Tigers That Talked
'We started out more acoustic and folky than we are now, before moving to a more driven and harder sound, bringing in more unusual effects and dense layers of sound.'
Leeds-based Tigers That Talked are to release their debut EP through Bad Sneakers on 8th June.
'Black Heart, Blue Eyes' is a taster for the folk-tinged debut album, recorded with Guillemots producer Adam Noble and due for a September release.
Singer, guitarist and songwriter Jamie Williams tells us about their "ambitious" recording sessions.
You're based in Leeds - what's the scene like nowadays?
Leeds is an exciting scene to be involved with as there's so many different bands doing so many different things, it's a really diverse mix. We're friendly with quite a lot of the bands around here. We see a lot of Wild Beasts, Duels, The Rosie Taylor Project, for example.
After forming is 2006, did the band change at all over the years or did you start with a clear vision of who you wanted to be?
When we began we were devoted to the idea of making something different to what we were hearing around us. We started out more acoustic and folky than we are now, before moving to a more driven and harder sound, bringing in more unusual effects and dense layers of sound.
How did the band come together?
We were introduced through friends and started playing at parties in basements straight away. Glenna [violin] was the final one to join and instantly fitted in, so we played our first gig with her after just one rehearsal.
Was Adam Noble a natural choice of producer? How did it come about?
Adam met Ed from Bad Sneakers watching Wild Beasts at Great Escape and ended up talking about us. Adam was really into it so got in touch and offered to do a session with us in London which went really well. We were already fans of a lot of Guillemots' 'Through The Windowpane' album and when we got back the mixes from the sessions, we were sure that Adam was the right producer for the album.
You went from self-producing your singles to working with Adam - how did you work together?
We've got a very clear idea of what we want to get across but we also really enjoy experimenting and lots of different things out, so it was a very intensely productive and enjoyable experience. We're a very motivated band and Adam is the same, so we pushed each other very hard, doing 20 hour days for three weeks of recording.
You recorded the album in a chapel, what was that like? What did you get up to when you weren't recording?
Being isolated in the chapel in the Lincolnshire countryside was a great way to just be totally focused on what we were doing. It's quite an ambitious album, with a lot of arrangements, so we really had to be. There was the smallest pub I've been to just down the road, with about two tables and eight chairs, so we went there a couple of times with the guys from INME, who were recording next door! The rest of the time was spent hitting things to see if they made any noises we could use.
What drives your songwriting?
I often write by colour, which is when I get hold of a very strong sense of atmosphere that I want to get across. A lot of songs are written in the pursuit of capturing feelings that I haven't heard discussed in songs before, often inspired by something I've read or seen.
You've toured with many bands - what have been some of your favourite memories of life on the road with them?
I think just meeting so many talented people and talking to them about why they do it is always something that is really inspiring. It's always great to play with different bands for some late night improvisation too.
What have been some of your most memorable shows?
We've had lots of unusual and exciting shows already as we really enjoy throwing ourselves into different and odd situations. I think the most recent one that will stay with me for a while is playing a set at a British Legion talent show in Blackpool for the 'Black Heart, Blue Eyes' video. All the other acts consisted of elderly men singing along to farsifa organs, and the entire audience was made up of bewildered octogenarians, but some them loved it!
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