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) and supporting players Chris Hillman (Morningbell, Jordan Burchell), Chelsea Carnes (Wax Wings), Zach Orth, Damien Caraballo, Jonathan McCravy, Scott Kauffman, Sam Jones, 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), Chris Hillman (drums), Sam Jones (bass), and many more. With a pop sensibility, the sound at times incorporates elements of folk-rock with a reggae down beat, harmonious rap, lavish modern-classical instrumentation, and emotionally charged vocals with a floating delivery and at times whimsical and comedic lyrics. Common associations include Neil Young, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, and Neutral Milk Hotel.
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), Bootleg Theater (LA), The Bull (Gainesville, FL) and as part of the Sing Out Loud Festival (St. Augustine, FL), Riverine Reunion (Gainesville, FL), and Changeville (Gainesville, FL).
IL GATO songs have been played on radio (NPR, WEVL, KALX, WOMBAT, 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.
The band's critically acclaimed first studio album, All these Slippery Things (July, 2010), 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.
Tongues & Teeth 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 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 which create both the harshest and lightest songs of IL GATO’s ouvre. The album currently has over 200,000 streams on Spotify.
Tongues & Teeth, All these Slippery Things, All those Slippery Things and conversationmusic are available for purchase and streaming at ilgato.bandcamp.com, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon, and other quality sites.