Where It's Cat: Hot Press talks to Cat Malojian

Anyone with a passing interest in this half page will know the respect in which we hold Steve (Malojian) Scullion.

During the last decade, the Armagh man has built up a body of work that not only places him at the head of the table amongst his local peers, but that could also confidently go toe-to-toe with many internationally celebrated artists.
Any new Malojian release is a cause for celebration. And the emergence of a single, ‘Communion Girls’, is excuse enough to dig out the bunting. What’s especially praiseworthy now is how the new song finds Stevie maturing stylistically (imagine a cobwebby house, haunted by the rattling ghost of Ray Davies), and lyrically too.
“Growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, I can remember always thinking someone was going to burst into the Chapel and shoot everyone during mass,” he says. “So, instead of thinking about the Holy stuff, I’d be daydreaming about saving the day, beating up the ‘terrorists’, swinging about from the high ceilings, impressing all the girls.
"I remember thinking about how the girls from my school looked so different in their own clothes. I’d see them during Communion as they’d walk up the aisle and back again. Communion Girls. “
The brilliantly subtle way he deals with the subject matter - much like the brilliantly subtle way he deals with most subjects - suggests that if he were to tackle this topic, we wouldn’t (like in most cases) have to listen from behind the settee.  But Stevie, for the time being, sees ‘Communion Girls’ as a one-of-a-kind piece.
 “I didn’t intend to write a song about The Troubles,” he says, “and I don’t think I’d like to do a whole album. Although, now that I’m thinking about it, it could be good craic. I’m thinking the album could start with a heavy instrumental called ‘Incendiary Device’”.
We’ll check in properly closer to the release of his new album, Southlands, but for now it’s enough to know that the songs - especially the gorgeous ‘What Am I Worth?’ and Ringo-esque ‘Bathtub Blues’ - couldn’t sound any more comfortable in their skins. According to Stevie, this is a direct result of a Big Pink-type residency at Millbank Studios on a working farm outside Belfast (“the whole process and environment kept making me think of Dylan and The Band, very chilled out and a lot of fun") – and a year of hard touring and close bonding with his bandmates.
“I’m tighter musically with Joe (McGurgan – bass) and Mikey (Mormecha – drums) so we’re confident enough to put the core of the songs down live,” he explains.
“Vocal harmonies are a big part of the band show and seem to be a big thing for audiences so we had that in mind while recording. I also had in mind that less is more. It’s easy to get carried away with overdubbing lots of instruments in the studio. We consciously tried not to do that on the new album. It means the album is closer to what we sound like live, on a good night.”