Cat Casual & the Final Word

Cat Casual is William Benton, a guitarist/bassist/vocalist based in New York. Together with his band, The Final Word, Benton writes and performs psyche-inspired rock that ranges from dark, furious experimentalism to haunting, melodic melancholia. Frequent collaboration with disparate instrumentalists – including bassoon, synthesizer, and pedal steel – is a hallmark of the Cat Casual soundscape. The music of Cat Casual and the Final Word is featured as the soundtrack for the 2023 documentary Ghosts of the Chelsea (and Other Rock & Roll Stories), in which Benton also appears. On June 30, 2023, Noise Pollution Records released the Terrorboss EP in coordination. Benton has previously performed & toured with artists such as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Shilpa Ray, The Phantom Family Halo, and Ivan Julian (Richard Hell and the Voidoids). He has collaborated with legendary musicians Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple), and others. His own past bands have included the Louisville-based Tyrone, Bodyhammer, and Lucky Pineapple. In addition to performing his own music as leader of The Final Word, Benton also DJs regularly in multiple venues around NY (DJ Cat Casual). He has hosted radio shows in Brooklyn and in Louisville. The current lineup of The Final Word includes Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) on drums, Rob Morrison on pedal steel, and Greg Eckelman (Orange 9mm) on bass. Benton was born and raised in Oklahoma.