EPK

Black Cat Habitat

Indie-Rock with Groove Tendencies

Black Cat Habitat is a warm and welcoming musical home where groove-infused indie rock provides the perfect base camp for songs about love, longing, and finding your way forward. BCH’s unique sound reflects their diverse influences of rock, funk and soul giving way to grit and groove. Imagine if the Cranberries met the Allman Brothers and grooved it out. 

Featuring singer-songwriter Rachel McCullough, guitarist Neal Blumberg, bassist Danny Walker, and drummer Jay B. Wade, Black Cat Habitat’s songs center on the themes of love, longing, and finding your own habitat. 

In 2026, they released the full-length album, “Stepping Off the Crag," further showcasing the band's rock-soul-groove vibe. From the first song, “Dove,” the listener hops on a high-rev ride with "wickedly sweet" vocals, slamm'n beats, textured guitar, and emotionally gritty lyrics. The album features the singles,“Part of You (Acoustic)," “Dragon's Tale,” “Make Me Feel” and “Becoming.” 

Prior releases include a Black Cat Habitat cover of The Cure's “Boys Don't Cry," (2022), as well as all-original EPs “Jam the Signal” (2016) and "Ready to Bruise” (2011).

Drawing inspiration from the feelings of otherness, it was the yearning for inclusion that led Rachel to create Black Cat Habitat back in 2011. Today, Black Cat Habitat remains an idea and a band that values kindness, expression and community.  

Mew, Book with Black Cat Habitat, Mew

Live Performance Videos

NEW ALBUM RELEASE - 2026 

Stepping Off the Crag

Black Cat Habitat

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This indie-rock album from Black Cat Habitat features songs evoking joy, longing, gratitude and strength. From the bopp'n opening track of "Dove" to the emotionally gritty world of "Waves (Song for Gradwell)," the album Read more

This indie-rock album from Black Cat Habitat features songs evoking joy, longing, gratitude and strength. From the bopp'n opening track of "Dove" to the emotionally gritty world of "Waves (Song for Gradwell)," the album is straight ahead rock and groove. The album highlights creative strength and resilience sparked in the "New July" and takes on an "oh wait, it's not me, it's you" attitude in "Control." Feeling comfort and loss all at the same time is reflected in the song "Part of You." Included is the 2025 single counterpart “Part of You (Acoustic)”, along with earlier releases “Make Me Feel,” “Becoming,” and “Dragon’s Tale.” With this album, Black Cat Habitat steps off the crag into the great unknown - a nod to the lyric in "Dragon's Tale."

Black Cat Habitat is a soulful, shamelessly melodic, groove-infused indie rock band whose songs about love, longing, and finding your own habitat linger long after the final note. Known for high-energy performances and emotionally resonant songwriting, the band delivers a sound that’s both powerful and inviting.

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    Dove 4:06
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    Dragon's Tale 4:16
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    Control 4:19
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    New July 3:43
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    Waves (Song for Gradwell) 7:51
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    Part of You 4:09
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    Becoming (Make a Little Room) 3:58
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    Make Me Feel 3:54
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    New July (Acoustic) 3:39
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    Part of You (Acoustic) 4:43
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    Welcome to The Habitat 1:03
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Boys Don't Cry

Black Cat Habitat

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Boys Don't Cry

Black Cat Habitat

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Cover of The Cure's “Boys Don’t Cry,” lovingly performed by Black Cat Habitat. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Pier Giacalone at Hopetown Sound (Doylestown, PA). Cover Song License #1187813. Boys Don't Cry. By Michael Dempsey, Robert Smith, and Laurence Tolhurst. Copyright Universal Music Mgb Songs o/b/o "Fiction Songs, Ltd."

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    Boys Don't Cry 2:59
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Albums

Jam the Signal

Black Cat Habitat

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Driving rhythm, upbeat music with occasionally gut-wrenching lyrics. All songs written by Rachel McCullough (c) (p). Rachel McCullough - Vocals, Guitar / Pier Giacalone - Lead Guitar / Mark Carson - Bass (except Broke My Read more

Driving rhythm, upbeat music with occasionally gut-wrenching lyrics. All songs written by Rachel McCullough (c) (p). Rachel McCullough - Vocals, Guitar / Pier Giacalone - Lead Guitar / Mark Carson - Bass (except Broke My Heart, played by Pier Giacalone) / Mike Wexler - Drums. Produced and Engineered by Pier Giacalone. Recorded and Mixed by Pier Giacalone at Hopetown Sound (Doylestown, PA). Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Avatar Studios (New York, NY). Photography by Frank Pronesti.

About the Songs: Deeply personal and emphatic without being overdone, the songs include driving rhythms, soaring vocals, and harmonic layers sitting atop swirling guitars. With Rachel on vocals and rhythm guitar, producer Pier Giacalone's lead guitar work catapults "Jam the Signal," "Ambushed," and "The Big Mistake" to the big sounds they crave. Mark Carson brings bass bottom end to "Somebody Brought You Home" and Mike Wexler's precision drumming keeps "Broke My Heart" true to its pop/punk roots.

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    Jam the Signal 3:51
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    Broke My Heart 2:43
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    Ambushed 4:14
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    Somebody Brought You Home 4:19
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    The Big Mistake 3:48
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Ready to Bruise

Black Cat Habitat

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Soulful, melodic, bittersweet songs about love, longing and finding your own habitat are all dressed up in upbeat tunes framed with black eyeliner. Listeners describe singer-songwriter Rachel McCullough's (aka Deb) vocals Read more

Soulful, melodic, bittersweet songs about love, longing and finding your own habitat are all dressed up in upbeat tunes framed with black eyeliner. Listeners describe singer-songwriter Rachel McCullough's (aka Deb) vocals as "captivating" and "wickedly sweet" evoking comparisons ranging from Gwen Stefani to Alanis Morissette. All songs written by Rachel McCullough.

Light Shines On, Fortune Teller: Rachel McCullough - Vocals, Guitar; Chris Macica - Guitar Adam Winokur - Guitar, Bass; Drums - Matt Muir

Ready to Bruise, You are My Star, I Do: Rachel McCullough - Vocals, Guitar; Lance Reichart - Guitar; Wayne Taussig - Bass; Chris Allen - Drums

The album starts in the dark with Ambushed (How Lucky You are) calling out stealth manipulators with "how lucky you are to be born without a heart, cause mine hurts all the time." Hope springs in a jaded world with the lazy love song You are My Star, "together we'll walk through the midst of the madness." Sweet harmonies are found in the title track Ready to Bruise, a song about taking chances, and yeah, even if it means getting banged up along the way. Fortune Teller reveals a wiser soul comforting the worry wart - even if you think you've "read the script a thousand times," you have no idea about what tomorrow may bring "my dear!" I Do is a love song, with Miss Independent, asking whether she can "live with someone else without losing myself." High energy Light Shines On is the celebration of letting yourself have a voice (but "would you love me anyway?")

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    Ambushed (Acoustic) 4:20
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    You are My Star 3:18
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    Ready To Bruise 4:37
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    Fortune Teller 4:04
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    I Do 3:54
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    Light Shines On 3:27
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Promo Videos

Press

Album Review - Stepping Off the Crag

by Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover (03/31/2026)

https://bigtakeover.com/recordings/black-cat-habitat-stepping-off-the-crag-self-released 

Interview with Rachel McCullough

- Samuel E. Archer, Muzilog Magazine (03/15/2024)

https://www.muzilog.com/single-post/interview-with-rachel-mccullough-of-black-cat-habitat 

Mixing It With Nicki Kris

- Nicki Kris, Sisters in Music (03/24/2025)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixing-it-with-nicki-kris-singer-songwriter-rachel/id1551197376?i=1000700678028

"To this writer’s ears, Maria McKee and Lone Justice came to mind hearing the beguiling “Jam the Signal,” the title song from BCH’s 2016 album. You can’t really liken it to most pop or rock, though, it evades comparison." - Susan Van Dongen, U.S. 1

“They've got a sinister sweetness that makes their show oh-so-good. Black Cat Habitat is a shameless indie pop-rock band that puts on a sultry, raw performance every time they take stage." - Lisa Rich, The Times/NJ.Com

“They're no stranger to Small World Coffee, and it's easy to understand why. Black Cat Habitat, fronted by singer Rachel McCullough, is an indie-rock band that brings soul to the stage. They create catchy melodies that linger with you long after the show, and McCullough's vocals leave a lasting impression." - Lisa Rich, The Times/NJ.Com

Photos

Danny Walker, Neal Blumberg, Rachel McCullough, and Jay B. Wade

Live Shows

View previous events

"Becoming (Make a Little Room)" was selected for Pause and Play's New Release Roundup! One of 20, out of almost 1,000 submissions. 

Pause and Play Fall 2023

Dragon's Tale

Since it's release in July 2023, Dragon'S Tale continues to be added to playlists around the world.

"Dragon's Tale" on Spotify

"Dragon's Tale" was one song of 30, out of 1,408 submissions to be played on Laura Beth’s Mixtape radio show. 

"Dragon's Tale" on Reclaimed radio

Contact Black Cat Habitat