It’s been a busy time for Dylan Cattanach AKA Katanak. Fresh off playing Brisbane Festival 2022 and collaborating with some of Australia’s most highly respected emerging and established artists (Quan Yeomans (Regurgitator) and Pete Murray to name a few), with his song chosen as a finalist in the UK Songwriting competition 2022, and working towards the release of his debut EP with the release of this first single, Katanak plans to keep up the pace in 2023 and has an east coast tour set for June/July.
His new high-energy ode to unexpectedly ‘locking eyes’ with ‘that someone you click with’ manages to maintain a heartfelt quality throughout. An upbeat, modern indie pop anthem Lights Of Tokyo, tells of meeting a new love in a foreign land and draws modern rock inspiration from The 1975, The Wombats and COIN. Straddling genre’s grey area of Indie pop meets indie rock, Katanak has created an electrifyingly infectious tune and captured the excitement and energy of the Tokyo nightlife while being swept up in that atmosphere meeting someone new.
“I’m standing outside of a bar, halfway around the world and I couldn’t speak a word
But that doesn’t matter, cause when I looked at her my heart felt fluent”
The Brisbane based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has worked with an incredible team on this one. Each aspect of ‘Lights Of Tokyo‘ reflects the team who put it together. Self-produced by Katanak, with incredible sonic finishing vibes by Matt McGuiffe (Ivy), Studio work with Jordan Bain at The Plutonium and Aidan Hogg‘s (Jaguar Jonze, Hope D) dynamic mixing rounds out the track’s anthemic love story. Katanak once again shows his ability to switch up genres and jolt his listeners into paying attention.
Katanak says: “Lights Of Tokyo was among one of the first lot of songs I ever wrote and it’s still my favourite track to play live. Back when I wrote this track, I was influenced by early 2000’s Australian rock and artists such as Powderfinger and Pete Murray. Matt McGuiffe was able to transform it and give it a totally UK modern rock/indie pop sound. I was stoked to find that Aidan Hogg was also a huge fan of the bands I listened to, so it was easy to convey to him exactly what I wanted this track to sound like. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!”
Lights Of Tokyo is the first taste of Katanak‘s upcoming debut EP.
With plays on major stations including Triple J Unearthed, Double J, ABC Radio, BBC Introducing Radio Solent (UK), Amazing Radio (both UK & US), Oz Now Radio among others, Sunday’s video clip added to rotation on MTV Upload and collecting praise from Livewire AU, Music is My Muse and Happy Mag, he’s definitely one to watch in 2023.
Lights Of Tokyo East Coast Tour
Fri June 9 | The Club Hotel, Bundaberg
Sat June 10 | The Goat Bar & Cafe, Rockhampton
Fri June 23 | TANK4, Cairns
Fri June 24 | Elixir Music Bar, Cairns
Fri June 30 | Otherwise Bar, Townsville
Sat July 1 | Empire Hotel, Mackay
Sat July 8 | Tomcat, Brisbane
Sat July 15 | Norton Music Factory, Caloundra