The Rise Of Tiger Army

If you want a top tip for what will be a sure-fire hot album in 2007, then check out Tiger Army. Having entered the studio mid-November with legendary producer Jerry Finn (Tool, AFI) at the helm, Tiger Army are due to release their fourth album, ‘Music From Regions Beyond’ on Hellcat Records this summer.

Gigwise’s interview with Nick 13, guitarist and singer/song-writer of Tiger Army, starts slightly ominously. Striking, with spectacular tattoos, Nick 13 looks tough - in fact positively hard, and as he’d just woken up he’s distinctly grumpy. However, as his bad mood and hence our terror subsides it becomes clear Nick 13 is as gentle as he is softly spoken. Despite being guarded and fiercely private about some things, he is articulate, intelligent and admirably honest.

For those not in the know, Tiger Army are Californian three piece with a retrogressive  1950’s look and sound, but Nick 13 explains the ‘rockabilly’ label is not sufficient a description. He tells us Tiger Army really are so unique they “defy categorisation.” Describing their sound as a mixture of “early punk, 1950’s rock-and-roll and 1980’s dark pop”, unsurprisingly the band’s musical inspirations are incredibly diverse, with Nick 13 citing The Ramones, Joy Division / New Order, The Meteors and Big Country as some on his list. Bassist Jeff has even cited Brazilian street music in the past. 

The band formed over a decade ago, though with only sporadic gigs and ever-changing line-ups, the first 5 years proved frustrating. The second half of their career (thus far) has been much more rewarding. Nick 13 says the long and slow rise of the band “has given me some perspective and I’d rather it this way, than be just a ‘flash-in-the-pan.’” It has also allowed the gradual accumulation of a large and unusually loyal fan base, many of whom sport Tiger Army tattoos. Nick 13 doesn’t seem that surprised or abashed by such dedication as to permanently mark one’s skin with the name of his band – he feels it is a compliment, but he understands such an intense relationship with music and has band/music related tattoos himself.

The meaning of the name Tiger Army adds insight to the band’s ethos and attitude. The tiger is solitary and independent, and Nick 13 definitely doesn’t consider himself a herd animal. However, when you go to a Tiger Army show you’ll find many who feel they are on the periphery of society, an army of tigers if you will. This impression of not fitting in and finding solace in an underground scene is compounded by the lyrics of Tiger Army’s song ‘Nocturnal’, which say: “You have ignored us. We’ve become nocturnal; pushed out of day and into night”.