Meet Toy Tiger. Pop hooks, harmonies, and all things catchy fill Alex Clark's album which he released by the name Toy Tiger. Clark has been a part of many musical projects in his lifetime, but never something as solo as Toy Tiger. After picking up this album, you are in for 12 classic pop songs, featuring even the near obligatory song named after one's woman. Clark can tell us more.
LC: Describe your music to someone who has never heard of you.
AC: Like The Beatles, but worse. Like, if Paul McCartney wrote a song in 1971, but it didn’t make the album RAM. But seriously, I would say the music is probably considered pop-indie-rock. Catchy hooks are something that I strive for in every song that I write. Plus, harmony!
LC: What’s your musical background?
AC: I grew up in a very musical family who had a dance band called Next of Kin, so my brother and I would spend Friday nights at the VFW hall listening to their gigs. To us, they were the biggest band in the world. My dad (guitar/vocals), aunt (vocals), uncle (lead guitar), uncle (bass), cousin (drums), cousin (keyboard) and my mom singing harmonies while running sound. Doesn’t get much more ‘family band’ than that! At home, my dad would teach me guitar chords, and I would run off to my room to work on them. Eventually, in high school, I joined a band called North Jordan and got into writing.
LC: Where does the name Toy Tiger come from?
AC: As a kid who grew up in Fern Creek, in order to get to the Highlands, we had to drive north on Bardstown Road past a lovely establishment called the Toy Tiger. Being too young to understand banana eating contests and jello wrestling, all I saw was the incredible neon sign of the tiger holding a martini glass, and I was convinced that I wanted to be in there. Even though my music probably wouldn’t have been booked there, I think it’s a good band name. Plus, non-Louisvillians don’t have the hard rock/wild nightclub association. And if they do, I think that’s great.
LC: What are some of your musical (or non-musical) influences?
AC: The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Dr. Dog, Ben Folds, Phish, Bob Dylan, Crash Test Dummies, Panic! At The Disco’s ‘Pretty. Odd.’ album, ELO, Oasis/Noel Gallagher, Steve Reich
LC: What are the best environments or times for you to write music and/or lyrics?
AC: This changes all the time. In college days, it used to be late at night in my bedroom where I had a little recording setup. Recently, I’ve had the best luck in the morning, in the five extra minutes I have before walking out the door for work. I’ll usually end up with one or two little melody or lyric ideas, even if they are totally incomplete thoughts.
LC: You played most of the instruments on most of the self-titled album you released last year. Is that a difficult process when recording?
AC: In some ways, it’s more difficult, and in a lot of ways it’s a lot easier and quicker for me. Since going through audio school at Indiana University, I’ve always had a recording setup at home, and I have a habit of over-producing demos. So many of these demo recordings end up turning into the final versions. I tend to write very quickly, record very quickly, and not go back to re-write lyrics or re-record. Sometimes that’s good, and sometimes a little more time goes a long way.
LC: In what role or behind what instrument are you most comfortable?
AC: Guitar. I play bass in another local band, Adventure, and played drums in high school marching band/pep band, but guitar is my first instrument and definitely what I’m most comfortable with. I took piano lessons briefly when I was young, but when I wanted to learn Elton John songs, the teacher wanted me to play London Bridge is Falling Down single notes. I lost interest…
LC: What's one thing that could improve Louisville's music scene?
AC: Backlines at local venues (i.e. drum kit and bass amp/cab, at least). I lived in Brooklyn for 3 years, and just about every venue I played at least had a house kit, because of the inconvenience transporting those in cabs. For a little extra money, venues around here could do that. Typically, that means better sound as well because the audio guy knows how to mic the kit in the room, etc., and it’s better for my back. Did I mention I have a bad back? That might be the real reason I said backlines…
LC: What can we expect from Toy Tiger in 2015?
AC: I would love to release an EP this year, and play out a little more often than we have been. I have a couple of songs that I want to record with the band, and that’s the plan over the next couple months. Is the YUM! Center booking? I’d like to play there in 2015.
LC: If we were to find you at one local establishment, where would that be?
AC: Heine Brothers for caffeine, Groucho’s for karaoke (RIP), Tim Tam for a bucket of beer and shuffleboard, or Yesternook for junk shopping.
Photos provided by Alex Clark.
