Photo by Carol Thelen

Hailing from Dallas Texas, Cat comes from a family strongly rooted in the arts. His mother, a singer, was a huge influence on his development as a guitarist-singer-songwriter. Following in her footsteps, Cat soon took up singing and playing guitar in many bands throughout California. In 2009, Cat joined Drist, the SF-based band that was featured on Guitar Hero I and II. After the group disbanded, Cat went on to help form State Line Empire. Shortly after forming, State Line Empire went on to record their EP with Mike Clink and Slash at East West Studios located in the heart of Hollywood. On tour all summer, Cat and State Line Empire have been hitting the road hard. Playing some amazing shows with bands such as Slash, Adler’s Appetite and most recently the Sunset Strip Music Festival honoring Motley Crue, Cat is currently writing and recording with State Line Empire at Sylvia Massey’s Radio Star Studios in Weed, California.

Why did you change out your stock pickups?
“I was not getting the tone that I was hearing in my head. As a guitarist and always on the quest for tone. I tried every pickup out there and I always found that something was missing. I have to say though, as soon as I dropped some Duncans in, I had a full spectrum of sound to work with. I have never looked back since. Its has been a game changer with my playing for sure.”
Which pickups do you use and for which guitars?
“I use a variety of Seymour Duncan pickups. Recently I have been using the Seymour Duncan Blackouts in my Gibsons. I have also been using the Slash Alinco II sets which sound amazing. On our new single, “Makes You Brave,” I used a combination of those pickups along with my 3rd Power Amplification and Mesa amps. The two combined is a deadly combination!!!”
How would you describe the sound of those pickups?
“Here is the thing… I have to tell you they can sound sound like anything you can dream up. Every emotion can be conveyed through these pickups. You’re sad they sound sad. You’re angry, they sound angry. You’re happy, they can sound happy also. The possibilities are endless; which, again, is why I use them.
“As musicians our goal is to connect with the audience: to move them, to scare them, to take them on a journey with us. Everything starts with you and with what you bring to the table. Then you need something that’s going to help you tell your story: unfiltered and raw. Seymour Duncan pickups do that for me. They help me take what’s inside and send it out in the world to tell that story.
“With my Seymour Duncan pickups, it made me want to play more. Every nuance is transferred from the fretboard to the amp via the pickups. This is also great because it helps to tighten up your technique when you can hear the character of every note played. I find that to be important.
“As guitar players we spend a lifetime searching for tone. We speak through our instruments and take our audience on a journey with that voice. For me, Seymour Duncan has given me all the tools to do just that. These are hands down the best pickups. It is such an honor to be apart of the Duncan family.”
How would you describe your playing?
“High energy and aggressive. Dynamically speaking, I like to incorporate a lot of different techniques to enhance the song. At the end of the day, its all about the song. I don’t want to overplay. I’d rather use what I know to move the audience and tell the story through he guitar.”
How would you describe your music?
“State Line Empire is high Octane rock ‘n roll. Put it in an go! Pedal to the metal! Check out our new single, “Makes You Brave,” which was released August 26th. It’s available on all the on-line stores such as iTunes and Amazon to name a few. Be sure to check it out. We will be seeing you soon!”

About the Band:
California-based State Line Empire formed in 2009. After a whirlwind first few months of songwriting, Tyson, Cat, Dave and Jay found that an exciting chemistry had emerged and the band was born. Shortly after the band went on to win Guitar Center’s inaugural “Record Your Next Record with Slash” competition. Out of over 12,000 bands across the Untied States, State Line Empire was handpicked by Slash and Mike Clink to record their debut EP Octane, on which Slash preformed the title track “Drive Me.” The band has since been tearin’ it up on tour.
State Line Empire just finished their summer tour in San Francisco. They will be announcing new dates for the fall tour here.
For more about State Line Empire go to their MySpace, Facebook, Reverb Nation, or official band site.