Australian songsmith Katanak has released the first single off his debut six-track EP, and it’s one for the summer playlist.
Summer tunes never go amiss; they put an extra skip in your step on a hot day, (metaphorically) plonk you on a sun lounger by the pool or, at the very least, a fleeting joyous moment. For the past five years, Katanak (Dylan Cattanach) has been perfecting a musical formula which I can only describe as ‘Vitamin D’. It’s indie pop sitting comfortably at the midpoint between Two Door Cinema Club and Neon Trees (remember them?)
Katanak hails from Brisbane, Australia, so it’s no wonder that the Queensland sun permeates his latest offering ‘Honeycomb and Hurricane’. The balancing act between crafting a polished mix and embracing imperfection has been handled well by the Australian songsmith. The synth-lead and acoustic guitar bed is, for want of a better word, lush but ‘Honeycomb and Hurricane’ doesn’t fall victim to sounding sanitary and over-commercial.
To be honest, I’ve found myself singing the verse more than the chorus, there’s something so instantly gratifying about Katanak’s tumbling verse melodies. But fear not, the chorus is still a genuine earworm, largely down to that (lush) synth hammering home the chorus left right and centre across this tune.
Katanak happens to be a particular dab hand on the bass, and my instantly ears home in on those slabs of warm bass in the chorus. Speaking to me on my podcast, Katanak actually revealed that he played bassist Jerry Scheff for Elvis Presley’s TCB Band in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (2022) movie. Right!? Quite the flex. But it’s interesting that Katanak had to play Elvis’ songs live and note perfect on set, because that razor-sharp bass precision winds up in ‘Honeycomb and Hurricane’.
About this track, Katanak also told me: “(For) anybody who comes across me, hasn’t seen me before or doesn’t know who I am, (Honeycomb and Hurricane) is going to hit them in the face and they’ll say that this guy means business.”
Indeed this track is a sonic slap round the face, and yes, Katanak means business. It’s a good thing, then, that his debut six track EP is on the way, and your summer will taste that bit sweeter for it.
Check out Katanak ‘Honeycomb and Hurricane’ below:
