It was the coldest day of the year in Seattle when Cheryl Ediss set about filming mega cat’s “Rat Fight” video. “It was so cold that our camera and lighting batteries wouldn’t charge or stay charged,” says Ediss.
The director/producer has also done some riveting work for ornery all-female retro-rockers Thunderpussy. In fact, the mega cat clip stars Thunderpussy frontwoman Molly Sides as a mysterious secret agent.
“Our incredible crew danced through the challenges and pivoted fearlessly,” says Ediss. “Warm vibes and between-setup dance parties kept our blood pumping.”
All that camaraderie amid adverse conditions led to a beautifully chaotic visual representation of a playful, danceable instrumental collaboration that marries its punk aesthetic to everything from hip hop to Afrobeat to experimental jazz. Husband-and-wife duo Ryan Devlin and Kim West formed mega cat as a diversion from their more conventional rock outfit, Smokey Brights. The group also includes drummer Aaron Benson and is fleshed out onstage by Presidents Of The United States Of America’s Dave Dederer on guitar.
“Rat Fight” is the leadoff track on mega cat’s self-titled debut (out now on Share It Music), and its title is meant to be taken quite literally. Walking home one night, West and Devlin spied two massive rats sparring on a neighbor’s lawn. After one threw the other to the ground down with a nauseating thud, Waste and Devlin knew they had the perfect title for the song they’d been working on that afternoon.
We’re proud to premiere the video for “Rat Fight.”
—Hobart Rowland
