On a cold, rainy winter night in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, music lovers of all stripes literally lined up at the Seamonster Lounge to hear the popular new instrumental band in town, Mega Cat.
The music of Mega Cat isn’t easy to describe. In a conversation with KNKX, the band’s founding trio members offered up phrases like “punk jazz, cinematic, interstellar, progressive, funky” and more.
Mega Cat’s origins date to the recent pandemic isolation. Keyboardist Kim West and her husband Ryan Devlin had already established their indie rock group Smokey Brights and began a weekly jam session with drummer Aaron Benson in his basement.
“Every Sunday for almost two years, we were in Aaron’s basement studio recording what we were doing that day,” explained West. “Having that conversation every week… it just went to a whole project!”
That conversational aspect is the key connection to the world of jazz improvisation. Devlin chimed in, “If you’re into the conversational nature of people coming up with stuff on the spot – which I definitely am – that’s what Mega Cat is.”
But is Mega Cat’s music jazz? Benson recalled, “We didn’t come at it from that kind of background. But somehow, it ended up being jazz.”
Experience playing jazz in high school and college was part of Devlin’s musical education, but it didn’t stick at the time. Devlin left jazz studies for a creative writing program, which helped hone his skills as a songwriter for Smokey Brights. Though with that band, he explained, “We write essentially pop songs.”
It might not be the jazz you’re used to, but the spontaneity comes from the same organic place. Devlin added, “We will set up with zero plan. I don’t even like asking how it happens. It seems so magical!”
As recordings for an album began, Mega Cat added guitarist Dave Dederer, percussionist Jacob Winihan, and three powerful horns: sax and flute player Peter Daniel, trombonist Jason Cressey and trumpeter Bill Jones.
“It kind of felt meant to be,” smiled Benson. “I realized, we have a record here!”
He said that the band “built on top” of previous recordings, then “we’d do overdubs. But the drums, keys and bass forming the structure of the songs were all conceived in one sitting.”
Mega Cat’s self-titled debut builds on Benson’s modern rhythms, drawing from afrobeat, funk, rock and just a touch of jazz swing. West’s keyboards set the melodic stage with lush atmospherics while Devlin’s bass grooves provide structural integrity for the songs as well as pushing his bandmates to react.
These are talented musicians, but like jazz improvisers, they are also focused on listening to each other. Songs like “Rat Fight,” “Good Newts” and the more meditative “Worm Rider” are well arranged, but their potential for live exploration is clear as well.
Mega Cat’s popularity came quickly after the release of their self-titled debut album. KEXP DJ Kevin Cole celebrated the release with “Mega Mega Cat Week,” airing a song from the album every day for a week. More recently, the Stranger magazine recently premiered a new Mega Cat video on their website.
The hard-to-pin-down style of Mega Cat has led to varied live opportunities. They’ve shared stages with bands playing funk, hip hop, psychedelic garage rock, funk and more. West shared that “Being from mostly an indie rock background to be coming into new spaces, new venues… that’s what you dream for with music, that it’s going to take you to new places.”
West concluded, before heading to the Seamonster stage, “My favorite thing about Mega Cat is that it’s free. It’s gonna move however it’s gonna move, and it’s going to keep developing. That’s the fun of it.”
Look for Mega Cat’s new EP Ultra Mega Cat and catch the band live at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard March 8 with rock group Spirit Award, and at the Crocodile with afrobeat jazz heroes Polyrhythmics April 17. Don’t worry about what to call these 'Cats', just listen and enjoy.
The New Cool airs Fridays at 9 p.m., hosted by Abe Beeson and produced by KNKX Public Radio in Seattle, Washington. LISTEN ON DEMAND
