Psycho Babble

Be they Rancid-fashioned, Misfits-influenced or AFI-inspired, Tiger Army has nonetheless adopted a style very much their own. Certainly, their method of incorporating ‘50s style rebel rock into the more current punk scene has landed the band two successful full-length albums, with another well on its way. Though lead singer Nick 13 in no way refutes their indisputable “psychobilly” suit, he explains the broader implications of such a classification, as well as how Tiger Army might be set apart from other psychos who fit the same bill. He expands on the new album and their current Punks vs. Psychos tour.

For starters, I want to get down exactly who is in Tiger Army right now.
Tiger Army’s pretty much the same as it has been since 2001, which is myself on vocals and guitar, Geoff Kresge [formerly of AFI] on stand-up bass, and Fred Hell [formerly of Union of the Dead] on drums.

I know that you guys have recorded and lived a lot between the Bay Area and LA, in addition to touring all over the country. So right now, where would you say your home base is?
It’s definitely Los Angeles. The band started in the East Bay, and that’s where I lived for a number of years, but we moved to LA in 2000. We still visit and play the Bay, but we definitely live in LA.

Was there any hesitation about moving down there, as far as the NorCal / SoCal split, or any stereotypes about the LA reputation specifically?
It was definitely a big step for me. I got to see a lot of the stereotypes that people have of LA. I guess it’s not that they’re not true, but there’s also a lot of other stuff there. If you don’t want to be part of the scenes that are that kind of stereotypical LA thing, there are a lot of [other options], so it’s not necessarily like you hear it is in NorCal.

Is there any one spot that you feel the majority of your fans might be focused?
I’d have to say Southern California, but we have toured a lot and Northern California’s really strong. And a lot of other areas that aren’t even on the West Coast can be really strong, too.

Any plans for a new album?
We just finished. We were in the studio for several months. It’s called III: Ghost Tigers Rise, and it’s going to come out on June 29th on Hellcat Records.

Regardless of whether they mean to or not, most successful bands inevitably morph over time. Given that, which do you feel would be more likely to change first with Tiger Army: your sound, or your style?
I can’t see the overall style changing, but I think the sound evolves a little bit with each record; it should. The challenge is always to stay true to your musical roots, while at the same time, not just doing the same thing you’ve already done, because that’s when stuff gets really stale and boring. I actually feel like we’ve accomplished that with the new record. In some ways, it reminds me more of our early stuff, but in other ways, there are definitely new elements.

Being pigeonholed is a big point of contention for a lot of bands. Nevertheless, you guys do fall into a pretty specific sub-genre. You’ve been described as “rockabilly,” “punkabilly,” “psychobilly,” etc… Which “-abilly” to you feel best suits Tiger Army, or in other words, how can I pigeonhole you?
We’ve always been a psychobilly band. I don’t have any problem with that label. The thing about psychobilly is it’s not a restrictive genre, if you look at what’s been done with it in the last 20 years. There are so many flavors and elements that it brings in. There’s a lot of freedom within it, much more so than punk. If you want to do a song that’s basically a roots / country song, then that can be done within psychobilly. If you want to do a song that’s a really fast, more hardcore punk-influenced thing, that can be done too. So, there’s this huge amount of room in there to do what you want.

What do you feel sets Tiger Army apart from other bands on the Hellcat label?
I think, even within the psychobilly genre, we have a pretty unique sound. I think it’s pretty identifiable and pretty recognizable. I don’t know if it’s the songwriting, or the vocals, or the arrangements, but I think if you played someone a Tiger Army song, and then played songs from other psychobilly bands, or even bands on the Hellcat label, psychobilly or otherwise, they wouldn’t have a problem saying, ‘that’s Tiger Army.’

Can you give me some more details on this Punks vs. Psychos tour?
Pretty much all the bands are on Hellcat Records or associated with it (via Epitaph). Starting the show, you have the Roughnecks, an oi band from Sacramento, CA. Then, there’s F-Minus - a Southern California old school hardcore style band from Orange County, CA. Roger Miret & the Disasters are next, with some hardcore, but a little more influenced by old British punk - it’s more melodic. After that is The Business, the oi street punk legends from England, who’ve been around since the early ‘80s and put on a really good show. And then you’ve got Tiger Army.

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