I didn’t know what to expect from Tiger Army as I waited for them to take the stage, but judging from a cross section of the fans in the crowd, I knew I was going to see something refreshing and different.  When you mention the name, fans seem to come out of the woodwork nowadays, and the band’s following is loyal for a reason.

Start with a sound reminicent of airy bands like The Cure and various crunchier 80’s punk icons, toss in some 1950’s style and attitude, wrap it all up in thoughtful lyricism, and there you have it: Tiger Army.  Founder/singer Nick 13 took a few minutes out to answer some questions for me this month…

S!: What exactly does the term ‘psychobilly’ mean to you?

Nick 13: Well, musically, it combines punk and rockabilly in some way shape or form.  But beyond that, it’s a rhythm, a feeling, a way of life.

S!: Your music has a pretty diverse sound. What other genres do you place yourselves in?

N13: It’s hard to categorize our music - it draws on many, many things. “Psychobilly” is still the best single word to describe it.  Elvis pushed rock’n'roll forward in 1954.  The Ramones pushed it forward in 1974.  The Meteors pushed it forward in 1981.  I almost feel like it would be more heretical to let it stand still than to do it our own way and bring in our own influences, which happen to range from 50’s rockabilly and country to 70s/80s punk, postpunk and UK darkwave.

S!: It’s always mentioned that you share geographical roots with AFI.  What took the two bands in such different musical directions from one another?

N13: Some would say they’re not that different, but we grew up listening to most of the same bands, a common pool of influence - early punk, early hardcore and postpunk/darkwave from the Cure to Joy Division.  It was a bit more diverse and eclectic because there was no scene, no shows, no local bands apart from ourselves in the area we grew up in.  From that center, they got more into what was, at the time, new school hardcore and later electronic music, whereas I went backwards a bit more into rockabilly, country and various kinds of American roots music.

S!: Any specific bands that you drew influence from for the latest album, Music From Regions Beyond?

N13: Most of the influence was internal, or absorbed so long ago that it’s subconscious.  New Order and to some extent Joy Division are obviously there on “As The Cold Rain Falls.”  That’s the only one that really springs to mind.  80s straightedge hardcore was one of the influences on “Hotprowl.”

S!: What, specifically about these bands influenced you?

N13: When I was learning guitar, long before I heard New Order, I came up with things that were very Peter Hook-esque (their bassist).  The riff to ATCRF had that feel to me, and it suggested the drum arrangement as a kind of homage.

S!: I hadn’t really heard of you guys before last summer’s Warped Tour, but now that the name is in my head, I find fans everywhere!  Do you think that the rockabilly/psychobilly sound is anywhere close to hitting the mainstream?

N13: Not really, but I suppose the mainstream is a bit more eclectic these days as the music industry falls down around us, so who knows?  It seems like there’s less of a mainstream period these days, I think people do a bit more of their own exploring, which I think is a good thing.  That’s not to say I’m against success, because I’m not.  It’s just that I don’t see the people who drive around in trucks listening to rap in the U.S. ever embracing Tiger Army or anything else with psychobilly or rockabilly roots.

S!: Would you even want it to, or do you prefer to stay somewhat low key?

N13: Well, one thing that people into subculture like to ignore is that sometimes a bit of exposure can be healthy.  What I’m thinking of is the 90s at Gilman Street.  At one point I was watching Green Day and Rancid there, then they both blew up nationally.  The result was that a lot of new kids became interested in punk and started going to shows.  Many eventually started their own bands and it was a good thing for the scene in the long run.

S!: If you had to recommend one of your songs to hook a new fan, which would it be and why?

N13: Wow, that’s a tough one.  Maybe “Afterworld.”  It represents a lot of sides of the band - the psychobilly element is there, the speed, but also the melody and the atmosphere.

S!: Lineup changes are a necessary evil in a band, and yours have been covered to death, so I won’t ask about them…however, if you could ADD one musician to your lineup (living or dead, any genre), who would it be and why?

N13: How refreshing!  Specifics are hard to think of, but I’ve daydreamed about the idea of adding a second guitarist who could layer incredible fills over the songs - Johnny Marr?  Or someone with an incredible voice to do some songs that emphasized vocal harmony.  But all that being said, there’s a real balance to Tiger Army as a trio that seems to work, I’d be a bit reluctant to tinker with that.

S!: Thanks for your time! Anything else you’d like to say?

N13: We’re really looking forward to returning to Australia!  We had a great time on our first tour in 2005 and have been wanting to come back ever since!  Check out http://www.tigerarmy.com or http://www.myspace.com/tigerarmy for all the upcoming dates, a Perth show was recently added!  See you in march, TxAxNxDx!!!

• MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/tigerarmy