CTD was started by Chris Mellian and Andy Newton after they had met in a private high school (both being kicked out of different ones before they encountered each other at a weed induced jam) in a Toronto suburb. Shortly after they decided to drop out and travel to London in 2004.
Andy Newton: "Fresh beginnings really, it was taking us out of our element as well, something that we had to work for because at home it was all too easy, living with our parents etc.">
The pair arrived in London but decided to check out the scene in Manchester first so they took the train up North only to leave the day after.
Chris Mellian: "We moved to an aunt of mine in Greenwich, where we worked at a hostel, from which we got kicked out as well (a pattern is emerging-B). We ended up sneaking our way back in at night and spent the nights sleeping rough in the showers for a while".
Andy Newton continues: "From there we moved to London Bridge met a friend who gave us shelter and then we ended up in Turnpike Lane where we sold spa packages on the streets, from the earnings we were able to share a room in a shared household. After that we stayed in the Finsbury Park area and took up odd jobs such as cutting grass at Tottenham cemetery. We got laid off from that when winter was approaching, not a lot of grass to be cut in that perio... So we were thinking 'shit what next?' and that's where our friend Blaine took us in and let us stay at his place and where we also started to demo some tracks, you know become musical again. He went to Brighton and told us to tag along, which we did, and we felt there wasn't as much pressure to earn money as the outgoings were a lot less. So we decided to stay and that's where we met guitarist Daryl Pruess and bass player Danny Logan."
Daryl Pruess: "Well actually the first time I met these guys, it was at a party and I got into a fight with Andy about some shit and a few days later a few of us were going to meet and jam but I never thought he was going to be there so when I walked in it was like 'oh fuck...' But there was some good energy so it was fine after."
Once set up as a band they toyed with band names and an earlier French version of Le Chat Le Chien got eventually turned into Cat the Dog. CTD share the same management as The Kooks,
Andy Newton: "We got our management through doing a gig with the Kooks, as they are good friends of ours, they released their first single at that show and we played as support. The management saw us there and also rehearse later on then they got us to record an eleven song demo in 6/7 hours and with that they got us the deal with Virgin". The band developed and recorded the album "Loose Lips Sink Ships" in stages in Liverpool, Bath, London and eventually in Los Angeles.
Andy Newton: "The album title iss based on the WW2 conscription posters, I really am into the artwork of that era, over the recent period we have developed a nautical theme through our band, pirates, ships, the album cover art will feature a three legged dog I have an anchor tattooed on my arm and so on..."
Some of the tracks on the album are Devil In Me, I'm a Romantic, Ship Going Down, Gotta Leave, Business and Pleasure, Something Something, A Dog Called Fuk and there will be a secret song... I could try and describe all kinds of styles trying to pigeon hole them but to me it's pretty simple: they are a melodic rock band, influenced by various heroes from the seventies with a pinch of 'vana added once in a while. At the end I ask Andy Newton after the band have gone through quite a few translations of pop and rock, have CTD have found their niche or are they still searching for that one element that will define them musically? "It's kind of not up to us, we have found ourselves, but what our niche is? It all depends what the people fall in love with would be our niche. I am very happy with our sound I mean comparing it to 2 years ago until now I definitely think we have grouped up together as a unit and started to write together. When Daryl or Danny come with song material it definitely fits in with the others' songwriting".
"Loose Lips Sink Ships" is out late April on Virgin records