“This ain’t the Moulin fucking Rouge”: Introducing Luvcat, the new theatrical starlet of the scene
What a difference a year can make, and what an exciting thing to think about what another year might bring. For Luvcat, it took 365 days to build her world, and as her debut single ‘Matador’ is released, the coming weeks and months brim with fruition’s promise.
“It was a lot of paddling underwater,” Sophie said, thinking back on the years she’s spent as a singer in other projects. “Then suddenly, it was like a swan, all fully formed.” declaring Luvcat to be her true and glorious shape, merging theatricality and big feelings with a darker edge.
“The Cure, obviously, have a huge influence on me, hence the name,” she said, referring to the group’s 1983 hit, ‘The Lovecats’. “The music video for ‘Lullaby’ especially is probably one of my biggest inspirations across the board. I remember my Dad showing me it when I was really young and thinking it was so gothic and cool.”
Whether it comes from the eyeliner-clad bands she grew up with or the glamorous scousers she was raised around back in Liverpool, Luvcat has no interest in downplaying anything or being nonchalant. “I’ve always had really strong theatrical influences,” she said, picking out Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and My Chemical Romance as a selection of teachers. “I love a show. I don’t just want to stand up and play; I want to tell the stories.”
It’s that captivating on-stage energy that transformed Luvcat’s year. A video, recorded by Sophie’s mother, quickly caught attention. There’s nothing all that special about it; it’s just a dimly lit room like any other small venue. But as Luvcat puts two fingers on her head like horns and then storms forward to the mic, she gripped millions. “I only wanted to put on a little skirt, a little show for you. You said, ‘babe; this ain’t the Moulin fucking Rouge’,” she sings, instantly presenting the kind of characterful world she’s ready to unfold, full of rich emotions, bratty delivery and a big chorus to follow.
But the downfall of quick attention is heavy expectation. “It obviously looks like it came out of nowhere, but it didn’t. It was it was many, many years of playing in pubs and clubs and stuff like that growing up,” Sophie explained. In a world of viral TikTok moments, it feels like the world has forgotten that this is exactly how music goes. You work and work, and one day, if you’re lucky, it’ll all come together. So, as people online demanded that the song be released that second, she held tight and held on. “We needed to go and keep playing shows and keep writing. I wasn’t ready to put out a first single yet; I wanted to do it right.”
Now, it’s finally the time to do it right. It took a year to get here as Sophie moved to London, found a band to back her up, played gigs that caught people’s attention and then became whispered around the new music scene like worst kept secret. But as ‘Matador’ finally gets released into the excited ears of the growing fanbase that’s been impatiently waiting, Luvcat is ready to spill the secret and welcome you in.
For fans of: Sylvia Plath tendencies with an alt-rock playlist.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.