Once just a small coffee shop, The Hotel Café has quickly blossomed into not only one of the premier singer/songwriter venues in the United States, but also been labeled “the place that breaks artists.” For the past 4 years, The Hotel Café has been presenting a tour that has ventured around the United States and through the UK. The concept of the tour was to share the same community vibe with music fans all over the globe. Artists performed solo and would then share the stage with fellow tour mates. As the Europe leg of the tour gets ready to hit the UK we caught up with Catherine Feeny, one of the six talented artists taking part in this year’s tour.
R13: For those who don’t know, who is Catherine Feeny?
CF: You are supposed to start with the easy ones and work up to questions like this. Catherine Feeny is... a songwriter who is trying to figure things out and takes you along on the quest.
R13: Now you’re just about to embark on the 2008 Hotel Café tour. You’ve certainly worked hard to get to this point; do you feel this tour is the culmination of all that hard work for you?
CF: I think there is no culmination in life. But I sure do think it is going to be fun!
R13: What on this tour are you the most excited about?
CF: Playing with other artists that I have a kinship with. I live a bit outside of the loop and it will be great to be part of a community for a little while. Also, seeing Scandinavia. I am bringing thick socks.
R13: If you could rename this Hotel Café tour to anything you want, what would you name it?
CF: I like the name as it is - pretty much sums it up. The Hotel Cafe is a loving place and has been very significant in the development of a lot of artists, a lot of artistic relationships. You know what they say, if it ain't broke...
R13: The tour line up is pretty hectic- how much do you think you’ll get to explore? Are there any places in particular you’d like to get the chance to look around?
CF: How much I will get to explore correlates directly to how much alcohol I will be drinking... I would hope a moderate amount of exploring. I'm not a big 'Eiffel tower' tourist, I'd rather wander around, maybe find a cafe and try to get a vibe. I plan to explore gastronomically, definitely. Like I said, I'm looking forward to Northern Europe - never been.
R13: Who of those on the line up do you already know?
CF: I know everybody but Greg, who I've not had the pleasure of meeting. They are a varied and charming group.
R13: 5 guys and 1 girl- that seems like a pretty uneven ratio (read: unfair advantage) to me! What do you think?
CF: I'd love to see more women on the tour next year... there are loads on the American tour this year. But there are a few ladies coming along to sell merch who are supercool, so I think I'll be alright.
R13: In such a busy tour setup, it seems unavoidable that you’ll all be living and working on top of each other. How do you think you’ll keep your sanity?
CF: Mostly keeping in mind that it's a privilege to do what we are doing. Everybody's cool, so I think it will be alright. If (when) grumpiness sets in - deep breathing, reading, headphones. I also like to play cards.
R13: What can anyone coming to see you play expect?
CF: That is a tough one. I'm not really an impartial judge. I try in my songs to communicate about those things underneath and outside of the everyday.
Hopefully they will see a little bit of magic. That's what I look for.
R13: What’s the best reaction you’re hoping for from the audiences on the tour?
CF: I like it when people tell me I made them cry.
R13: A year of touring; traveling and getting exposure is every artists dream. How does the reality compare?
CF: I find touring to be a strange rollercoaster of emotion- I often get quite nervous when I play, so there's this buildup and then this release... I think I have chosen this life because in some way I want to be reminded on a regular basis that I am alive. And playing in front of an audience definitely reminds me. When I dream, I don't dream in detail, so it doesn't really compare.
R13: You have supported some amazing artists over the past few years, have you picked up any good advice along the way?
CF: Yeah, enjoy it. It is easy to bitch and moan, or even to find reasons why you’re are not enjoying it but it doesn't make your life very fun. I do my best to follow this advice, but sometimes I just bitch and moan.
R13: Frank Zappa said: Most rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read. How true do you think this is?
CF: I don't know... it sounds good, but for my money he's about 30% right.