Felix Riebl

Felix Riebl
Born (1981-05-01) 1 May 1981[1]
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
Years active 1999–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website www.felixriebl.com

Felix Riebl (born 1 May 1981) is a singer, songwriter, and composer based in Melbourne.[2] He is the co-founder, band leader and principal songwriter of the internationally acclaimed band The Cat Empire, who have made multi-platinum albums,[3] and are the 2006 winner of the World Music Aria Award for their album Cities.[4]

Early life and family

Felix Riebl was born in Melbourne to an Austrian father and an Australian mother.[5] He spent his childhood living in Europe before moving back to Australia when he was in his early teens.[6] Riebl's childhood was surrounded by music: his uncle, Thomas, was a professor of viola at the Mozarteum Salzburg, and family members would regularly take him to sit amongst the Vienna Philharmonic.[7]

Of his family, Riebl said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald that

"My sister is a classical pianist, my brother's a singer, and dad's brother is quite a famous viola player in Austria. We listened to a lot of music and we danced a lot and sang a lot. The older I get, the realisation comes that a lot of this starts early in the family."[8]

Riebl's younger brother, Max (b. 1991), sang and played trumpet on the song "Miserere" on The Cat Empire's second album Two Shoes.[9]

Career

Riebl co-founded The Cat Empire with Ollie McGill and Ryan Monro in 1999.[10] He was the primary songwriter on the band's selt-entitled debut album, including being the sole writer of their first single, "Hello". In addition to his role as a musician in the band, Riebl had helped produce the albums Two Shoes and Cities.

Outside of his work with The Cat Empire, Riebl has composed music for the Australia Day Spectacular at Darling Harbour in 2013,[11] the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006,[12] The Dream Festival on the Yarra River in 2009,[13] and Australia's first ever White Night in Melbourne in 2013.[14]

In 2011 he released his debut solo album Into the Rain.[15] The album featured a number of original compositions, as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire", whom Riebl cites alongside Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan as influences on the album.[7] The album was a moderate success, peaking at #61 on the Australian iTunes albums chart.[16]

In December 2015, he also released the four-track EP Lonely Truth, as a teaser for his second solo album which he is expected to release in 2016. The song "Crocodiles", inspired by a trip to Timor-Leste, was released as a single in January 2016.[17]

In January 2016, the Pilbara Project choir premiered Riebl's song-cycle based on the Pilbara.[18]

Personal life

Riebl resides in Fitzroy.[8] Politically, he aligns himself with The Greens.[19]

He is also an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, alongside authors Richard Flanagan and David Malouf, and didgeridoo player William Barton,[20] and been actively involved in campaigning for 350.org,[21] Market Forces,[22] and the Australian Conservation Foundation on raising climate change awareness and action.[23]

Discography

Solo

With The Cat Empire

References

  1. ↑ "Discogs: Felix Riebl". Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Alberts: Felix Riebl". Alberts. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Alberts: World Tour". Alberts. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "ARIA Awards 2006". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Felix the Cat". Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Melbourne's 25 sexiest people". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  7. 1 2 "FELIX RIEBL - MY SHORE". Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Lunch with...Felix Riebl". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Max Riebl". Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Profile: felixriebl.com". Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Spectacular Start to 2013". Howards Fireworks. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Publishing Deal With Alberts". theMusic.com.au. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Dream Weaver: Felix Riebl". The Dwarf. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "White Night Melbourne" (PDF). White Night Melbourne. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Felix Riebl – A Cat Empire To Solo Empire". Music Feeds. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "Australian Chart Performance". Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "Felix Riebl 'Crocodiles'". Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "NATIONAL CHORAL SCHOOL CONCERTS 2016". Godwana Choirs. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  19. ↑ "Inter:Mission Interview". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Indigenous Literacy Foundation". Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "7 reasons not to miss global divestment day!". 350.org. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  22. ↑ "Big Four banks lose customers over fossil fuel gamble". Market Forces. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  23. ↑ "Felix Riebl is concerned about climate change". The Age. Retrieved 5 November 2015.

External links

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