Time To Wander

"Just seeing how people take it in, it's a buzz because you live with five songs for so long it's [just] nice to let everyone have them.” Chris Collins is down at the beach and it sounds like he's in a great place, literally and emotionally. Tigertown's new EP Wandering Eyes came out last month and the Sydney quintet's guitarist/vocalist has been loving the ride, enjoying fan feedback and finding intrigue in their interpretations. The most important vibe, though, still remains their own.

“It's always one of those balancing things. We definitely try and write like no one's listening, just write for us – that's how Tigertown started,” he says. “So we try and hold onto that because [we] know that's how you make the best music, but at the same [we're] always thinking about the listener as well.”

Before being finished down in Melbourne, the bulk of the five-track was put together in the Blue Mountains with Belles Will Ring's Liam Judson, the blissful setting proving the perfect place to create the melodious foundations of Wandering Eyes. Collins cites the process as a fun holiday rather than work, with life balance maintained through simple pursuits alongside the music.

“We love cooking so we had some mad cook ups there – it was great,” he tells. “It was only tricky because the drums were right next to the kitchen so we couldn't really cook while we were doing percussion.” So, will the eager fan hear oil crackling and knives chopping if they listen close enough? “It's possible I reckon,” he laughs, “because I know in some of the vocal takes we were preparing dinner as well.”

The choruses across the record are stunning, and it was a by-product of the scenery change. Typically Collins and his wife (co-vocalist Charlie) have treated the songwriting for Tigertown as a bedroom pursuit; Wandering Eyes marks the first time the five of them got into a room together and just let their natural energy run free.  

“We stretched ourselves with the singing, and tried to do some old school stuff like all sing on the one mic, do it piece by piece,” Collins explains. “And as soon as we did it we [listened] and it instantly sounded like Fleetwood Mac or America, so we were really excited, but that took a bit of getting used to. But just because it's such a classic way of doing it we really loved it.”

And they've got chemistry in spades, what with two sets of siblings and a husband/wife combo intertwined in the ranks. Now all that's left for this modern family is a complete soundtrack of their lives. “It's been a really good build up to make a full record,” Collins agrees. “It's at the back of my mind all the time at the moment, because I think it's such a big thing your debut. But we're definitely starting to think about it now; it's a dream of ours.”