Fond of Tigers

Fond of Tigers
Background information
OriginVancouver, BC, Canada
GenresPost-rock
Years active2000–present
SpinoffsLimbs of the Stars
MembersStephen Lyons

Morgan McDonald JP Carter Dan Gaucher Skye Brooks Shanto Acharia

Jesse Zubot
Websitefondoftigers.com

Fond of Tigers is a Canadian seven-piece post-rock instrumental band from Vancouver. An article in Exclaim! describes the band's sound: "with cacophonous explosions of percussion and guitar underlying wild strains of trumpet and violin, only to drop out for unexpected, ambient glimmers of a once-roaring piece."[1]

History

The group began in 2000 as a solo project of guitarist Stephen Lyons. After Lyons' indie rock group Beauventure[2] disbanded, Lyons performed solo, and soon began playing along with tape loops and recorded sounds.[3]

In 2003 the project expanded to become a full band. Band members include Stephen Lyons on guitar, JP Carter on trumpet, Morgan McDonald on piano, Jesse Zubot on violin, Shanto Acharia on bass, and Skye Brooks and Dan Gaucher on drums. In June 2006, they released the debut album, a thing to live with. Their second album, Release the Saviours, was released on November 27, 2007.[4]

Fond of Tigers' third album, Continent & Western was released on Sept. 21, 2010; it appeared on the !Earshot National Top 50 Chart soon after,[5] and it won a Juno Award for best instrumental album in 2011.[6][7] The albums were released on Vancouver-based label Drip Audio, operated by Jesse Zubot. Their third album, Continent & Western was a co-release with Offseason Records.

The band has performed at festivals such as the Vancouver Jazz Festival[8] and the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville,[9] the Guelph Jazz Festival, Hillside Festival,[10] PuSh Festival, the Sled Island Music Festival, and Sappyfest.

After a hiatus of several years, in 2016 the band reconvened and released an album, Uninhabit, once again through Drip Audio, in conjunction with Offseason Records.[11][7] In 2017 they were nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award.[12]

Lyons also leads Limbs of the Stars, which features Acharia and Brooks.[13]

Collaborations

Fond of Tigers has collaborated with Swedish musician Mats Gustafsson and Toronto's Sandro Perri.

References

  1. ^ Khanna, Vish. "Being Fond of Tigers • Interviews •". Exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  2. ^ "Head of the class - Buttless Chaps". The Georgia Straight. 2006-09-21. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  3. ^ Conner, Shawn (2006-06-29). "Tigers continue to evolve | Vancouver, Canada". Straight.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  4. ^ Signal to Noise, Volumes 49-51, 2008, Page 79.
  5. ^ "The National Top 50 For the Week Ending: Tuesday, October 26, 2010". !Earshot.
  6. ^ "Fond of Tigers". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  7. ^ a b "Fond of Tigers Uninhabit (Drip Audio)", Georgia Straight, Alan Ranta on December 23rd, 2016.
  8. ^ "Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, Vancouver". Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  9. ^ Programming — 24th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (2006 Edition) — FIMAV Archives
  10. ^ Ritchie, Matthew (July 25, 2016). "Fond of Tigers, Island Stage, Guelph ON, July 24".
  11. ^ "OFFSEASON RECORDS". offseasonrecords.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  12. ^ "Western Canadian Music and Industry Awards Announce Nominees". Vancouver Sun, Stuart Derdeyn. April 26, 2017.
  13. ^ "Limbs of the Stars' Heartwarmongering is a thinking person's musical feast". The Georgia Straight. 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2023-11-10.