Lily and the Tigers

was recommended to me at by my friend George Pettis (Wowser Bowser, 100 Watt Horse) at first and then again by Amy Godwin – both of them insisting I listen to the band. After playing through the first few songs of Hiding ’til Dawn, my heart had been won over. I’d fallen hard. I called home to let them know I was in love. Not with all six members of the group per say, but with the beautiful product of their collective grief, celebration, yearning, and contentment. The album is a forthright display of artful talent, observant thought, and a largely kinetic creative energy that I can’t wait to see transposed into a live set. The group will be making a special appearance in Macon at The Hummingbird Stage & Taproom on Friday, June 28th as main support to sunDollars. They have a number of other dates upcoming listed on their website. I had the pleasure of speaking with ringleader Casey Hood about family time, life in the big city, and what to expect when you visit the Clermont Lounge...

This question is a take on one I recently asked the members of The Last Bison, but seeing as you’re a similar-sized band, I was curious as to the responses I’d get; Bands often describe themselves as a “family” once they’ve spent a bit of time on the road together. Like with any family, the bond is built by overcoming hardships, developing trust, and learning that sometimes you have to put someone you love in their right place, whether it’s easy or not. If you could pinpoint it to a specific moment(s), is there a point in the band’s timeline where this bond became wholly apparent?
"There is so much love in this band and many a time we have called ourselves a “family.” Every time we are together I feel this, but when we’re on tour it is most evident. We’re playing together, laughing together, sleeping together, cooking together. We move as one and it’s a beautiful bond that is formed. One of the first times I remember having this feeling was when we were on tour in March of 2012. After playing a great show at this incredible place called the Victoria House in Beaumont, TX, we were determined to feed a house of about 30 folks dinner. We were all dancing around the kitchen creating what wound up being the most incredible meal. We were on such a high from being on tour and playing all these great shows along the way. Here we were, this family unit, cooking a feast. We stayed up into the wee hours that night filling this house with music. That’s one of the first times I realized how great the love was between us all."

Atlanta is a big city. I wouldn’t consider myself a “country bumpkin” by any means, but it’s still a bit overwhelming when I visit. Personally, what have any of you done to avoid getting caught up in the “speed of your surroundings” and remain clear-headed and dedicate to living lives that aren’t fully influenced by the big city mentality?
"Every person in this band is a nature nerd. We love being outdoors. Every now and then we’ll all pile in the car and head down to the Chattahoochee River to get grounded, get our heads out of the nitty gritty city. We also all live in the same neighborhood together. So we keep it real by being able to walk to each other’s houses and just chill on the front porch together."

To follow up that last question, there must be a number of things that you really love about where you live that you possibly couldn’t have if you lived elsewhere, right?
"We do love Atlanta. Going back to your first question about being a family unit as a band, something really wonderful about the music scene in this town is that family element exists everywhere. We are all so close and supportive of each other’s music. People are always collaborating and mixing bands, inspiring each other. That being said, the genres of the Atlanta music are so unique and varied. There are sounds happening here that you won’t hear anywhere else in this country."

You released Hiding ’til Dawn in mid-2012. A year later, how has your relationship with the record changed?
"We still love the album, but it’s definitely a representation of us as a young band. When we recorded that album it had only been a month since we had completely formed as a six piece. We were still forming parts and learning how to play with each other. We had the opportunity to record that album because a good friend of mine was in a recording class up in Tennessee so we were real excited to have the chance to play in a nice studio, regardless of how prepared we were. We drove up there after all having worked all day, went into the studio at midnight and had 8 hours to record the thing. We played, all six of us, together in a circle building this strong energy. Played ’til the sun came up and finished a bottle of whiskey. When we walked out of the studio that morning we were all saying, 'did that just happen? Was that a dream?' So while we love the fact that that is a live album and a great memory of recording, we also look forward to taking a little more time with the next one."

The band was among many Georgia acts that headed West this Spring for SXSW. Give me a brief rundown of what the tour experience was like, but primarily your time in Austin?
"We looove being on tour. This year we headed out to South by Southwest with our good friends Faun and a Pan Flute (who we’ve toured with before). They are a band of 10 people so we were this huge caravan of crazy kids bouncing across the country, taking every town by surprise. This was our second time out to Austin for SXSW and it is a mad house. There is music EVERYWHERE and musicians EVERYWHERE. Sometimes you play a show to no one but the other bands on the bill. Sometimes you’re playing a packed out party. You never know what you’re gonna get. Last year I was determined to book as many shows as we could for the limited days we were there. I think one day we even played 3 sets (not uncommon at SXSW). When we left we all realized we hadn’t even had a chance to take in any new music while we were there. So this year we took one day to check out new music and then only focused on one big show which was an ATL x ATX show my friend Ramon, a local Austinite, and I put together. We featured 5 of our favorite Atlanta bands: Small Reactions, Coco Rico, Little Tybee, Faun and a Pan Flute and Lily and the Tigers. The response from Austin was great. I’m always really excited to show people all that Atlanta has to show and we definitely represented this city well."

Other than being sweaty, what are the bands plans for how you’ll spend this summer?
"The past two summers we’ve done big, national tours. This year we’re holding out on that ’til the spring and focusing on regional shows we can play on the weekends (like Macon!). This is in preparation to record the next album, hopefully starting in August. We have sooo many great songs to record right now. We’re itching to get in there and create!"

Excuse how generic this is, but I’m genuinely interested in this case; What do you love about being in the band that you’re in – with the people you share this experience with?
"I love the love in this band. We are all very close. Every time we’re all up on stage on the last song and I look around at the people I’m making this music with I am overwhelmed with happiness. Every single person in this band has moved me tears before by the way they play. They are so fluid in expressing emotion straight from the heart, to their hands, to their instruments. It amazes me."

Assuming that there are a few of you in the band that enjoy a cold drink every now and then, if there was a mixed drink called “Lily & The Tigers”, what would it be?
"Honestly, probably straight whiskey. We love sittin’ around a fire, sippin’ whiskey and playin’ music." - Sean Pritchard

“After arriving a few minutes late to The Drunken Unicorn, we came in to hear Lily and The Tigers in the middle of their set playing a ragtime gypsy/jazz song with some slightly howly (yet very pleasant) vocals. The song ended with band member Ryan Gregory picking an amazing gypsy Django Reinhardt-like guitar solo. The band, consisting of Casey Hood on guitar & vocals, Adam Mincey on the upright bass, Mikhail Ally on the clarinet, Jared Pepper on the resophonic guitar, and Ryan Gregory on the violin, can range in sounds from the “standard” folk, to middle-Eastern, country, jazz, rag-time, and even “gothic” (as said on their facebook page). Sound engineer, Danillo, of The Drunken Unicorn had Adam Mincey’s upright bass thumping and the crowd swaying during their entire show while a dozen or so dedicated fans sang along to almost every song. To finish off their set, they played a slower country two-step (and somewhat bluesy) song called “No Whiskey in my Coffee” in which the whole crowd was singing “No whiskey in my coffee since my blues have gone away. No whiskey in my coffee since you went away.” Our thoughts? Keep doing what you guys do; The band is very tight, yet still has a laid back sound….almost too laid back. Listeners and readers, mark our words; you will see great things come from Lily and The Tigers in 2012. “ - IMR Indie Music Review

Lily & The Tigers was recommended to me at by my friend George Pettis (Wowser Bowser, 100 Watt Horse) at first and then again by Amy Godwin – both of them insisting I listen to the band. After playing through the first few songs of Hiding ’til Dawn, my heart had been won over. I’d fallen hard. I called home to let them know I was in love. Not with all six members of the group per say, but with the beautiful product of their collective grief, celebration, yearning, and contentment. The album is a forthright display of artful talent, observant thought, and a largely kinetic creative energy that I can’t wait to see transposed into a live set. The group will be making a special appearance in Macon at The Hummingbird Stage & Taproom on Friday, June 28th as main support to sunDollars. They have a number of other dates upcoming listed on their website. I had the pleasure of speaking with ringleader Casey Hood about family time, life in the big city, and what to expect when you visit the Clermont Lounge..This question is a take on one I recently asked the members of The Last Bison, but seeing as you’re a similar-sized band, I was curious as to the responses I’d get; Bands often describe themselves as a “family” once they’ve spent a bit of time on the road together. Like with any family, the bond is built by overcoming hardships, developing trust, and learning that sometimes you have to put someone you love in their right place, whether it’s easy or not. If you could pinpoint it to a specific moment(s), is there a point in the band’s timeline where this bond became wholly apparent?
There is so much love in this band and many a time we have called ourselves a “family.” Every time we are together I feel this, but when we’re on tour it is most evident. We’re playing together, laughing together, sleeping together, cooking together. We move as one and it’s a beautiful bond that is formed. One of the first times I remember having this feeling was when we were on tour in March of 2012. After playing a great show at this incredible place called the Victoria House in Beaumont, TX, we were determined to feed a house of about 30 folks dinner. We were all dancing around the kitchen creating what wound up being the most incredible meal. We were on such a high from being on tour and playing all these great shows along the way. Here we were, this family unit, cooking a feast. We stayed up into the wee hours that night filling this house with music. That’s one of the first times I realized how great the love was between us all.

Atlanta is a big city. I wouldn’t consider myself a “country bumpkin” by any means, but it’s still a bit overwhelming when I visit. Personally, what have any of you done to avoid getting caught up in the “speed of your surroundings” and remain clear-headed and dedicate to living lives that aren’t fully influenced by the big city mentality?
Every person in this band is a nature nerd. We love being outdoors. Every now and then we’ll all pile in the car and head down to the Chattahoochee River to get grounded, get our heads out of the nitty gritty city. We also all live in the same neighborhood together. So we keep it real by being able to walk to each other’s houses and just chill on the front porch together.

To follow up that last question, there must be a number of things that you really love about where you live that you possibly couldn’t have if you lived elsewhere, right?
We do love Atlanta. Going back to your first question about being a family unit as a band, something really wonderful about the music scene in this town is that family element exists everywhere. We are all so close and supportive of each other’s music. People are always collaborating and mixing bands, inspiring each other. That being said, the genres of the Atlanta music are so unique and varied. There are sounds happening here that you won’t hear anywhere else in this country.
You released Hiding ’til Dawn in mid-2012. A year later, how has your relationship with the record changed?
We still love the album, but it’s definitely a representation of us as a young band. When we recorded that album it had only been a month since we had completely formed as a six piece. We were still forming parts and learning how to play with each other. We had the opportunity to record that album because a good friend of mine was in a recording class up in Tennessee so we were real excited to have the chance to play in a nice studio, regardless of how prepared we were. We drove up there after all having worked all day, went into the studio at midnight and had 8 hours to record the thing. We played, all six of us, together in a circle building this strong energy. Played ’til the sun came up and finished a bottle of whiskey. When we walked out of the studio that morning we were all saying, “did that just happen? Was that a dream?” So while we love the fact that that is a live album and a great memory of recording, we also look forward - The Blue Indian

Honesty and earnestness are timeless components of the elemental human nature. That being said, these virtues fall to the wayside in many arenas. The demands of our over-stimulated, media-soaked daily lives are different, and presumably less clear, than what they likely would have been in the past. There is a need for a filter to differentiate between the cheap and the lasting, the sincere and the superficial. Nowhere less than in the musical realm, where faith seems to be required for both the musician and the audiophile in trusting that the radio or viral music of the internet is not a true indicator of the state of art and humanity. Thus, Lily and the Tigers’ soon-to-be-released album, The Hand You Deal Yourself, carries a power and restorative catharsis that grows with each listen.
The album starts off with “Beaumont”, a dusty tribute to the road and the life of a young touring musician. But the tune is not esoteric or exclusive in its sentiments, instead suggesting that freedom and choice — and to each, his or her own — is an enduring opportunity the world proffers to us. The tones and rhythms of the upright bass, played by Adam Mincey, and the resonator guitar and percussion of Jared Pepper push the song along. As is made immediately evident, these components are as integral to the aesthetic of the group as the power of Casey Hood’s from-a-different-era, self-made-woman voice. The album quickly covers ground in styles, and for a three-piece of guitars and bass, establishes immediately that the sound is full and thick. By the third, title track, the statements made in song resonate in a way that initially feels close to admonishment. While said with confidence that “fear is futile, leave your dreams to rot and to waste”, the wisdom of the statement “this is the hand you deal yourself” is not indicting, though it may feel as such; it’s true. We each choose what we put our energy into; we are not slaves to the brief gift of being alive. These are not half-baked or cheaply existential musings; it becomes clear in the power of Hood’s words throughout the album and the coherence of the music by all three members that these statements are actively manifested, well-learned and self-actualized. The next tune, “Honey”, sets the tone from the start, pulling you in with an ominous sparseness — “all the little bees … so high up in the tree … come tumbling down” — that quickly falls into a pulsing, crunchy chorus. Here, as in each track, Hood adroitly navigates in her words the direct and the abstract, leaving space for the listener to develop his or her own significance with the statements.
With the fifth track, halfway through the album — confidence asserted, presence known — the tone relaxes into a different, more elemental offering. ”All Hearts and Hands” addresses with honesty and renewal the question, “Where do you end/and I begin?/it seems I’ve lost the seam”, giving a glimpse into the intimacy that clearly grounds Hood and her partner, Mincey. The melancholy of “Home” seems to be the foil to the album’s first track; the trials of both traveling and daily life weighing heavily, as if an afterthought or a secret, this one affects the listener with the same force as Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine”. As Hood picks up the the electric guitar, and Pepper slides with ease onto the bench at the Rhodes piano, “Just a Memory” makes clear again that though the stories of this album are told with confidence, the thoughts are said more so in confidence. At moments, it feels that Hood is confiding in you, exposing herself and trusting that these are common struggles of the human condition. Never more than on this track, as the nostalgia of a love gone by ineluctably leads to questions that will never be answered. For anyone who knows the feeling, or moreover, D’angelo’s “One Mo’ Gin” from Voodoo, the mood is clear and familiar. The album closer is fitting, nostalgic in a different way, and elicits in the listener the undeniable knowledge that everything ends — seasons, experiences, friendships, phases within life, life itself. This is the sigh, the deep breath, as you watch a formative experience come to a close. This is the resolution to accept, “we’ve given all that we can/to be present in the time we’re in”. Perhaps the most honest track on an honest album, it stands out as perhaps the most evocative.
This is real music: true on all sides, steeped in the experiences of living beings, aware of themselves and the short time they’ve been given. The particular beauty of music as a medium of art and communication revealed. Emotional, philosophical musings aside, the production is as high quality as the music, capturing well and professionally the unique atmosphere created around three people invested in themselves and each other.
In closing, a brief reference to the nonlinear nature of the universe. Be reminded that, though the last track expounds the temporary nature of all things, you can, and will, listen to the album again and again, start to finish. - Deviant Monk

Lily and the Tigers are an unsigned indie folk band out of Atlanta, Ga consisting of members Casey Hodd (Guitarist, Vocals), Adam Mincey (Upright Bass), Mikhail Ally (Alto Clarinet), Jared Pepper (Resophonic guitar), and Ryan Gregory (Violin). Below you’ll be treated to a stream of Lily and the Tigers’ debut album Sojourner ($5) and make sure you head on over to on of their selected social media outlets (below) to show them how much you LIKE them. ENJOY! - Beta

Lily and the Tigers are an unsigned indie folk band out of Atlanta, Ga consisting of members Casey Hodd (Guitarist, Vocals), Adam Mincey (Upright Bass), Mikhail Ally (Alto Clarinet), Jared Pepper (Resophonic guitar), and Ryan Gregory (Violin). Below you’ll be treated to a stream of Lily and the Tigers’ debut album Sojourner ($5) and make sure you head on over to on of their selected social media outlets (below) to show them how much you LIKE them. ENJOY! - Beta

"This mellow act, featuring acoustic guitar and upright bass, is gaining quite a reputation for its airy brand of melancholy folk. Vocalist Casey Hood has a velvety smoothness to her voice that almost contradicts its power. Regardless of taste, it's easy to see that these two have a clear-cut, cohesive sound with a wide appeal. The Tigers are still very much a local group, but their future looks optimistic, with potential for a much wider fan base." - The Signal

When I first received the Lily and the Tigers album, I was kind of concerned. They had described their style as Southern Gothic Folk, which worried me. In general, I know that new or relatively unknown bands try to label themselves to try to help people find the niche that they think they fit. However, I had no idea was gothic folk should sound like. This coupled with their album cover that looked like some 1980’s Hair Metal album confused me further. However, the moment the music started, it began to click.
The vocals that echo through this album come from Casey Hood; they seem to haunt the entire album. The album starts with the sounds of a haunting ballad, reminiscent of New Orleans funeral procession and fades to a guitar and duet, not out of place in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. As the instruments swell, the music remains constant and patient. This style repeats in many tracks, notably Duet in which Casey and Katie Holcombe combine with a powerful guitar to make a song that combines Mountain Man with Pink Floyd. The darkness and vocals give most of the tracks an eerie veneer that coats the album.
Past these tracks, the album does have a wide range. Je suis Perdu feels like an Edith Piaf Bluesy song. While Feel and Heal sounds like an Alison Krauss country gospel song. The Noose takes the sensations to a whole other level with the combination of a building carnival feeling accelerating to almost chaos as the instruments and the vocals nearly lose control.
The album is rough in a few ways. There is a lot of reverb, as to the style, but often it feels unclear; out of focus. There are moments on the tracks where there seems to be background noise that may or may not be intentional. However, this is the charm of local bands. On a cool fall evening, outdoors, this band may be the best show around.
Lily and the Tiger’s debut album is called Sojourner and was Produced by Adam Bruneau of Cave Paint Records. Listen to it at http://lilyandthetigers.bandcamp.com/ and pay to download the five tracks, you won’t be sorry. - The Dude Letter