Michael Antelope Deliver a Haunting Yet Comforting Folk Meditation on Debut Single “Cat Crow”
Hamilton, Ontario folk duo Michael Antelope (singers/guitarists Doug McBrien and Lenny McGowan) share their debut single, “Cat Crow,” a mysterious and quietly disarming single that explores curiosity, fear, and the strange comfort found in not fully understanding the world around you. Rooted in traditional folk sensibilities and rich storytelling, the track weaves together memories of childhood and reflections on the present, blurring the line between the natural and the man-made.
Inspired by Lenny’s childhood spent exploring the Hamilton conservation, “Cat Crow” begins with a simple but haunting question: why do we so rarely encounter death in the natural world? Surrounded by wildlife, the absence of visible remains sparked a deeper curiosity; one that evolved into a meditation on perception, fascination, and the human tendency to linger on the unsettling.
“It’s quite strange that sometimes it’s the worst things that draw our attention,” Lenny reflects. “When something is gross or scary or strange, it’s hard to look away. Similarly, when your expectations of something familiar fall, it’s easier to watch the chaos than look away.”
What sets “Cat Crow” apart is its ability to connect two seemingly distant worlds. Childhood memories of wandering through forests and preparing for imagined danger are mirrored against the more recent experience of navigating crowded city spaces. In both cases, a sense of unease lingers, whether facing the unknown in nature or simply trying to find footing on a packed subway.
The recording process leaned into immediacy and authenticity. Tracked live off the floor, the song features a single, unbroken vocal take from both Lenny and Doug, capturing a raw and intimate performance. The session also brought together a group of standout collaborators, including Ben Whitley (bass), Thomas Hammerton (keys), and Kendal Carson (fiddle), whose contributions add subtle depth and texture to the arrangement.
Balancing a tone that feels both comforting and disillusioned, “Cat Crow” creates an emotional tension that never fully resolves.
“It makes me feel confused and a little fearful,” Lenny shares, “but also happy and inquisitive. Somehow that combination feels comforting, even if it leaves me skeptical.”
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We are Michael Antelope, a folk harmony duo from Hamilton ON. It’s just the two of us, Lenny McGowan and Doug McBrien.
“Cat Crow” begins with a simple but haunting question about death in the natural world. Can you walk us through how that initial idea evolved into a full song?
The initial idea came from my (lenny) childhood playing in the hamilton conservation. I would often see animals big and small but surprisingly never really saw a carcass. In the song we ask the question where do animals go? Quite literally where do the bodies go but it also implies a spiritual question of where do they go when they die, where do we go? After having this question I started to become more curious about death in nature and the differences between how humans and animals are treated in death. I wanted to see a carcass with my own eyes in the forest, but that felt like maybe a bit of a morbid desire.
How do you typically collaborate as a duo when writing—does one of you bring a concept first, or is it more of a shared, organic process?
Usually Lenny will write the songs and then bring them to Doug to write guitar parts, build the songs up and help the song take shape. There are a couple songs we play that Doug has written though the majority of the lyrical content and concept is lenny.
“Cat Crow” touches on the idea that we’re drawn to unsettling or mysterious things. Why do you think that fascination is so universal?
I think it’s natural to be drawn to things that we are scared of, or that are taboo. At the end of the day, though the song is exploring these ideas in nature, it’s about the human experience. It’s about who has power and dominance in any situation. You stay away from the coyote because you are its crow. And the question comes up again and again in media, relationships or just walking down the street. Is it worse to look away so as not to be a witness, or to watch and do nothing?
The chorus also touches on the build up of tolerance and normalcy that comes over time. From a good place to a bad place that cat is still chasing that damn crow and you’re still watching even though your views of yourself or the environment around you are now different.
You recorded the track live off the floor with a single vocal take—what drew you to that approach for your debut?
The way that Michael Antelope started was just us playing together for fun in our downtime. I think that if we had tried to stick Lenny in a room to sing their parts alone, it would have lost a lot of the connection that the project is based in. There are tangible moments maybe only we can pick up on where you can hear us smiling through our voices. I think so much of our charm comes from the way we play live together and it’s important to try and capture that. We’re not looking to record something that sounds perfect but rather something that makes you feel connected to the music, and to us.
The supporting musicians add subtle but important texture. What did collaborators like Ben Whitley and Kendal Carson bring to the track?
They are such talented musicians, they both brought an important layer of atmosphere to the song. When just the two of us it feels like you’re in a room, but the addition of the violin takes you to a place with far away wind, outdoor ambiance and emotion. While Ben brought the earth to this scene with the bass. They definitely expanded the emotional depth of the song in a way that felt important to recording this song.
Does “Cat Crow” hint at a larger body of work or themes we can expect from upcoming releases?
We definitely explore the natural world a lot in our music. I (lenny) use a lot of the imagery i grew up with and still find comfort in to express myself in my writing. It’s much easier to write about your own experiences through metaphor, it almost puts you at a distance from the things you’re writing about. Nature definitely works as a stand-in for everything in my own life to put it at a distance in a place that is familiar and easily embellished. You can definitely expect a lot more of these themes in our music to come.
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