Catatonia were a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1992 by vocalist Cerys Matthews and guitarist and songwriter Mark Roberts. The pair had met through the Cardiff music scene and began writing and performing together before developing Catatonia into a full band. Their music combined melodic guitar pop with alternative rock, punk and folk influences, while Matthews' distinctive Welsh-accented vocals and Roberts' sharply observed songwriting gave the group a character that was immediately recognisable.
For several years, Catatonia built their reputation through independent releases and relentless gigging. Their first album, Way Beyond Blue, was released in 1996 and produced their first UK Top 40 single, "You've Got a Lot to Answer For". It was the beginning of a much larger breakthrough, but the band's success did not arrive overnight. Catatonia had spent years developing their sound and following before reaching a wider audience.
Everything changed with International Velvet. Released in 1998, the album reached number one in the UK and transformed Catatonia from an established alternative act into one of the country's most prominent bands. "Mulder and Scully" reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, followed by "Road Rage", which reached number five. Matthews' unmistakable voice and the band's witty, melodic songwriting made them particularly distinctive within the late-1990s British music scene.
Catatonia also became an important part of the Welsh cultural moment often described as "Cool Cymru". The title track of International Velvet, with its celebration of Welsh identity, became particularly significant in Wales, and the band performed it at the opening ceremony of the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Cardiff. By this point, Catatonia were playing to audiences on a completely different scale from the small venues where they had started.
The band followed International Velvet with Equally Cursed and Blessed in 1999, another UK number one album, before releasing Paper Scissors Stone in 2001. Catatonia announced their split later that year, bringing a relatively short but highly successful career to an end. Their catalogue remains closely associated with the distinctive sound and personality of late-1990s British music, while Cerys Matthews went on to establish a successful career as a solo artist, broadcaster and champion of Welsh music and culture.
