Tiny Fighter are a fast rising Indie-Pop duo from Stockholm and Melbourne who have recently released their critically acclaimed new single ‘New Century’.
Here we speak exclusively to Tiny Fighter to find out more about their new music, future plans, band name and much more;
Growing up who nurtured your love of music?
I grew up in a relatively non-musical family so was largely left to my own devices when it came to exploring music. Fortunately growing up in Melbourne, we were well-serviced by amazing community radio such as RRR and 3PBS, who specialised in wonderfully weird and amazing underground and indie sounds. The contrast with the MOR adult contemporary dominating the airwaves at the time could not have been more pronounced and I was hooked! The other major influence was movies. I used to go to films just to listen to the soundtrack. This was always way more important to me than the actors or even the plot. To be honest I still do this – if I see a Clint Mansell or a Nathaniel Mechaly or Max Richter on the bill I’ll see a film for that reason alone. I think this is also why music videos are so important to us, the idea of pairing the right visual with the right sound to maximise the emotion. There’s nothing better!
When did you both realise music was your calling?
It was a slow bubble. I’ve always struggled to be precise about exactly why I love music and I think that’s part of its attraction. A depth of meaning and feeling that I’ve rarely experienced elsewhere. It’s almost like food, but a pleasant hunger – a deep satisfying need to hear that song or watch that music video. For some people it’s books, for others sport. I guess for me it’s music. If that isn’t too melodramatic!
If you two weren’t performing what would you be doing as a career?
I’m a doctor during daylight hours – arguably about as far away from being a musician as possible! But that said you would be surprised just how many clinicians and physicians also play a musical instrument. From my experience, science and music are not mutually exclusive – they are complementary and overlap considerably. Listen to Aphex Twin, Squarepusher or even Duke Ellington and tell me there is no science there!
How did you two meet?
After relocating to Stockholm from Melbourne I was keen to put together a band just to have some fun and play a few shows. Very fortunately for me, Therese answered an ad I put up on a local online noticeboard. After getting over the shock that someone so talented was not already in a band we quickly found that we worked together really well. Even though I cannot speak Swedish at all!
How did the band name come about?
I’ve always liked the idea of the underdog, struggling against adversity, persisting against the odds. I had an image of a little fighting person, like a tiny little toy soldier. Not in any context of violence, more so one of protection. Of keeping someone safe. It resonated. That and I liked the way it sounded!
You have recently released your single,”New Century,” how would you describe the song’s sound?
I love a good indie-pop song and I love a good driving song. So, we tried to create both. New Century started life as a perhaps slightly misguided attempt to replicate an early Midnight Oil song – I always loved the spiky, post-punk, chorus-laden sound of their early records. Then we just layered over some pedal steel. Which on paper sounds like it shouldn’t work. But I hope it does. They did this all the time in the nineties! So yes, I guess it does sound a little like 90s indie.
What inspired the track?
I’ve been kicking this song around for a year or so, but it wasn’t until Therese came along with that amazing vocal that the song was truly realised. It’s about reinvention, personal reinvention, and how difficult it can sometimes be to action a dream. If you watch video what we’ve try to do is to extend this idea visually, by using a 360-degree camera to bend and distort regular, everyday landscapes into dreamlike exaggerations of their normal selves.
When can we expect a full length album from you?
We hope later in the year. We have that nice problem of having too many songs. Our hope is to release a couple of singles first, hit the road, drum up some interest and then unleash a proper long-player!
Do you have any touring plans lined up?
We will soon be announcing a run of European dates followed by Australia and the US later in the year.
What are your long term career goals?
My whole aim with this project was to make music we enjoyed, have fun and if one other person who wasn’t me enjoyed our music then that was a win. Of course, 2 people are better than 1. 100 even better! We’ll see you out on the road and take it from there!
Make sure you follow Tiny Fighter on Twitter @TinyFigterz to keep up to date with all their latest music and tour news!
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