Band Name: IL GATO
Location: Gainesville, FL / San Francisco-Oakland, CA / Santiago, Chile
Members: Daimian Holiday Scott and a host of characters (Johnny Major, Andrew Thomas, Matthew Souther, Yates Brown, Rima Ash, Annie Bacon, Chelsea Carnes, Zach Orth, Damian Caraballo, Jonathan McCravy, Chris Hillman, Scott Kauffman, etc.)
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“A swirling pastiche of acoustic folk and baroque pop, the lithe songs and uptempo rhythms of san francisco’s IL GATO make for a spirited musical cavalcade rich in textures and tones.” - mySpoonful
“The songs are striking and wholly unique.” - San Francisco Bay Guardian
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IL GATO is a musical project currently based out of Gainesville, Florida (formerly of San Francisco, California). The core instigator is guitarist/vocalist/founder Daimian Holiday Scott who is supported with a rotating cast of vital components who have included Johnny Major (drums, piano, vocals, etc), Andrew Thomas (upright bass, electric bass, mandolin, vocals, etc.), Matthew Souther (trumpet, piano, melodica, vocals, etc.), Yates Brown (banjo), Rima Ash (violin), Annie Bacon (vocals) and many more. With a pop sensibility, their sound at times incorporates folk with a reggae down beat, harmonious rap, lavish modern-classical instrumentation and emotionally charged vocals with a floating delivery. Common associations include Neil Young, Modest Mouse and Neutral Milk Hotel.
The band's newest album, Tongues & Teeth, is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed first studio album, All these Slippery Things (July, 2010), and was recorded and mixed at renowned San Francisco studio, Tiny Telephone, engineered by Ian Pelicci (Deerhoof, Rogue Wave, Hauschka, etc.) and mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering (Broken Social Scene, Bon Iver, Cat Power, etc.). Overdubs were recorded in apartments in both San Francisco and Oakland. The album already has over 200,000 Spotify listens.
Tongues & Teeth, while following in the footsteps of the horn and string accentuated All these Slippery Things, now expands the sonic palate to incorporate both electronic and experimental sounds plus fierce edges within simple song formats. The overarching theme of the album is one addressing the inherent “Human vs. Animal” duality of life, expressed both in the lyrics (as reference to body parts and the difficulty of knowing one day we will die) and the contrasting dynamics of the songs (creating both the harshest and lightest songs of IL GATO’s ouvre).
IL GATO has been on the bill with The Mountain Goats, David Bazan, American Music Club, Sam Amidon, Castanets, Tom Brosseau, Tilly & the Wall, The Felice Brothers and other quality acts. Venues played include The Great American Music Hall (SF), Rickshaw Stop (SF), Bottom of the Hill (SF), New Parrish (Oakland) and Bootleg Theater (LA).
IL GATO songs have been played on radio (NPR, WEVL, KALX, Pandora, etc.), featured in notable online and print publications (San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Bay Guardian, CMJ, mySpoonful, Consequence of Sound) and enjoyed by many. In addition, a number of IL GATO songs appear in the critically acclaimed documentary film, "Crime after Crime", which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Tongues & Teeth, All these Slippery Things, All those Slippery Things and conversationmusic are available for purchase and streaming at ilgato.bandcamp.com, Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, Amazon and other quality sites.