Cat´s Eyes haben gerade ihr zweites Album ‘Treasure House‘ veröffentlicht, auf dem sie ihren schwelgerischen Sound aus Sixties-Pop und Klassik weiter ausbauen. Wir sprachen mit der männlichen Hälfte, Faris Badwan, über ihre neue Platte, ihre Soundtrack-Arbeit und ihre Liebe zu Guerilla-Gigs.

Your new album ‘Treasure House’ is out now and it´s been five years since the last Cat´s Eyes record. Why did it take so long to make a new record?
We actually started writing the second album before finishing the first. But then we were asked to do the film soundtrack and we had to put the album on hold. In the end we were happier with the album after being able to spend more time on it though.

You composed the soundtrack for ‘Duke Of Burgundy’. How did this happen and would you do it again?
Peter Strickland heard our first record and got in touch with us. We were lucky in that our first soundtrack was for a script we really liked and a director we had huge respect for. As a large part of our music is orchestral, we always felt it could be suited to soundtracks.

From the first listening, the new record seems to be a bit rockier and psychedelic than the previous one. In which way did you want to make a difference between the two albums?
I don’t think we ever make conscious choices in that sense. You have new ideas and you want to pursue them and then they add up to create a record. I find it very hard to imagine where a record is headed until quite far into the process.

Was the making process very different from the one for your debut?
No it was very similar – we write mainly with one instrument and voice – in the simplest form possible. Then we build on the songs in the studio.

You both have different backgrounds, you, Faris, have the Rockband The Horrors and Rachel is a trained classical musician. How do you take influence on each other?
Rachel and I have totally different musical backgrounds and taste and I guess that’s why the partnership works – together we cover all the different areas. We have different strengths. I would say I’ve definitely learnt a lot about simple, direct pop songwriting from Rachel and maybe the sonic aspect is something I introduced her to.

You both like Sixties Music. Did you have different or more inspirations for the new record?
I don’t know if this sounds weird but we don’t really listen to other music once we start writing songs. I’s not really necessary. We know what we’re into and it’s more about trying out ideas than imitating other songs. For me it’s cool because Rachel can play loads of different instruments that I’m not familiar with.

Is there a song on the album which are you specifically proud of or which was a bit difficult in the making?
I think Chameleon Queen – which we wrote at the very end of the session – kind of sums up what Cat’s Eyes are about or encapsulates our world. That’s probably our favourite.

What is the ‘Treasure House’ for you?
It’s a private world. That’s what most of our music is really. I don’t want to expand more than that.

Your music video for ‘Drag’ is a quite brutal one where you beat each other up. How were the reactions to it?
We had several offers from the Worldwide Wrestling Federation about a special guest appearance on the new season. We will be contesting a one-off match against Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Undertaker at the end of the year. We like taking risks and doing unexpected things, so I’m looking forward to it.

You are almost “famous” for your Guerilla Gigs at Vatican and Buckingham Palace, most recently. How did this idea come up and how long did you need to prepare for it?
The Buckingham palace gig took ages to plan – we were trying to do it for about 3 years. There was a lot of lying involved.

And tell me: How did you manage to get into the Queen´s gallery without being seen by security? Are there any legal consequences for you now?
We can’t really speak about that but the Palace security weren’t happy!

Do you play some festivals this year and which are you most looking forward to?
We played Glastonbury and that was fun. My favourite bit was when I was waist-deep in mud, naked and crying.

How would your personal Bedroomdisco look like?
Pretty much exactly like Pat Sharpe’s “Fun House” crossed with whatever the Stooges’ Fun House looks like.