New Hot Topic interview with Nick 13 of Tiger Army.
Out of the Herd and Into the Head of Nick 13
Hot Topic: Describe your writing process before entering the studio.
Nick 13: Normally, a song is completely written when I bring it to the practice room. That process might take me days, months or even years, depending on the song. When I show it to the guys, I've got the bass lines, basic drum arrangements, etc. From there, if they have an idea about a note here or there or an arrangement thing, they'll bounce it off me, but because they haven't heard all the elements of the song until it's recorded, they understand if it doesn't work. Likewise, sometimes I'll bounce stuff off of them, like "What sounds better? This or this?" The way I write, I'm hearing the complete song in my head with vocal melody and any applicable harmonies or production elements, even when it's just on an acoustic guitar or whatever...
Hot Topic: For the new fans that are about to join the "Tiger Army," how did your name come about and does it stand for something significant?
Nick 13: The name is a metaphor. The Tiger is a solitary, independent animal. That tiger spirit is represented in the people who find their way out of the mainstream into different kinds of alternative culture or subculture, the people who are searching for something, who don't just except what is handed to them. That's the Tiger Army, all the people who share that spirit and relate to our music. The rest of the human race are cows, sheep... herd animals with a herd mentality.
Hot Topic: There is a heavy retro influence in your sound. What albums have guided you in the process?
Nick 13: That's hard to say. The old Sun rockabilly stuff was definitely a sonic reference, especially on the song "Through the Darkness" from the new album. Other than that, there wasn't a whole lot of reference stuff used in the making of III: Ghost Tigers Rise. In a way, our first two albums were the reference - we knew what we liked and didn't like about the way each one turned out, so we kind of used that as a starting point and fine-tuned things from there. The past is definitely a big influence in terms of tones & recording techniques, as well as our music, but the main thing is that we're trying to take sonic elements that were cool and cast them into something new. We're not necessarily trying to recreate the past - some bands get caught up in doing what's already been done, and they usually don't do it as well.
Hot Topic: You had some line-up changes in the band. How has Tiger Army pushed past the barriers to keep friendships and an open door to continue making music together?
Nick 13: Since the beginning of the band, almost everyone I've played with has been a friend. Many times, people played with Tiger Army just for fun, to help me out by doing some shows or a recording session. That's how Geoff Kresge first came to play with the band in '99! You can become friends with someone you don't know, but playing with someone you don't relate to isn't a good idea and won't work in the long run. That's my experience, anyway.
Hot Topic: If you were deserted on an island with three albums to choose from, which ones would you choose?
Nick 13: That's a tough question! I'm not so sure I'd bring anything because I'd be sick to death of whatever albums I brought and they'd be ruined! I'll say:
Some sort of collection of The Louvin Brothers
Smiths Strangeways, Here We Come
Thrasher Skaterock Vol. 2 -OR- Black Flag Damaged
Hot Topic: Tiger Army has a "cult" following. What do you think has guided fans to make the band have this status?
Nick 13: I've always been the type of person who's been very passionate about the things I'm into; I know the same is true for Geoff. I guess it makes sense that a lot of the people who are drawn to this band are similar in that way. We are lucky to have fans that care so deeply about the music and the band. Sure, there are plenty of bands with more fans, but the fans are so casual in nature; the music is not something they follow or really care about. If it's not right in front of them, they're not going to think about it. We're not trying to keep our music a secret, but we're definitely happy that the people who appreciate what we're doing are so into it. There's real feeling in our music, and unfortunately, there's so much stuff out right now that just doesn't seem like it's for real. I think that's another reason people connect with our music like they do.
Hot Topic: What kind of response do you get from people that don't have a pompadour or have tattoos? Is it uncomfortable or uplifting that you're different?
Nick 13: Basically, since childhood, I've been kind of out of step with everyone else, with what they're doing, with what they think is cool or important. There were times when I was really young where I wished I could just fit in. But pretty quickly, I realized that I'd rather not fit in with people who are lame - which is the majority of people. It wasn't really my choice to be the way I am, but it was my choice to embrace it and put what I think and what makes me happy before what other people think, and my appearance is just an extension of that. It's not always the easy road, but I feel like my life has been a lot better for taking it!
Hot Topic: Have you supported or played with bands you never thought you would ever play with?
Nick 13: It's always a trip to play or tour with bands that you loved growing up. Some examples for us would be The Damned and TSOL. Our music draws on a lot of things, so I think everyone we've ever toured with fits together with what we're doing in some aspect, whether that's Rancid or Reverend Horton Heat.
href='http://www.hottopic.com/community/interviews/interviews_tigerarmy.asp' target='_blank'>hottopic.com