Think Blondie mixed with Pat Benetar and you’ve got an idea of Fire Tiger’s sound. Effortlessly cool with amazingly catchy songs, I fell in love with this group as soon as I heard ‘So Many Fishes’ (my personal favourite). ‘All the Time‘, the band’s third album, described by fans as ‘fun’ and ‘nostalgic’, is the perfect fusion of 80s disco and soft rock and is well worth a listen.
With more than 25 000 plays on Spotify alone on their song ‘Energy‘, Fire Tiger have been making themselves known in the LA music scene since they released their first album in 2013. ‘All the Time’, their third album, is arguably their best yet, with one well written song after another, arguably making it one of the best releases of 2020.
Although their 80s and 70s influences are more than apparent in their music, Fire Tiger have their own distinctive sound, blending soft rock, disco and pop to write songs that stand out from all the other new releases. Despite being inspired by the past, they’re excited for the future, and the songs certainly have a place in your Spotify library regardless of your feelings towards Duran Duran.
The whole album is well worth listening to, but some of the best songs on there are ‘So Many Fishes‘, ‘Magical Brew’, ‘Silly Thing to Do‘ and ‘Solo Poquito‘. The band certainly achieved what they set out to do with writing songs you want to sing along to which would be amazing at a festival (especially in the sunshine!). Opening with ‘Don’t Take Me Home‘ sets the tone for the whole album with catchy melodies and Tiff’s vocals sounding like something out of ‘Rock of Ages’.
Fire Tiger kindly answered a few questions about their music, the writing process and how they were nearly called ‘Dino Rhino’.
Q: You’ve been together for a while and created some amazing sounds. What’s the writing process like?
Tiff: Thanks so much Beth! Our writing style hasn’t changed, I usually start with an idea that James (co-writer and keyboardist) arranges and adds to, although sometimes it’s the other way around… Usually, I come up with a vocal melody and lyric idea, and if James likes it, we’ll finish it together. We both contribute to the melodies and lyrics on most songs. Some are more James, some are more me. This album is our first to feature other writers, like our guitarist Jordan who wrote “Getaway Song”, and Barry Goldberg who contributed to the music in “Side of You” and “Way to My Heart”. Our songs are all about the listener having a good time and singing along.
Q: Where did the name come from? Any rejected names?
Tiff: The name was James’s idea. He wanted a double rhyming name, like A-ha, Duran Duran, Oingo Boingo, etc… We had a few other ideas, one was Dino Rhino.
Q: Your sound is very distinctive and cuts through all the noise. Do you all have different influences? Did it take you a while to find your sound or did it click into place?
Tiff: Wow, thanks! We all have different influences. When I first met James, our influences didn’t match at all. I was into current mainstream pop stuff, and James introduced me to all these amazing 80’s artists I never heard. Naturally, since all those artist are so amazing, we were very much inspired by them and the high bar they set musically, and created Fire Tiger with the goal to bring back that magic we feel has disappeared from mainstream music today. Our biggest influences are probably Top 40 songs and artists from the 80’s. I really like the 70’s and 60’s too – everything from psychedelic pop to yacht rock to hair metal. I like some stuff today too, but my influences are mostly from the past.
Q: If you could produce a single with any artist and any producer you wanted, who would it be?
Tiff: There are lots of people I’d be honoured to work with, but if you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself. Daft Punk popped in my head, they are great at bridging the modern digital and classic analogue worlds.
Q: First album you each owned?
Tiff: Britney Spears Hit Me Baby All the Time
James: Depeche Mode Violator
Jordan: Michael Jackson History
Tyler: KISS Rock and Roll Over
Lorenzo: AC/DC Back In Black
You may not have heard of Fire Tiger, but if you listen to ‘All The Time’ you’ll be glad you have now.
Click here to find Fire Tiger on Spotify.
Find them on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
To buy vinyl, CDs, cassettes and T-shirts here https://fire-tiger.myshopify.com/
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