Interview with Tiger Army’s Nick 13

By: Tim Hudson

On the occasion of the February 5th, 2008 Tiger Army show at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom, I had the opportunity to correspond a bit with TA singer Nick 13. What follows are some highlights:

What are your non-musical influences?

I'm influenced by the night, the moon and the stars, the changing of the seasons ... as far as lyrics, literature has been more of an influence than anyone else's musical work.   There's also something about black and white film -- old horror and noir -- that puts me in a creative mood.

What are your thoughts on playing the legendary Cain's ballroom?

This will be our second time there -- the first was supporting Morrissey in 2006.   I'm definitely a Bob Wills fan so it's a special place to me.

I read once that the love of music is just the search for the one thing that drew you to it in the first place. What is that element for you?

It's a feeling -- I almost can't describe it.   It's a very particular thing though, a kind of joy.

In the early days did you find the niche of psychobilly helped or hindered you?

In the early days of Tiger Army so there was no scene for this kind of music in the U.S. whatsoever. It was an uphill battle to find musicians, gigs to play, even to have people understand what we actually sounded like, versus preconceived notions they may have had.   That last thing is still true to some extent.

Your lyrics paint pretty vivid pictures. Do you write with a visual sense in mind?

Sometimes.  Sometimes I'm referencing colors or other visual elements to paint the picture I'm seeing in my mind.  Other times, it's more based around emotion or feeling.

Did you like the Zombie version of Halloween?

I have yet to see it, it's on my list of things to watch.  I'm definitely a fan of the original.

Do you see the country element continuing to grow in the band's music?

Sometimes things feel like they're pulling in different directions, but I do see more country in the future. Many fans have suggested a full album of country-influenced material, and that's definitely a possibility for the future.   I love listening to it and I love playing it.

You are obviously a fan of 50's music, do you feel drawn to other aspects of 50s culture?

I do.  Perhaps I lived in that decade in another life. To me, the fifties represent the pinnacle of design and aesthetics -- EVERYTHING looked cool. Furniture, architecture, clothing, cars, guitars, commercial illustration, almost anything I can think of looked better then. There was an optimism about the future and an emphasis on science making a better world for us. We've lost so much since then.