Tiger Army’s Nick 13 Goes Country

Listening to singer Nick 13’s self-titled, solo country debut, you might be surprised to learn that for the past 15 years he has been the singer/guitarist for the dark rock trio Tiger Army. A longtime admirer of country western and Americana music, a style that has occasionally found its way into Tiger Army’s music, Nick’s solo songs are more autobiographical and direct. 

During a tour stop in Nashville in 2008, the idea of a solo record was born. “It was something so inspiring, being there, and the music that you hear on every street corner, I remember being on Broadway and knew when I had the chance I had to make this record,” Nick 13 explains. “Recording [country songs] was always a high point of making [Tiger Army] records for me.” 

Raised in Ukiah, California, Nick 13, born Kearney Nick Jones, grew up listening to punk rock but always found comfort in its Americana roots. “I’ve always been one to explore the roots of things and follow those threads backwards,” the singer says. “I’ve always been interested in the influences of my influences. One of the things that I noticed about punk early on was with early American bands like The Ramones, and The Cramps, a lot of ’70s punk was basically a revved up, and simply more aggressive version of ’50s rock n’ roll.

The singer is also a fan of the term Hillbilly music. “Some people look at it as a derogatory thing,” he comments, “but that’s what country music was called in the ’50s. The phrase country music ponders a different image when it comes to what is being done today, and there are so many people that really dig the old stuff and are turned off by the term country music, so I avoid it.”

During a standout performance at the Stagecoach country music festival, playing before headliners Ray Price and Merle Haggard, a brand new audience took to Nick 13’s music, proving the singer was onto something special. A Los Angeles resident for the past 11 years, the songs on Nick 13’s first foray into country began away from home but needed to be completed in familiar territory.

“This album was the first time that I ever traveled to write. I went to Nashville and lived there for a little while. There’s so much to take in, from live music and from a historical standpoint there. It actually wound up shaping the record in other ways. I realized I wanted to make a record that reflected the heritage of California country as well — that was true to who I was, combining the best of the Tennessee country tradition with the California country tradition.” 

With the upcoming fourth annual Tiger Army Octoberflame festival, celebrating the band’s 15th anniversary, in addition to a solo tour, Nick 13 is anxious for audiences to experience his latest endeavor.

“I hope people take away an appreciation of traditional root styles because some people think they don’t like country music because of what’s happening now on the radio,” Nick 13 offers. “But a lot of them do like Johnny Cash or Hank Williams, and there are so many great artists from that era that are a part of that tradition.” 􀀀

Tiger Army’s Octoberflame takes place October 28th and 29th at the City National Grove in Anaheim. For more information, visit www.nick13.com.