Who is CYNTHIA CATANIA?

During the summer of 2022, Cynthia released her single "Something Better" to Irish radio and media.  The track was received with open arms!  National plays included (John Creedon, RTE Radio1, Fiachna Ó Braonáin 'Late Date', Lillian Smith's Rising Time') and notable press from Alan Corr, RTE Entertainment, Hot Press Magazine, and more.  Cynthia also toured and supported The Riptide Movement during sold-out shows in Galway and Cork.

This wasn’t her first rodeo by any means.   She has a long history of presenting music in Ireland.  First, with her band Saucy Monky, formed with Dublin native Annmarie Cullen. The pair shared festival stages with well-known acts such as The Cure, B-52s, PJ Harvey, PINK!, Wilco, and more as they played to crowds of 100,000 plus at OXEGEN, O2 in the Park festivals and also made an appearance on The Late Late Show. 

In 2019, her single "Phones" debuted on Late Date with Fiachna ó Braonáin and RTE’s Arena. The track garnered rave reviews and substantial radio play. 

Recently, as a solo artist, her experimental live shows have led to opening acts with OURS, Jimmy Gnecco, The Young Dubliners, and The Riptide Movement. Her music videos are often vivid collaborations with her filmmaker-actress partner Sue Ann Pien who starred in the critically-acclaimed, ground-breaking Amazon Prime series “As We See It”.

At just 13 years old, Cynthia Catania discovered her voice as a singer/songwriter:

"I used to sing in the car with my Mom - I guess I inherited her vocal abilities, but I learned about the love of music from my Dad, who played mandolin at family parties.  I followed in the footsteps of (one of my) brothers who picked up the guitar when we were kids. We were close in age - so I jimmied myself into his garage bands.” 

Early influences include Aretha Franklin, Ann Wilson (Heart), U2, Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Pretenders. “I saw Chrissy Hynde at the Tower Theatre during her heyday.  I was mesmerized by her songs, stage presence, and punk attitude.  I knew early on I wanted to DO THAT.”

“I picked up the guitar when I left home.  I learned how to accompany myself at open mics.  So I played by ear - which was a cognitive choice.  I wanted to follow my instincts-not how I was formally trained”.

"Tom Dunne took a liking to “Celebrity Trash,” Saucy Monky’s first album.  We went to Ireland for a radio tour and our debut show at Whelan’s.  For me, Ireland was magic.  We were in Hot Press magazine, our CDs were in Tower Records near Grafton Street, and Irish radio opened its arms to us — it was a dream come true.  I’ve always found Ireland to be welcoming to me, personally.  When I cme back in 2019, after a long hiatus - it was the same.  My friends booked us great gigs, my single was played on Today FM and RTE Radio One - it was almost as if no time had passed.  I’ve even signed up with IMRO.  I’m back on track building that dream career across the pond.  To me, there’s no better place to play live music."