il gato originally was conceived as a performance art piece by Gainesville, Florida native Daimian Holiday Scott while studying architecture in Vicenza, Italy. Guayaveras, the Italian language, the Spanish language, and covers of Enrique Inglesias and Boyz II Men were to abound. Perhaps thankfully, most of the original ideas have took their departure and a new, more unhinged face has arose.
The current incarnation of il gato may best be described as indie-baroque-folk: utilizing the repetition of the loop pedal and a broad pallette of instrumentation (acoustic guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin, banjo, upright bass, harmonica, melodica, banjo, drums, etc.). il gato writes emotionally complex songs about love and loss and how if you are going to be a lover in this world you are undoubtedly also going to be a loser and how maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it is even a beautiful thing.
Falling somewhere between old Country Folk Blues artists (Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, etc.), Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Andrew Bird, The Arcade Fire, M. Ward, Phillip Glass, The Dirty Three, Devotchka and Beirut, il gato is emerging in it's own space and surely will keep growing and changing as if there was really a choice.
We have been on the bill with Jesse DeNetale, Tom Brosseau, The Felice Brothers, Beat Beat Whisper, Frank Black of the Pixies (almost), The Ferocious Few, Origami Ghosts, Moomaw, Ash Reiter, Annie Bacon and her O-shen and other quality acts.
Additionally, il gato songs have been played on radio stations (Indie 101.3FM, SomaFM), listed on blogs (LargeHearted Boy, etc.) and enjoyed by many.
Currently, the lone release has been a stripped-down album, "conversationmusic", self-released in 2007 via Pari Passu Records. The band is currently in preparation for the forthcoming album which should be released in Late Spring 2010.
CURRENT LINEUP
Daimian Holiday Scott: vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, loop pedal, etc.
Matthew Souther: trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, melodica, vocals, etc.
Johnny Major: drums, vocals, etc.
Andrew Thomas: upright bass, electric bass, mandolin, vocals, etc.
PRESS
"The current quartet plays with an abundance of stringed instruments - guitars, mandolin, banjo, upright bass - and adds to the mixing pot piano, drums, harmonica, horns and melodica. The band's compositions fuse with mildly estranged vocals that have a storytelling style plucked from country-folk. When asked to describe its music, Holiday Scott coins the genre "indie-Baroque folk-rock," which he explains as "folk-rock with classical instruments and a liberal use of repetition."
Il Gato's music has become slightly more pop as it has developed, but the dash of alt-country is never lost, and it has also started to feature more group singing. Its performances remain intimate and enveloping, washing the listener away in its oddball and dreamy stories. Il Gato is about to record its first full-length, set for a late Spring release."