Q&A: P.M.Tiger
☆ By Jeffrey Kelly ☆
ON A MISSION TO "BRING DANCE BACK TO ROCK" - one band born of Clearwater, Florida's sunny weather and beaches, rose to the occasion. Paper Mâché Tiger, a rock ensemble consisting of Jordan Rosenberg, Joshua Rosenberg, Max McEwan and John Bruno, have integrated lively guitars and rhythmic keys to create an exciting rock sound that sets them apart from other bands. With their music, P.M.Tiger, works to empower their listeners "to feel comfortable being weird."
After releasing three singles in 2018, P.M.Tiger is back with their debut EP, Questionable Things, a three-track tour de force that welcomes listeners to their unique rock sound. And with all of the proceeds from its sales being donated to bail out local protestors in their community, this EP and its creators showcase a connection to more than just music. Along with their new EP P.M.Tiger released a music video for track number three on the EP, "It's Gunna Hurt."
Read below to learn more about their new EP, music video, creative process, and an upcoming full-length album.
LUNA: For those unfamiliar, would you mind introducing yourself?
P.M.TIGER: Hey, what's up, we are P.M.Tiger, aka Paper Mâché Tiger from Clearwater, Florida. The band has been together for two years and consists of Jordan Rosenberg (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Joshua Rosenberg (Keys/Vocals), Max McEwan (Bass/Vocals) and John Bruno (Lead Guitar/Vocals). Our mission is to bring the dance back to rock.
LUNA: You've recently released your EP Questionable Things - congrats! Can you share a favorite moment from the creative process?
JORDAN ROSENBERG: While we were recording vocals for Nostalgic, after struggling 3 or 4 times to get some good takes, we turned off the music and put only the click track on. I nailed it on the first take without anything, right key and pitch, and those are the final takes that went on the EP. It was just meant to be that way!
JOSH ROSENBERG: I wrote the key sections on my own for “It's Gunna Hurt”. It was one of the first songs that I have been capable of doing that for. I brought it to the band, and when they liked it, it felt so good.
MCEWAN: The intro/main riff in the track Nostalgic is something that I had heard in my head, and I struggled to play it on the guitar. I couldn't stop practicing to be able to play it. It annoyed Jordan and Josh so much that Jordan went on to figure it out on his own and sent me "the annoying riff" in a voice recording after work one day. After Jordan had learned it by ear, the whole song came together very quickly. I am super stoked that it made it onto the EP.
BRUNO: My favorite moment was writing the solo for It's Gunna Hurt. I wanted to go for a classic rock vibe but throw in some odd, dissonant notes. The chromatic run at the end I improvised, and it just flowed into the chorus in a great way. When I got to perform it Burt Reynolds style for the video, I was so stoked.
LUNA: What are some of the key sonic elements making your sound yours?
P.M.TIGER: The combination of our guitar tones, Jordan's vocal timbre, and the way we integrate synthesizers and keys, set us apart from others in our genre.
LUNA: Are there any common themes or narratives throughout the EP?
P.M.TIGER: “Questionable Things.” We wanted to do whatever we were feeling in the moment, no matter how odd.
LUNA: Which track was the most difficult to finish? Why did you decide to stick with it?
BRUNO: "I recorded and mixed the EP. Hands down, the hardest part was getting the vocal mix right. We went back over it dozens of times; I think we ended up with close to 30 versions before we got it to a point where we were all happy. It was disheartening, but I am glad it came out the way it did."
LUNA: What's been inspiring you lately?
P.M.TIGER: We inspire each other, we live and breathe Tiger. When we plan and hear new music, the excitement is contagious.
LUNA: It looks like the "It's Gunna Hurt" music video was a lot of fun to make. How involved do you tend to be with curating the visual side of your work?
P.M.TIGER: We are 100% involved; we collectively came up with the concept and narrative for the video. We also did our own wardrobe and set design. We believe that the aesthetic surrounding the music is nearly as important as the music itself, especially in the internet age. Shout out to Sean Maple and Freddy Marschall for making our dream come alive.
LUNA: What do you want your listeners to take away from this EP?
P.M.TIGER: We want our listeners to feel comfortable being weird and being themselves. Join the Tiger Cult.
LUNA: I know things are very up in the air these days, but do you have any upcoming plans or goals you'd like to share?
P.M.TIGER: Hell yeah! We just finished tracking drums, guitar, and bass for our upcoming full-length album. We have big plans surrounding its release that we can't wait to share with you, and hope to see more of the country next year, maybe even other countries.
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