Where are you from?
New Jersey
Members and their instruments?
Just me. I use Ableton and Maschine mostly for producing. An Apc40 and a Roland sample pad for Ableton live sets.
What does your band name mean?
Tiger was a nickname I had all throughout childhood and High School and it still sticks today in my hometown. I just slapped another word in front of it and kind of went with it.
What genre do you consider yourself? Why?
Electronic/Indie/Hip Hop — if I had to break it down as simple as possible? I’m a huge fan of a large amount of genres and one of my biggest influences in TV/Film scores. In one short car ride I can go from listening to heavy electronic, to jazz within ten minutes, then old school hip hop in another eight minutes, I’m all over the place. I really try to bring elements from as many different genres I can into my music, in the hopes of just creating something different and unique; combining sounds that you’d normally think wouldn’t work together and making them sound great in the end. Other people who are fans of many genres may pick up on those little easter eggs/influences and go, “Wow, that’s interesting, I never thought about those going together.”I like to work outside of the box and really see what I can come up with.
How long have you been together?
I technically started in 2013, making bootleg remixes through Virtual DJ and mixes as well. I actually downloaded Ableton and started producing just over two years ago.
What brought you together?
I was kind of in a lost place, very difficult time, and decided to try something new.
What drew you to music?
I’ve always had a passion for it, people saw that can kept asking, “You ever thought about doing that yourself?”, so I did.
What are some of your most influential bands? Why?
Bear McCreary, Hanz Zimmer, Gorillaz, NWA, Souls of Mischief, Japanese Breakfast, Phantogram, ODESZA, Mac Miller, Deadmau5, Bassnectar, Tycho, Bonobo, Mr. Carmack, Small Black, CHVRCHES, Coldplay, and The M Machine to name a few. All of these artists really aren’t afraid to pull influences from really diverse genres and build on it to create something unique and risky.
What was your first song together?
My first song that I didn’t delete was Memory Lane.
What is your song writing process?
I’ll usually start with a sample, chord or melody. Once I have a loop, I’ll keeping building around it until I have to much, then I’ll look at what needs to be removed.
What songs do you perform the most often?
Haven’t played live yet but I’m assuming they’ll be Luckyy, and a couple of other remixes I’ve done. They seem to be the most popular online.
Do you play any covers?
I’ve made a few remixes and edits.
Do you have a set play list?
I’m working on an Ableton live set right now.
Is there a secret meaning in any of your music?
No, I like to let other people find their own meanings.
What is your favorite part of working in music?
The freedom.
What is your least favorite part of working in music?
Difficult mixing sessions and writer’s block. Some of the marketing aspects are very difficult as well.
Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety? If so how?
Yes but not with this project. I’m no stranger to performing in front of large crowds. I was an actor for many years since I was a kid, so I’ve grown to become very comfortable in front of large audiences.
How old were you when you started playing your instrument?
I took some piano lessons when I was around 9 or 10 but am by no means a trained pianist.
How do you describe your music to people?
A combination of a wide range of different genres.
What image do you hope your music conveys?
A sense of hospitality I guess? Something people would want to listen to, to help them escape or take their mind off of something.
Where have you performed?
So far? College formals. I did DJ with a friend at Webster Hall in NYC once but that was in front of like 15 people.
Do you have any up coming shows?
Hopefully! Working on that right now.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
That people reach out to me to say they really like the music. It’s a great feeling to know you’re reaching people in some way.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a band?
Trying to get music heard. The market is so saturated and it’s very difficult to reach really through the crowds.
Are you happy with the current success of your band?
Yes, this year has been very good actually, things are looking up.
What is the ultimate direction for your band?
There’s so many ideas in the works but just to have a connection with people. I feel that is the most important thing.
What steps have you taken to get there?
Some big ones, I’ve had to make large life changing decisions to make some of these ideas work.
What steps do you still have to do?
A lot more learning, building, practicing, and networking.
How do you feel about the internet and the music business?
Right now is a very shifting time, especially when streaming has becoming the new norm. I think it’s important to pay attention at what some of these big companies are doing and how it can impact the rest of the music business as a whole. Nonetheless, the internet has made it easier for anyone and everyone to share whatever they have made to large quantities of people in seconds, it’s incredible.
What is your favorite concert you’ve attended?
In 2013, I saw Empire of the Sun at a music festival in NY, and that was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.
What do you do besides music?
I said before I was an actor, I really have a love for movies, plays, very distinct television shows.
What is something you would like to tell your younger self?
Really think about what you want to do and why you want to do it.
What is your favorite song? (not by your band)
That’s a tough one, I don’t think I have a one specific song that is a number one favorite but Untitled by Interpol is one I will always go back to and never get tired of.
What do you wish you spent more time doing 5 years ago?
Really figuring out why I enjoyed music so much and probably listening to people and started making it then. But I did eventually anyway.
What advice do you have others wanting to start their own bands?
Really take the time to learn whatever it is you use to make music. If it’s an instrument, practice as much as you can. If it’s a DAW, really learn the ins and outs and how to create the sounds you want to make, it’ll save you a lot of time in the future.
Any last words?
Also really listen to music you normally wouldn’t listen to, even if you don’t like the music, try to find one thing about it that you like and find out what makes you like that one thing.
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