rhys(of theSuper Furry Animals) on his 2007 solo UK tour. She appeared as a guest vocalist onNeon Neon's 2008 single "I Lust U" from their albumStainless Style.Under her original name she provided backing vocals onRichard James's debut solo albumThe Seven Sleepers Denin 2006. She also appeared on his second solo album,We Went Riding,from 2010.

Her first official release was a Welsh language EP,Edrych yn Llygaid Ceffyl Benthyg( "Looking in the Eyes of a Borrowed Horse", similar to the English expression "to look a gift horse in the mouth" ), on Peski Records in 2008.[5]She also self-released the double A-side debut single "No One Can Drag Me Down" / "Disappear" (described by Gruff Rhys as "Bobbie GentryandNicofight over aCasio keyboard;melody wins! ") on her website. Le Bon worked alongsideGorky's Zygotic Mynci's Megan Childs, who contributed violin, and Super Furry Animals andThrillscollaborator John Thomas, who added pedal steel.[6]

Her debut album,Me Oh Mywas released in 2009, followed byCyrkand theCyrk IIEP in 2012.

In January 2013, Le Bon moved toLos Angelesto further her career in the US.[7][non-primary source needed]Her third album,Mug Museum,was released November 2013. It was produced byNoah GeorgesonandJosiah Steinbrickin Los Angeles, and featuredStephen Black(bass) andHuw Evans(guitar). During that year, she provided guest vocals on two albums: the track "Slow Train" fromKevin Morby's debut albumHarlem Riverand "4 Lonely Roads" fromManic Street Preachers's albumRewind the Film.

Le Bon performing at The Arch, Village Underground, London on 23 April 2012

In 2015, Le Bon collaborated withTim Presleyas DRINKS and released the albumHermits on Holidayin August 2015.[8]DRINKS released their second albumHippo Litein April 2018.

Le Bon released her fourth studio album,Crab Day,on 15 April 2016 onDrag Cityto generally favourable reviews.[9]The album was produced by Josiah Steinbrick and Noah Georgeson,[10]and again featured Stephen Black (bass) and Huw Evans (guitar), withStella Mozgawa(drums).[3]She noted how the collaboration with Presley had made her realise "that I make music because I love to, not because I have to".[3]On tour she was supported by Black and Evans and on occasion by Steinbrick andJosh Klinghoffer,a five-piece that also performs instrumental improvisations under the name BANANA.[11]

In January 2017, Le Bon released the four-track EPRock Poolvia Drag City. It includes her version of the track "I Just Want to Be Good" which she wrote for Sweet Baboo's 2015 albumThe Boombox Ballads.[12]In the same month Leaving Records releasedLiveby BANANA, recorded live during the band's 2016 tour[13]and Le Bon remixedEleanor Friedberger's song "Are We Good?" from the albumRebound(2018).

In 2018, Le Bon signed withBrooklynbased record labelMexican Summer(Ariel Pink,Jessica Pratt,Connan Mockasin). That same year, she joinedJohn Caleofthe Velvet Undergroundonstage at theBarbican Centrewith theLondon Contemporary Orchestra.

Le Bon released her fifth studio album,RewardviaMexican Summeron 24 May 2019.[14]It was followed by her sixth full-length studio album,Pompeii,on 4 February 2022, again viaMexican Summer.[15]Le Bon began working onPompeiiduring the first wave of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Wales. In February 2024 it was announced that she would appear onSt. Vincent'snew album,All Born Screaming.[16]

Musical style[edit]

Critic Laura Snapes described Le Bon as "a ringleader who's prepared to stake out uncertain territory. Le Bon always keeps you guessing, making the old traditions of guitar-oriented rock feel arbitrary, too. Her nervy assessments of the world are filled with equal parts suspense and heart, and beautifully zany riffs, where the feeling of being frayed by uncertainty comes together into a strangely comforting patchwork."[17]In an interview withPitchfork,Jeff TweedyofWilcostated that Le Bon was "one of the best out there making music now." Describing her sound, he said "it's really rare for people to have a specific sound anymore, but I can always tell when it's her playing guitar. Whenever I try to figure out her guitar parts, they’re way harder than they sound."[18]

Discography[edit]

Main article:Cate Le Bon discography

Solo albums

with DRINKS

  • Hermits on Holiday(Heavenly Recordings, 2015)
  • Hippo Lite(Drag City, 2018)

Selected production discography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Cate Timothy Director Profile".Endole. 5 October 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved20 November2015.
  2. ^Sabrina Sweeney (18 August 2014)."Cate Le Bon: Living for the music".BBC News.Retrieved20 August2014.
  3. ^abcNash, Ed (4 August 2016)."Cate Le Bon: Something Changed".Thelineofbestfit.com.Retrieved4 August2016.
  4. ^Power, Ed (29 January 2022)."Cate Le Bon was stranded in Wales so she made a lockdown album".The Irish Times.Retrieved27 May2023.
  5. ^"Peski About Cate Le Bon".Peski Records. Archived fromthe originalon 6 July 2015.
  6. ^"Gruff Rhys collaborator readies debut release".NME.3 April 2007.
  7. ^"Cate Le Bon on Twitter:" @husharbors moving to LA for a wee while at the end of Jan! blwyddyn newydd dda! X "".Twitter. 4 January 2013.Retrieved20 November2015.
  8. ^Bob Boilen (18 May 2015)."Song Premiere: DRINKS, 'Hermits on Holiday'".NPR.
  9. ^Crab Day by Cate Le Bon,Metacritic,retrieved4 August2016
  10. ^Mejia, Paula (16 April 2016)."'The World Is Absolute Nonsense': The Cosmic Quest of Cate Le Bon ".NPR Music.
  11. ^Nash, Ed (17 March 2016)."Now that's what I call a Supergroup: Cate Le Bon and Banana live in London".The Line of Best Fit.Retrieved4 August2016.
  12. ^"Drag City – Cate Le Bon – Rock Pool".Drag City.Retrieved29 January2017.
  13. ^"Live – Leaving Records Bandcamp".Leavingrecords.bandcamp.com.Retrieved27 January2017.
  14. ^abBlais-Billie, Braudie (20 March 2019)."Cate Le Bon Announces New Album Reward, Shares Song: Listen".Pitchfork.Retrieved20 March2019.
  15. ^Power, Ed (29 January 2022)."Cate Le Bon was stranded in Wales so she made a lockdown album".The Irish Times.
  16. ^"St. Vincent's" Psychotic "New Album Features Dave Grohl And Cate Le Bon".17 February 2024.Retrieved17 February2024.
  17. ^Snapes, Lauras (15 April 2016)."Cate Le Bon -" Crab Day "".Pitchfork.com.
  18. ^"The Music That Made Wilco's Jeff Tweedy".Pitchfork.com.12 November 2018.Retrieved12 April2019.
  19. ^Kayeon, Ben (30 June 2016)."White Fence's Tim Presley announces new solo album, shares" Clue "– listen".Consequence of Sound.Retrieved4 August2016.
  20. ^Mongredien, Phil (12 March 2023)."H Hawkline: Milk for Flowers review – affecting depth and beauty".The Guardian.Retrieved1 August2023.
  21. ^Thomas, Fred."(Watch My Moves) – Kurt Vile | Songs, Reviews Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved15 April2022.
  22. ^Pearis, Bill (1 August 2023)."Wilco announce Cate Le Bon-produced LP, share" Evicted "".BrooklynVegan.Retrieved1 August2023.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cate_Le_Bon&oldid=1225766751"