Tiger Army played their first show at seminal California DIY venue 924 Gilman in 1996. A trio with guitar, stand-up bass & drums led by singer, guitarist & songwriter Nick 13, the band’s sound is a unique blend of punk and Midcentury rock 'n' roll, emphasizing songwriting and melody.
Four albums were released on Hellcat/Epitaph, starting with their self-titled debut in 1999. Heavy touring continued through the end of 2008, when they wrapped the cycle for ‘Music From Regions Beyond’, produced by the legendary Jerry Finn. The album yielded the single “Forever Fades Away” and their highest visibility with favorable reviews in the ‘New York Times’ & a national TV appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’, yet they’ve always been outsiders to the mainstream, authenticity never compromised.
Nick 13 switched gears to play Americana music solo, releasing & touring a self-titled album on Sugar Hill Records in 2011. Tiger Army continued in a limited capacity, still playing ‘Octoberflame’, a multi-night SoCal festival curated by 13 (which had its tenth installment in 2019 with 2 sold out shows at The Wiltern in Los Angeles) and known for the band’s different setlists each night featuring deep cuts, surprise covers & guest musicians.
The band returned to full-time status in 2015 with the recording of 'V •••–' (their fifth album), released the following spring on Lunatone/Rise & supported with extensive touring over four continents that lasted into late 2017. 2018 saw the release of the tiki/surf themed 'Dark Paradise' EP. 2019 was marked by the creation & release of 'Retrofuture', their sixth full length LP – they managed to tour in North America, Germany & the UK before the pandemic struck.
Tiger Army is known for its passionately devoted fanbase, with thousands sporting tattoos of lyrics, song titles, or the band’s signature “TigerBat” logo. Any set is a journey that takes the audience from romantic ballads like “Dark and Lonely Night” or the Rock en español “Mi Amor La Luna”, to high energy stompers like “F.T.W.”.
They celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2021, come see what’s led to the longevity for yourself at a live show when you can!