Our first-time intro to any music artist begins with our Artist Profile, where we learn about them and their music, directly from them.
Name: Cat Thomson
CMW Show(s):
- Tuesday, May 6 @ 1am – Czehoski
- Wednesday, May 7 @ 10pm – Supermarket
- Friday, May 9 @ 5:30pm – The Tranzac Club
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Music Genre: Adult Contemporary Pop
Year it all began: 2009
A quick introduction: Equally at home behind both the piano and the mic, Cat has the range, power and depth that you’d expect from an opera trained vocalist. But Thomson is also a songwriter of remarkable sensitivity, with a natural feel for the plush contours and emotional edges of sophisticated adult pop music. Those talents converge on her debut album. Recorded in Vancouver with producers Kevvy, Steve Bays and Colin Janz (with input from allies such as Louise Burns), Puzzle is an album as deep and rich as the voice behind it that could sit somewhere between Fiona Apple, Florence and the Machine, and Mariah Carey without being diminished by any of them.
What got you into music? From an early age, I was drawn to music. My parents had the likes of Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner etc always playing on the stereo. I was instantly hooked. I began taking piano lessons at age 5 and started writing my own music at age 9. I was involved in choirs and took private voice lessons as a teenager. I knew from an early age that this is the path that I needed to take in life and really attribute that knowledge to the early sounds of music that I was introduced to.
What are your sources of inspiration? A majority of my writing comes from personal experiences. I write about what I know: Love, loss, joy, heartbreak, etc. Sometimes inspiration comes in the way of a story, not necessarily something I or anyone I know has gone through, its just a tale I want to tell. Musically I’m inspired by many things: other artists, colors and shapes. I know that’s probably really weird, haha, “shapes and colors?!” But sometimes I see the musical structure of a song as a physical element.
Dream gig? The Orpheum stage. Dream: the Orpheum stage singing a duet with Freddie Mercury!
Your thoughts on Canadian Music Week? This will be my first time going and I am beyond excited! It’s incredible to have an event with so many different artists supporting each other! I’m really excited to be in Toronto and feel very fortunate to be able to meet and learn from so many people.
Interesting points others don’t know about you? I am a fully trained opera singer!! Love throwing some of those high notes in to a show and freaking people out Haha.
