Bio
The Tiger and Me create indie-pop music as seen through the looking glass of European folk songs. Three lead vocalists lead a troupe of multi-instrumentalists from gentle folk melodies through to riotous frenzied waltzes, with a wink and a nod to the old cabaret den and speakeasy tradition. The Melbourne sextet ignites the stage with a live show that is an event for any rampant feet out there looking for the ultimate place to whirl and stomp.
The Tiger and Me began life as a duo when Jane Hendry and Ade Vincent recorded six songs in late 2007 which, originally intended as demos, were eventually released as an EP. The self-titled EP received strong support from radio in Australia, including leading station Triple J, which interviewed the duo and broadcast several of their songs. They were also featured as one of ‘six of the best’ unearthed roots bands in Australia in Triple J's 'Jmag'.
The EP was successful in generating interest in the duo, however it was their expansion to a band for a sell-out show at Melbourne’s Manchester Lane in mid-2008 that marked the group’s true birth. The show was recorded, capturing the band’s juxtaposition of high-energy shout outs and gentle folk melodies.
Their reputation as an outstanding live act has enabled them to build a strong local fan base, with regular residencies throughout Melbourne coupled with larger headline shows. Intent on adding to their local popularity they have toured both in Australia and internationally. In 2008 they undertook a tour of Canada, bookended by festival performances at North by Northeast in Toronto and New Music West Festival in Vancouver in 2008, where they were well received by both press and public. They followed this with an Australian East Coast tour with Jess McAvoy in 2009, and performances at Port Fairy Folk Festival in 2010.
In April 2010 they launched their debut album at The Toff in Town. The event was a sell-out, and rave reviews of the LP have followed; the album was named CD of the week in MX Newspaper, and also enjoyed excellent reviews in Beat and Inpress magazines, as well as online in AU review (9/10 rating) and Soulshine (4/5). They are touring nationally to promote the album in August 2010, and performing in The Melbourne Fringe Festival in October 2010.
The Tiger may have started out as a quirky kitten, but it is now well and truly grown, ravaging the curtains and threatening to topple your expectations with its outsize tail.
“The Tiger and Me's debut album is beautifully constructed and arranged, with marvellous momentum and a wonderful sense of adventure. A remarkable debut.”
MUSIC AUSTRALIA GUIDE (JB HI-FI), 2010
“Definitely one to watch as they rise in Melbourne’s music scene”.
MX, 2010 (CD of the week)
“The Tiger & Me play a winning hand – shuffling confidently between their many musical suits and moods. If you like your music articulate, expressive and theatrical, The Tiger & Me delivers it wrapped with an insidious arch of the eyebrow and a knowing wink.”
BEAT MAGAZINE, 2010
“The Tiger & Me are a polished Melbourne act displaying songwriting conviction and a refreshing approach to ye olde instrumentalism of yesteryear.”
INPRESS MAGAZINE, 2010
“This album is something you should definitely get your hands on if you have any inclination towards this brand of music, it's a great illustration of this underground trend in Australian music and is no doubt one of the gems to have come from that scene.”
THE AU REVIEW, 2010
“Contagiously catchy yet not over-the-top, this music is escapism at its best.”
SOULSHINE, 2010
“Elements of country rub up against a cabaret feel and some Gypsyish tendencies. Accessible but esoteric enough to still stand out”.
NOW MAGAZINE (Toronto), 2008
WHO IS THE TIGER? WHO IS ME? WHO ARE THOSE OTHER GUYS?
Jane Hendry (The Tiger)
Lead vocal, violin, ukulele
Ade Vincent (me)
Lead vocal, piano, acoustic guitar, banjo
Tobias Selkirk
Lead vocal, piano accordion, banjo
Tim Keegan
Bass, backing vocal, harmonica
Sarah Galdes
Drums
Gerard ‘Fez’ Mason
Electric guitar, banjo, ukulele, backing vocal
ALSO FEATURING
Kel Day
Vocals, glockenspiel
Audrey Boyle
Trumpet
