The Hourglass Cats might sound familiar to those who attended McDowell Mountain Music Festival last year. The band played on the local stage last year, though it has members that come from Arizona, California, New York and Germany.
Band members are comprised of Cori Rios (guitar/vocals), Jason Sessler (bass/vocals), Chaz Fertal (tenor sax/ percussion/vocals), Lisa Lizanec (trombone/vocals) and Johnny Groove (drums/percussion).
Formed in 2010, the independent band plays music that can only be described as a combination of Latin, reggae, rock ‘n’ roll, funk, ska and hip hop.
Rios explained that his favorite singer, De La Soul, inspired the band’s name. De La Soul’s song “Ego Tripper” has a lyric that says, “I’m somethin’ like a phenomenon/ Well I’m the hourglass cat.” Thus, the band’s name was born.
The Hourglass Cats play all over the Valley including shows at local restaurants, Tempe Marketplace, and Last Exit Live. In addition, they played shows in California and Mexico over the summer.
In the last year, The Hourglass Cats have doubled their fan base with the shows that they have been playing.
Their debut album, 432-EP, hit iTunes in 2013.
The band’s most recent success stems from their first professional music video for their song, Be That Way. The video was produced in conjunction with Marcus Eden.
Music festival attendees can expect a mixed set list from The Hourglass Cats.
“It’s going to be a good time,” Rios said.
The Hourglass Cats take the main stage March 27 at 2 p.m. to kick off the three-day festival.
