Alicja and I had been playing together since fall of 1997, but we started the Ultracats in 1998 after a few failed attempts at finding a drummer and bass player. We were tired of trying to find people to commit to playing with us, so Alicja decided to put down the guitar and start playing drums. We had the best time just hanging out and practicing in her small kitchen with me on guitar and her on drums.
Our heyday was in 1998 and 1999, when we primarily played shows at The Map Room (R.I.P.) and Barristers (R.I.P.) in downtown Memphis. We mostly played cover songs with a few originals mixed in. We were heavily influenced by the girl group bands of the 1960s like the Ronettes, as well as punk bands like The Ramones and The Misfits. After a while, I started to play drums as well, so we were able to switch back and forth. Every now and then we'd add guest musicians to our lineup, but Alicja and I always remained as the core of the group. Even though the guitar was often out of tune, or the beat was off, our strongest assets hands down were our voices and harmonies. We stopped playing full-time around 1999/2000 (can't remember the exact year), but we always seem to get together every couple of years or so to play a show.
As you might have guessed, we're playing a lot lately, and Jared and Robby are official Ultracats now. We've got a few shows lined up for this Spring/Summer (2008). Thanks for checking out our space! --Lori
