Cestra is the latest form taken by shapeshifting British vocalist and songwriter, Kat Marsh. Her musical journey is anything but linear, shaped by a host of pivotal creative collaborators including metal titans Bring Me The Horizon, whose influence has been integral to her sound and evolution.

Following the wrap-up of her long-term alt-rock band Lionface in 2016, a project that earned her recognition as a “daring pop provocateur” [Clash], Kat was seeking a new creative direction - one she found unexpectedly during a chance conversation with Parallax Orchestra leader Will Harvey.

Will was booked to fix the orchestra for Bring Me The Horizon at their upcoming Royal Albert Hall show, but had yet to book the choir. Seizing the opportunity, Kat contacted a group of vocalists she knew and founded an ad hoc choir for what became a landmark performance in rock history. 

Capitalising on the success of the show, Choir Noir was launched officially in 2018 as a deconstructed choral project, blending unconventional vocal arrangements with Kat’s distinct creative vision. This led to collaborations with major artists (including performances on two #1 albums), millions of combined views and Choir Noir’s live debut at Wembley Arena in October 2024. 

Having also lent her formidable vocals to Bring Me The Horizon’s Grammy-nominated, No.1 album ‘Amo’, she was asked to join them on their 2019 world tour – serving as a dancer/flamethrower performer and collaborating with Oli Sykes on styling his dystopian vision for the show. She also performed in several of their music videos, including the hugely popular ‘Ludens’.

With the money and creative energy gathered from touring the world with Bring Me The Horizon, she released her debut album, ‘Portal’ in 2020 as a series of audio-visual singles. Recorded with her long-time producer Peter Miles at Middle Farm Studios, ‘Portal’ marked a darker and deeper turn in her sound, encompassing dissonant industrial sounds, choral-orchestral detours and her exceptional vocal prowess.

The release of ‘Portal’ caught the attention of prog-metal pioneers TesseracT, who asked her to produce the vocals for their fifth studio album ‘War of Being’. She took on the role of vocal producer, performer and songwriter, working closely with TesseracT vocalist Dan Tompkins to sculpt the vocal journey for the acclaimed album. 

In 2024 she brought Cestra to life on stage, marking the project’s live debut. Her performance at Radar Festival was a standout moment culminating in a powerful finale with Choir Noir. She is currently working on new material and introducing Cestra to new stages across the country.