Irish indie pop artist Catherine 'Cat' Dowling, known for her work with Alphastates and as a solo artist, has died. The Kilkenny-born, Dublin-based singer was widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices in modern Irish music.
Career Highlights
Dowling first gained recognition as the lead singer of Dublin band Babelfish, which she formed in 2001 with guitarist Gerry Horan, bass player Stevie Kavanagh, and drummer Graham Gilligan. The band later evolved into the electro/dream-pop collective Alphastates, releasing their debut album Made from Sand in 2004 and their final record, Human Nature, in 2009.
Her solo debut, The Believer, came in 2013, with the title track featured in TV series Banshee and Witches of East End. Her song 'Somebody Else' was used in the Irish film My Name is Emily, and her vocals appeared in the ABC drama How To Get Away With Murder.
Personal Life and Legacy
In 2021, Dowling released the acclaimed album Animals, produced by Gerry Horan with Dowling as co-producer, and mixed by Ger McDonnell. She was the daughter of former Fine Gael TD Richard Dowling, who represented Carlow–Kilkenny from 1982 to 1987 and served as a Senator in 1982.
A mother of three, Dowling was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2017 and spoke openly about her battle with the disease.
Tributes
Hot Press editor Niall Stokes led tributes, saying: "She was a lovely person, and a hugely original musician. She will be greatly missed."
Galway band The Stunning described her death as "another huge loss to Irish music," following the recent passing of singer Glen Hansard. They said: "We are so saddened to hear of the death of Catherine 'Cat' Dowling. She was a true original. Deepest sympathies to her family and friends. She is another huge loss to Irish music."
