Trauma Cat are equal parts band and absurdist performance art troupe. Hailing from Syracuse, New York, they call themselves “America’s sorriest power trio” — at once a superlative and a Primus-like self-own befitting of the strange, tongue-in-cheek musicians at the group’s core.
Co-fronted by guitarist Ralph Kojig and bassist Roman Pando with drummer Rutger DiBoyere, Trauma Cat’s sound is the bastard child of Cake and Tool, or a modern American answer to XTC — a collage of art rock and progressive rock with shades of post-punk, shoegaze, and powerpop. Lyrically, Kojig’s and Pando’s songs often reflect on religion, death, and the internet.
Trauma Cat self-released their debut album, “Prepare to Apologize,” in 2021. Co-produced by the band and the mysterious St. Julian P. Dingus, the 15-track epic marked the arrival of the trio as an ambitious DIY act to watch. Indie critics cited the band’s sense of humor and technical skill, calling the album “an irreverent and eclectic gem” (NYSMusic) with “detailed lyricism and dynamic instrumental soundscapes” (BuzzMusic). The record, NYSMusic continues, introduced listeners to Trauma Cat’s “hilarious take on the music biz” with a persona evoking “a combination of punk pioneers Devo and Saturday morning cartoon favorites Josie and the Pussycats.”
Since 2021, Trauma Cat have dropped several singles, each one exploring new sonic textures and variations on the theme of truth. In 2022, the trio also released a satirical docuseries titled “The Truth About Trauma Cat,” and a podcast called “The Truth About The Truth About Trauma Cat.”