How are you?
AFF: “Anxious to get started on some SXSW action!”
L&T: “I’m feeling great, thanks for asking!”
You have just released your new split EP, can you tell me a little bit about the record?
AFF: “This is our 3rd studio record so far as a band. We record this one with Kieren Krebs at Outcast Studios. Kieren did a great job of pushing us to do our best on each piece of this record, and really made sure that we were creating exactly the sound we wanted.”
L&T: “Both Almost Famous Friends and ourselves recorded the E.P. with Kieran Krebs at Overcast Recordings. It was a pretty quick and painless process from start to finish, which as a musician is the best feeling because we all want to get our ideas onto record as fast as possible, haha.”
How did the idea of a split EP come about?
AFF: “I’m pretty sure me and Alex from Lions and Tigers were hanging out at a show at Dirty Dog Bar and he had said something along the lines of, “Oh, we’re looking for another band to do a split EP with us.” and I just told him we’d be down to share a record with them, and it all just went from there.”
L&T: “Anthony, our drummer, has been expressing interest in doing a split release with another band for at least a year. I talked to Tristan of Almost Famous Friends after a show they played at The Dirty Dog about the possibility of our bands doing a split together, and it all moved on nicely from there!”
What was the writing and record process like for the EP?
AFF: “The initial writing process was mainly me writing the structure of the songs, and then my band members came in and put their own parts on the song.”
L&T: “The writing process for this EP was interesting! The song “Moving Forward” is actually the third song I ever wrote, several years ago, that we decided to bring back as a challenge to ourselves to make it more in line with our current sound. “Reflections” is the most recent song I’ve written that we all have pretty much decided is a favorite song of ours, so we wanted to record it and get it out there as soon as possible.”
What is the EP about as a whole?
AFF: “Our half of the split is mostly about discovering yourself, and your own perspective of the people and the world around you.”
L&T: “For me, the EP is about progression. Both the progression of each band’s musical style and the progression of our mindsets. From a strictly musical standpoint, “Moving Forward” is an example of the pop-punk style that we were initially aiming for when we started Lions and Tigers, and “Reflections” is a taste of the natural evolution of that sound; it’s kind of where we go next. Thematically, the songs are reversed. While “Reflections” may be the newer song, it’s about my struggle with Major Depressive Disorder, which I was diagnosed with about five years ago. Even though “Moving Forward” was written years before “Reflections”, it’s kind of a sequel of sorts- where “Reflections” ends with the thought that maybe my loved ones would be better off if I was out of their lives, “Moving Forward” expresses that depressive feelings and intrusive thoughts such as those do not control me anymore.”
What is your favourite track from the EP and why?
AFF: “’In Tune’, because I think it’s super catchy and bouncy.”
L&T: “I have two! My favorite of our side of the split is “Reflections”, and my favorite from Almost Famous Friends is “Displaced”.”
Can fans expect to see you live this year?
AFF: “Most definitely. We’ll be making some Texas runs, and possibly even a regional run or 2 this summer.”
L&T: “Absolutely! We’ve already played several shows in Austin this year, and have a few more booked over the next couple months. In June we’re taking the entire month to tour the east coast, which we cannot wait for.”
What does 2017 have in store for the band?
AFF: “A lot of songwriting behind the scenes, and as many shows as we can shove into this summer.”
L&T: “Quite a bit! In addition to the split EP we just released, we’ve already started recording a new four song EP that we’re planning on releasing ahead of our East Coast tour in June. We’ve also entered the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands to try to get on the San Antonio date of Warped Tour in July. Nothing planned past July yet, but August is a long way away, so I’m sure we’ll find something to do.”
Describe the band in three words.
AFF: “Hard-hitting, Determined, Goons”
L&T: “Musically inclined goofballs.”
Where can fans find out more about you?
AFF: “Our social media center exists on facebook, and all our music streams for free on bandcamp!”
L&T: “Potential fans and friends can follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @LionsTigersTX, and on Facebook at /lionsandtigerstx.”