They may have the word "miniature" in their name, but there is nothing small about this band. Miniature Tigers snuck onto the music scene like so many other artists these days via MySpace and have been gaining momentum ever since.
In March of 2008, they released two EPs, Black Magic and White Magic, and not long after that in August, they released their first full-length album, Tell It To the Volcano. Currently, for the month of February, they are performing as special guests on Ben Folds's tour.
Last Thursday, the tour stopped at Rams Head Live! and the News-Letter was able to ask this up-and-coming band some questions.
Although Baltimore was only their second show with Folds, the Tigers were really enthusiastic about the tour. "It's really awesome. We played our first show last night and it was so fun - just unbelievable," front man Charlie Brand said. "It was a great crowd, great energy."
Although they did a small, three-week tour with Lenka, this is only their second tour ever. After the tour ends, it will be quite a while before Miniature Tigers get a break. They are scheduled to play some shows with Dear and the Headlights and then Bishop Allen, not taking a breather until some time in April.
Brand says that while they do have a lot of material written, their next plans for recording depend on when they can make it into the studio, which will hopefully happen before the end of the year. But there doesn't need to be a huge rush to get back into the studio as they only just recently released their first LP.
Although the EPs and LP were released close together, the process of creating each was very different.
"I recorded the EPs with the same guy, but I recorded those before I hooked up with [drummer] Rick [Schaier]. But for [Tell It To the Volcano], Rick came in and we did more of a collaborative thing and worked on the album together. It was definitely a different experience," Brand said.
"It was magical," Schaier said.
The catchy songs with ridiculously endearing lyrics are what make Miniature Tigers most unique.
Brand further commented on their songwriting process: "I usually just write everything on an acoustic guitar and then make demos with Garage Band. Then I'll show these guys and then we'll just learn them and interpret them live."
Among the bands that influence them the most are Grizzly Bear (which Brand says he is "really in love with right now"), Animal Collective, the Beach Boys, the Kinks, the Beatles and ABBA. While Miniature Tigers' sound cannot be pinpointed directly to any one band, it is obvious that they draw some inspiration from several of the artists listed above.
Throughout my conversation with Miniature Tigers, the whole band became most animated when I mentioned the television show LOST. It is clear that someone in the band is a fan of the show because not only do they allude to it in one of their songs, but Brand also has a Dharma Initiative sticker on his guitar.
However, Brand is not the only one who watches LOST - the entire band does. In fact, they were catching up on Wednesday's most recent episode when they were interrupted to do a sound check.
Generally, Miniature Tigers were in agreement that this season of LOST far surpasses previous seasons. And as with most discussions about LOST, Miniature Tigers couldn't help but throw out a few theories about it; the most random being that "John Locke will come back as Michael's son."
Miniature Tigers were personable during the interview and had great banter amongst themselves. They successfully carried this persona onstage when they opened for Folds.
Miniature Tigers opened the set with their most noteworthy single "Cannibal Queen." Although most people were there to see the modern-day piano man, Folds, the Miniature Tigers quickly won over the crowd with lyrics like "This is not a test or an S.O.S./ I'm no longer on a quest to get girls undressed."
The Tigers had good onstage chemistry and played a handful of songs from Tell It to the Volcano. They also introduced a newer song of theirs called "Japanese Woman That Lives in My Closet." A strong comedic thread runs throughout each of their songs, and this one was no different.
The only disappointing aspect of their set was its length - they were on stage for hardly 30 minutes. The act that followed them, Treble in Paradise, an all-female a cappella group, was on stage for the same amount of time.
This group from American University was one of several collegiate a cappella groups that won a contest by performing one of Ben Folds's songs. They performed their winning rendition of "Zac and Sara" along with a couple of others.
Eventually, Folds took the stage for an incredibly long set. His performance included a good variety of songs from his older albums Rockin' the Suburbs and Songs for Silverman as well as selections from his newest, Way to Normal.
Folds played an unmistakably excellent concert that demonstrated his amazing talent on the piano. However, he played most songs back-to-back, and with the exception of teaching the crowd to harmonize, he didn't have much interaction with the audience.
As a whole, the concert itself was great; Folds once again proved what a talented musician he is and after Miniature Tigers' great opening performance, it is safe to say that their fan base just got a little bigger.
From their name and the members that comprise it, to the subject matter of their songs, everything about this band is endearing. Miniature Tigers should be kept on your radar because it's only a matter of time before they get as much fame as they deserve.
