INTERVIEW WITH ENGLISH GRUNGE ROCKERS TIGERCUB
Meet Brighton-formed English Rock power trio TIGERCUB. The band comprises Jamie Stephen Hall (vocals and lead guitar), James Allix (drums), and Jimi Wheelwright (bass) and their loud, brash, and energetic sound. It’s a punch of grungy distorted rock that has them gaining fans from all over, including those of the famous rock-star kind… like Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam fame. I asked a few questions of frontman Jamie, which you can read below.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Can you talk about Tigercub’s origin story? How did the band come together?
TIGERCUB: Tigercub met in Brighton on the south coast of England whilst studying at The University of Sussex. We all bonded over a love of Jeff Buckley, The Dandy Warhols, and Nirvana and just went from there
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: First, I want to talk about your new song “Show Me My Maker” and the inspiration and songwriting process? Also, how did the remix with Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam come about?
TIGERCUB: I’m inspired by a lot of classical music and that always finds its way into my writing, this song was inspired by Led Zeppelin and Rage against the Machine I wanted to write a banger.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How excited are you guys for your upcoming Belasco show in Los Angeles? How did the opener spot for Porno For Pyros come to you guys?
TIGERCUB: SO excited we are so star struck and honoured to be opening for Porno for Pyros especially on home turf!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Do you have a favorite Porno For Pyros song?
TIGERCUB: I love all their records, but Pets and Cursed Female are just so iconic it’s hard not to go to them first, I also love Tahitian Moon.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What three words would you use to describe your band and its signature sound?
TIGERCUB: Big. little. Loud
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: And, lastly, what's next on the horizon for Tigercub?
TIGERCUB: After the PFP we are sxsw. Then we head back to Blighty for a breather and it’s off to the states again for a headline show in May!
You can catch Tigercub out now on tour and stream “Show Me My Maker (Remix)”.
INTERVIEW WITH NEWCOMER POP SINGER-SONGWRITER ISA BRUDER
I got to chat with up-and-coming Brazilian-American pop artist Isa Bruder, whose rich vocals, emotional storytelling, and layered harmonics are just in their infancy. I asked Isa about her songwriter, culture, and what’s to come this year in an interview, which you can read below.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Thanks for answering a few questions for The Reclusive Blogger. How has your 2023
been?
ISA BRUDER: Happy 2024 to you and your readers! I am really grateful for 2023 -- I got to travel to new places, spend time with my family and friends, go to incredible concerts, and write lots of music. :)
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Can you talk a bit about your background and culture and how that encompasses your music?
ISA BRUDER: Sure! I grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. In addition to loving our Samba's swing and percussive musicality, Brazilian people have a reputation for being really fierce music fans -- and I definitely think that passion is embedded in me. The crowd's joy at a concert in Brazil is contagious. It can sometimes take years or even decades for a musical act to make its way to South America, so we're extra excited and grateful to finally witness that music in real life. The energy really is on another level #ComeToBrazil iykyk
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How did you normally approach writing and recording as a singer-songwriter?
ISA BRUDER: I am constantly writing feelings and concepts in my notes (notes app girlies rise), so in preparation for a session I usually pull a couple ideas from there that particularly resonate with me. Then I catch up with my cowriter(s), and we talk about our feelings / what kind of song we want to write! Sometimes a producer is included in these conversations / during the session if I have the luxury of being in a physical room with one -- most of my music I write through Zoom since most of my collaborators live in LA! I love writing music with people, as opposed to alone, because I find it takes me out of my own head and helps weed out the good ideas from the less interesting ones.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What's the best piece of advice another musician ever gave you?
ISA BRUDER: Know who you are, because if you don't people will try to tell you. Believe in your vision!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What's your process for dealing with performance anxiety?
ISA BRUDER: I actually find a couple of hours before my show more stressful than being on stage -- I wouldn't say I really get performance anxiety. During the hours before I'm stressing about logistics, if my band is gonna arrive on time, if my outfit is creasing on the subway, if people are actually gonna show up, if I'll remember all the lyrics... by the time I'm about to go onstage, I'm more so relieved that I don't have to think about all that anymore! Performing is my favorite part of being an artist, so I look forward to it and try to book as many shows as I can.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Do you have a favorite lyric that you’ve written or that you wish you had written?
ISA BRUDER: I have "I wish I wrote that" moments all the time! Today, what comes to mind is What I Want by MUNA. "That's what I want, there's nothing wrong with what I want!" So simple yet so affirming, it's a perfect pop song in my opinion.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Since we’re coming up to the end of the year for 2023 do you have a favorite album and/or song of the year?
ISA BRUDER: My favorite album of 2023 is without a doubt Raye's My 21st Century Blues! She moves across genres and themes so freely -- but still with such a clear vision and identity. I love the production on the record, I love her voice, and I love her honesty and vulnerability. She recently released a My 21st Century Symphony version of the album, which is recorded live from Royal Albert Hall with The Heritage Orchestra. It's so beautiful, you guys gotta check it out!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Lastly, what is up next for you Isa in 2024?
ISA BRUDER: Hmm... I'd love to play a show somewhere other than New York this year since I've only ever played with my band in the city. In a greater sense, my dream and hope for 2024 is that the music I release reaches people who resonate with and enjoy it :)
INTERVIEW WITH PNW-BRED PUNK SINGER VERA BLOOM
Meet Nashville-based and Pacific Northwest-raised Punk Artist Vera Bloom. Her vibrant, raucous, and melodic punch of Popish-Punk music whispers echoes of PNW grunge and the merits of the Riot grrrl scene. The artist recently released her second EP titled “It’s Me” on September 30th. We chatted about her music, what influences it, and some of her favorite music of the year so far. You can check out the interview below.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: I’d like to start off with an icebreaker question. Would you consider yourself more of a Morning Bird or Night Owl?
VERA BLOOM: Morning bird!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Now that your EP, It’s Me has been out for a few days now. What has the response been like? Have you had a chance to soak in it? What song was the most difficult for you to write?
VERA BLOOM: The response has been wonderful! I am definitely still soaking it all in, and there's still so much I want to tell people about the songs, but yes, overall the response has been great and people have been really excited and supportive about the EP. Hmm, the song that was most difficult was probably “Boxes.” It wasn't emotionally difficult, it just didn't flow as easily as the others did. Usually, I can write a song in a couple hours, but with “Boxes” I had written an incomplete version and set it aside for almost an entire year. I was browsing my voice memos last winter and came across it and decided to completely rework it.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: There have been some comparisons to grunge and many of those icons. How do you bridge the gap between honoring the icons and the sound of Washington with your unique identity?
VERA BLOOM: I don't really try to sound grunge and I think that's how I honor it? The older I get the more important my hometown and upbringing becomes to me. The more I find myself embracing it all and it helps me understand who I am better. I think because I've been self-reflecting a lot on this over the years and also on a mission to be authentic and stay true to myself, my unique identity is shining through but simultaneously so is the sound of Washington and the PNW.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What’s a typical writing and recording process like for you?
VERA BLOOM: I'm constantly writing down little snippets of lyrics and melodies. But, I can usually tell when an actual song needs to take form, and that generally takes me 2-3 hours to mostly finish. I write most of the song, a couple verses and a chorus, and take it to Garageband where I start working on the full band arrangement. They're really crappy demos, haha, but it's an important piece to see where the song can go before taking it to real-life human players. I give this demo to the band and we start rehearsing it, playing it live and shows, and then eventually take it to the studio to get it recorded. That's been the process for the last 2 EPs!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Where do you normally draw inspiration from as a musician and songwriter?
VERA BLOOM: My songs are pretty much always about my life and the feelings, fears, loves, and emotions involved. Musically, I just see what comes out while I'm writing and it really is a big flow and improvisation. The band I like to play with definitely helps produce the songs organically. They bring tones and rhythms to the table which help the arrangement of the song evolve.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who were some of your musical heroes growing up? And have they changed now?
VERA BLOOM: I really liked Sheryl Crow growing up. She was the first artist I saw myself in, so she's pretty monumental for me. As I've grown, my tastes have definitely evolved, and I've grown a lot as a person, and, today I resonate a lot with Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, and Donita Sparks.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What is your favorite album or song of 2023?
VERA BLOOM: I'm one of those terrible people that listen to a lot of older music so, I don't think I have a new favorite. One of my favorite albums over the past few years is Catherine Wheel's Ferment from 1992...I know I'm terrible.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Throwing in another fun one here... If you could live in any fictional universe, which would you choose?
VERA BLOOM: I'd love to experience Willa Wonka's chocolate factory.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What has been one of the most rewarding experiences of your career so far?
VERA BLOOM: Opening for L7 last October for two nights of their big 30th Anniversary of Bricks Are Heavy was definitely a highlight and extremely rewarding. This release has also been rewarding and, I'm so grateful for the people supporting me and enjoying the music!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: And, lastly, what's next on the horizon for you?
VERA BLOOM: Rinse and repeat, baby. 2024 will be a year of live performance and writing more music and I can't wait!
INTERVIEW WITH... TOPS SINGER & INDIE DISCO-POP ARTIST MARCI
TOPS’ vocalist Marta Cikojevic recently unveiled her new project and debut album under the solo name Marci. The self-titled solo album is out now on Arbutus Records and was co-produced with TOPS bandmate David Carriere with hopes of crafting electric and fun dance hits, the ultimate disco-tinged bops. Marci checked in with TRB for a quick few questions about the new record and influences which you can read below!
Marci by Christina Bryson
TOPS’ vocalist Marta Cikojevic recently unveiled her new project and debut album under the solo name Marci. The self-titled solo album is out now on Arbutus Records and was co-produced with TOPS bandmate David Carriere with hopes of crafting electric and fun dance hits, the ultimate disco-tinged bops. Marci checked in with TRB for a quick few questions about the new record and influences which you can read below!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Can you talk about your normal songwriting process? Then how your writing/creative process was for this new song “Terminal”?
MARCI: I always write on piano, and demo as I am going. Once I have a decent demo, I bring it to David and we figure out which parts can be worked on.
There are a handful of songs that we wrote together, where I would sit on the piano and David on the bass or guitar.
For Terminal it all started with a guitar riff that David had while we were getting ready for a party. I started singing over top of the riff and we came up with the chorus of the song. When we got into the studio, we worked out the rest of the song on piano and guitar together.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How did the music video for “Terminal” come together? and what was that process like and filming?
MARCI: The music video was almost going to be just a visualizer! Until my friend (and director) Christina Bryson decided that we absolutely needed to do a video and i'm so glad we did! It was done in one day at Christina's house, very relaxed and easy, the group of us girls (Isabelle Fields- stylist, and Melissa Rogers - makeup) had a relaxed and fun time, my friend Jackson Macintosh who played the hunky guy came over, was very fun!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What does music and the craft of songwriting mean to you?
MARCI: It can be anything you want, there are no rules - I love the freedom in that. I also love how good it makes me feel, and how it's a never ending learning/growing experience.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What are you most looking forward to for your upcoming tour?
MARCI: I'm excited to sing in front of an audience, and find out what kind of performer I am. Playing with a band will feel so great, hearing the songs live will be a whole new feeling - since it was a studio record.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: If you were to describe your sound in three words what words would you pick?
MARCI: Peppy, smooth, sparkly
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What’s one album that you can listen to straight through?
MARCI: Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What’s your pick for song of the summer 2022?
MARCI: Sofie Royer’s Baker Miller Pink has been on repeat
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: And... last question, Is there anything else you would like to add? What up’s next for you?
MARCI: I might be releasing a new song very soon…. hehehe.
Thank you for the interview! :)
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