Swan Sting: Sticking With It

Interview with Tiger Really, a Vancouver, B.C. band

By Sol De Ugarte

This story has been edited since publication to correct a source’s name.

There is a feature on Spotify called “Discover Weekly.” It is curated weekly with new music. One night, I found myself listening to this playlist. When the bittersweet guitar and vivid imagery of "Dry Heave” by Tiger Really started, I was instantly hooked. A month later, their debut album, “Swan Sting,” was released, keeping the same melancholy but hopeful tone from “Dry Heave” throughout. I, again, was obsessed instantly.

The Vancouver, B.C. band’s name is rather fitting in this regard. Lian Shao, the lone member of Tiger Really, says that the name has an interesting origin: “at the time, [the tiger lily] was my ex’s favorite flower, which is a terrible thing to name your band after.”

He laughed but continued saying, “It represents sticking to something, even if it’s not the easiest thing to stick to.”

His style blends emo with jazz, indie rock and punk. You may think that jazz is a random genre to throw into the mix, but there is an element of the style that makes every song special. The attention to detail, both lyrically and musically, is astounding — even now, in my umpteenth listen-through, I notice new things. It was only recently that I realized “Sadako” was referencing the girl from the videotape in “The Ring.” Despite, or maybe because of, all the layers, there lies a feeling of freedom at the heart of the album. Many of the songs are melancholy, and yet there is still that sense of hope for better times ahead.

When I asked him about what he wants his music to sound like in the future, he said, as a friend put it, “I just want to have [music] that sounds insane, but also delicate.” 

These are evident tones in music that have already been released. Even just one song can have a quiet moment that leads into lyrics sung with so much emotion that Huang’s voice breaks slightly. While some parts have many layers, others may only have vocals and a quiet guitar. This contrast provides a dynamic listening experience.

My introduction song, and later the opening song in “Swan Sting,” hit especially close to home. It seems to depict the fear of change. There is a terror in making choices that may or may not pay off — doing the wrong thing could cause you to change your entire path. This is especially evident in the lines, “What if I’ll never be the person that I/Swore I’d give my everything to be,” and “Maybe I’ll never be the person that I/Swore I’d give my everything to be. 

I asked what was behind this word change. Huang said, “Sometimes things change. It’s kind of impossible to make everything go the way you want, and that’s okay.”

As a current college student mostly unsure of what my future may hold, this album speaks to me on a very profound level. It’s reassuring to see these exact emotions portrayed in such a strong way.

Tiger Really is going on tour in the U.S. right now! They will be playing at the Karate Church on March 23rd with bands Sterosity and Pseudovision.