Australian Sydneysider, Blake Cateris fuses the genres of folk singer-songwriter, with his punk music background and has a musical resume that many dream of, having shared the stage with the likes of CJ Ramone, Danny Worsnop, Bodyjar, Hard-Ons, Gyroscope, 28 Days and The Getaway Plan, as well as holding a nine-year residency at the iconic Frankie’s Pizza By The Slice.
Blake Cateris' debut EP Rearranging Deckchairs On The Titanic was released worldwide on November 17. Drawing inspiration from the writings of songwriters that connect at the core of the soul, such as Frank Turner, Will Varley & Dave Hause, he fuses stories with the honesty of real-life events.
He has two Australian tours under his belt and completed his first solo international tour, a UK run of 13 shows in 16 days in April 2023.
"This came from my two trips to L.A. in 2019 to play bass with a band based over there, one to tour and the other to record an EP - I’ll preface this by saying it was an incredible experience and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to chase what I thought was my calling in life.But as much fun as it was there, when it came to business - it was hard, cutthroat and competitive in all the cliche ways you hear.I returned to Australia with my tail between my legs questioning if it was really what I wanted to do, and it was this quarter-life crisis that was the catalyst for my existential rebirth and drive and desire to start building myself up as a soloist.
There’s a pretty overt feeling of lostness in this body of work and it takes a journey through the maelstrom of emotions that have washed over me the past few years of my travels, getting the call to work and live overseas as a touring musician, having that ripped away from me by lockdowns, the implosion of many aspects of my personal life and being thrust into an entirely new set of circumstances to navigate whilst trying to heal.”
Cateris adds, "Coming across this idiom “rearranging deckchairs on the titanic”, I became so fascinated by it’s imagery and metaphor, I began to wax philosophical to myself around the idea. How my veneered goals and exacted triumphs have changed almost nothing in the grand scheme of things. Turning to healthier and lighter ways of living through new creative interests and projects, and how they can be far more fulfilling than what I’ve previously broken my back trying to accomplish."
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