KITTIE

Metal comeback queens Kittie are about to release their first album in more than a decade. And where are they celebrating? In a cat café, of course

WORDS: STEVE APPLEFORD

PICTURES: BEN BENTLEY

Kittie spent a lot of years trying to avoid a moment quite like this one. As a band of teenagers hitting the club scene at the beginning of the new millennium, the four-piece exploded out of London, Ontario, with metal that was raw and raging, while dodging excruciating puns about cats and kittens and their furry brethren. But the truth was, these young rockers in spiked collars and studded belts loved the little felines as much as anyone.

So now here they are, grown women back to lead a new chapter of the reunited Kittie, gathered inside a Los Angeles cat café and posing for pictures with a litter of laidback kitties. Right now, singer and guitarist Morgan Lander, clad in black leather and tights, piercings and copper-red hair, is cradling a tuxedo-coloured cat in her arms.

“All the cat puns finally died down and we’re like, ‘Alright, now’s our moment! We’re gonna do a photoshoot with cats!’” she says with a laugh, already imagining the headlines. “Something like, ‘Kittie Scratch Their Way Back!’”

As she poses with the cat, her younger sister, drummer Mercedes, stands behind the photographer and waves a sparkly toy to help inspire a reaction from the beast on-camera. Also here is guitarist Tara McLeod, taking in all the feline décor. Taped to one wall are Polaroid pictures of recent adoptees held by their new human owners. On another is a glowing neon light spelling out the words ‘You’ve got to be kitten me.’ Bassist Ivana ‘Ivy’ Jenkins is home in Michigan with family obligations.

The cat café is located between a waxing/spray-tan boutique and an insurance office on stylish Melrose Avenue, and is just one stop for Kittie in a whirlwind two-day trip to LA. They are here doing interviews and pictures, and hosting a launch party at the famous Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip to celebrate the coming release of a new album, Fire, before returning to Canada.