Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Vancouver’s Tiger Really are on the verge of a new record, Swan Sting on Counter Intuitive Records. The band has released the new single, “Fundamentally Unlovable” and joined TGEFM for the latest in our Roll of the Dice interview series. Check out the band’s influences and plans for their future.
What should TGEFM readers know about Tiger Really’s formation and ethos?
The point of the project has always been to act as sort of a personal journal for me. I usually really only write songs when I’m feeling strong emotions and need a way to cathartically express them, so Tiger Really to me is like an emotional time capsule of various feelings I’ve had over the years. When I listen to the songs it brings me back to that time.
I came up with the name and idea for the project in my second year of uni sitting at a lecture and not paying attention. The name was a dumb half-baked play on words on “Tiger Lily”, since that was my girlfriend at the time’s favorite flower. The name didn’t age super well, but I feel like now, the name means more to me as a token of not giving up and committing to something with all your heart rather than whatever original meaning it held. Tiger lillies are my favorite flower now.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
In terms of known bands I’d probably have to go with Car Seat Headrest. Their album Twin Fantasy was my coming of age soundtrack and one of my biggest inspirations when I first started out, my first couple demos just sounded like Car Seat Headrest songs.
But I think if I dig deeper the band that inspired me to start this project comes from the local Vancouver scene. I remember being at a sweaty basement show in my first year of university and hearing this band called Good Nitrogen play. They were my first exposure to the local scene and to midwest emo, and I remember being absolutely awestruck, going to all their shows, sitting in on their practices, covering their songs on soundcloud, etc. They were only a band for about a year and never released anything besides a 3 track demo EP on Bandcamp, but I’d say that without them tiger really probably wouldn’t exist or sound anything like what it does today.
I think the common link though was that both bands were DIY kids who just started making music because they wanted to and could, which really inspired me to do the same.
What’s next for the band?
Finishing the Swan Sting LP was a super emotionally draining journey for me, and I feel like currently I don’t have anything new I’d want to say or write about so it’ll probably be a while before any new music gets released. I think the plan now is to just keep living life and find new things to write about.
I want to be able to tour the album eventually if possible, but the feasibility of that is still up in the air. There’s a couple b-sides from Swan Sting that I’m thinking about releasing, so maybe that will be what’s next.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
I’m gonna shout out some local Vancouver folks who are some of the best in the game and severely underrated:
Slightest Clue: The local Vancouver homies, they make incredible grunge-y alt rock. Their new EP Carousel has been on repeat.
Sleepy Gonzales: Local dream pop/Shoegaze legends, hands down some of the best live performers I’ve ever seen in my life,
Riley!: Ok this one isn’t local but they’re a midwest emo group that I’ve been listening to for years and they signed to Counter Intuitive at the same time as us. Their music is incredible so you should go check them out.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
Thanks for listening and supporting us!! Feel free to DM us we’re always super excited to hear what our music means to other people.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
