There’s always been something special about Catherine Traicos. The mix of strength and fragility she brings to her music resonates deeply and truthfully. Since her first release Gone back in 2008, Traicos’ voice and songwriting have been captivating and intriguing many of the people who have heard her albums and seen her perform.
Voted Female Artist of the Year in Unpaved’s 2012 Readers Poll, her previous releases have also scored a number of coveted Album of the Week and Month gongs in various media outlets, both in Australia and the US.
Now, Traicos is hitting the road with her talented band, The Starry Night, to celebrate the release of a new album, The Earth, The Sea, The Moon, The Sky. We had a chat with Catherine about some of her favourite foods from both on the road and off.
What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
I have a Greek and European background and my Yaya did most of the cooking when I was growing up. So from an early age I developed a love of good cooking and large amounts of garlic and olive oil. There was always something delicious in the fridge like scordalia or spanakopita.
What dish or cuisine do you most like to eat on tour and why?
As a band we are one quarter vegan and so we are quite healthy by default. As individuals I think we balance the “coke and a road pie” meals quite evenly with as much carrot juice as possible where it’s available.
What is your ideal cooking playlist? (rock, soul or maybe even smooth grooves)
I listen to a lot of Ray LaMontagne when I cook. Also Augie March and Bonny Prince Billy. I listen to whole albums in succession (I like to take my time) and find that seems to impart a relaxed yet almost epic flavour to the food. And everyone feels like a poet after eating which is good for the soul, to say nothing of the after dinner conversation.
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
Everything except chocolate. I find that when I have pre gig anxiety I cannot eat – food will make me feel ill. But chocolate doesn’t. It has magical powers.
What’s the most outrageous food you’ve ever asked for on a rider?
Riders can have food? Musicians can have riders? With food!?
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date? Tell us the story.
I made chocolate mousse for my family when I was young. I was about nine. I’d made it once before and it worked out well and then I thought I was pretty down with this cooking thing and I made it for a big family lunch when lots of visiting relatives were in town. And it flopped, or rather sagged… It looked lovely on the surface but as soon as you put a spoon in, the top layer of awesome fell away and there was brown murky water. A shocker. I never fully recovered and have not made chocolate mousse since. I’ve eaten lots of it though. It’s kind of disappeared though; it’s not as popular as it was in the eighties. We need to bring it back. Replace the frozen yogurt craze with mousse. Yes.
How much did your diet change while you were in the studio recording your forthcoming album ‘The Earth, The Sea, The Moon, The Sky’?
We all drank lots more coffee and tea than normal and Darren and I perfected a spicy hot chocolate recipe. Being in the studio does require you to be quite vigilant about your health – you need to make sure you get enough oxygen and daylight not to mention Vitamin C to keep the scurvy at bay. We were lucky because the studios we worked in (Oceanic and The Grove) were just lovely and so we went outdoors a lot.
Where is your favourite music venue to eat at and why?
I find it odd eating and listening to live music. It always reminds me of the time I played a gig in Brisbane where a grandly moustached man sat three feet in front of me loudly eating his steak and chips and directing his glazed expression on the television behind my head where there was some racing event being broadcast. It just seemed impolite somehow. So I don’t do that thing and I think it’s because of that memory. Or maybe I can only do one thing at a time – chew gum or walk. It does seem to be an overextension of my efforts to take in both food and live music at the same time, as I like to do both well and give ample attention to each. So to answer your question: I’m sorry I am not equipped to answer.
If you could invent a candy bar what would it be?
It would be every different type of m and m (orange, peppermint, raspberry, normal etc) all in chocolate, and with marshmallow. YUM.
If you were to cook a meal for the members of your band The Starry Night what would you cook them?
I make a mean guacamole. It’s more stirring than cooking but it’s incredibly tasty and the band do enjoy it. Stirring is underrated. So yes, lots of guac followed by vegan chocolate cupcakes the recipe of which I would obtain from Tim’s girlfriend (she made them for us when we were in the studio and they were delicious). I suppose there might be a need for a device to transmit the guac and if there was that demand I’d consider cultivating my own sourdough and making bread. But really, mountains of avocado followed by chocolate – what more can you ask for in life?
The Earth, The Sea, The Moon, The Sky is out now through An Ocean Awaits Records.
Catherine Traicos Australian Tour 2013
FRIDAY DECEMBER 6 – The Spotted Mallard
314 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
Tickets: $10 at the door
SUNDAY DECEMBER 8 – Pure Pop Records (Catherine Solo)
221 Barkly St, St Kilda Vic 3182
Free entry, 5pm start
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 – Petersham Bowls Club
77 Brighton St, Petersham NSW 2049
Tickets: $10 at the door
SATURDAY DECEMBER 21 – The Rosemount Hotel
Appearing at “A Not So Silent Night”
459 Fitzgerald St, North Perth WA
SUNDAY DECEMBER 22 – Fremantle Arts Centre
“Courtyard Sessions”
1 Finnerty St, Fremantle WA 6959
Free entry, from 2pm
More info at: www.catherinetraicos.com
