King of Cats - Ulcers

King of Cats - the project of Brighton-cum-Oxford songwriter Max Levy - will release a debut album, 'Working Out', on 29th September through Art Reeks, the collaborative label by Art Is Hard and Reeks of Effort Records - pre order is available from artreeks.bandcamp.com now.

Recorded by Johnathan Coddington in a big room with crystals, 'Working Out' is influenced variously by Internet radio, indeterminacy, Reeks of Effort (bands and people), the ability to buy guns from the internet, the muscular form and the village of Eynsham. It is a complex, frustrated and often very funny record. Lyrical and sonic comparisons can be made to Stephin Merrit, Scout Niblett, Alisdair Roberts or Frankie Cosmos and elements of the D.I.Y indiepop and punk scenes King of Cats inhabits often shine through. But the sound and personality of “Working Out” lacks a derivative quality, partly due to Max’s totally distinctive, powerful singing voice.

While not a wholly conceptual record, “Working Out” does centre on a few things which have been present in Max’s writing of late. “Most of the songs have something to do with the fear of being trapped in a feeble body, dreams of a muscular form and the relationship between one’s environment, one’s body and one’s being an idiot. I don’t work out a lot, but I think about it often”. Friction between ideas of bodily perfection and emotional satisfaction is something that he was trying to understand in the years writing these songs. “I didn’t get very far”.