WRCO Live Music Interview with Lucie Tiger

We have an in studio guest.

She brings a lot of power with her Lucy Tiger.

How are you?

I'm so good.

Phil, thanks for having me.

Oh, wonderful to have you here.

So by way of Australia.

Yes.

And Alabama.

Alabama.

Mm-hmm.

To Wisconsin.

That's right.

Oh, man.

You're a world traveler.

I am at the moment.

So you're currently on the radio tour across the area?

Yes.

We're into our third week.

We're back home on Friday, which is good.

We've just done a huge, big circle of the state.

So we sort of started going Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas.

We had to dip down into Louisiana and then back in a West Texas.

And then we had to be in Oregon by Tuesday.

So we kind of took the scenic route and went New Mexico.

And we saw Monument Valley.

And we went back down into Arizona.

And then we had to go through Nevada and get up to Oregon.

And then we had to get over to Idaho.

And then we had to drive through Wyoming

to get to South Dakota and then North Dakota.

And then we got here.

That is crazy.

Yes.

Talking about seeing the country.

So how long have you been in the US then?

So we've been living here for almost a year.

OK.

So did you have some preconceived notions of what you might

see when you went across the country?

Yeah.

I suppose I did.

Some places kind of I was like, oh, that's what South Dakota

looks like, OK.

Or like, oh, that's what Wisconsin looks like.

It was really cool to actually see all the places,

even if we're just driving through.

It's been great.

And I like to say that there's so far,

I have seen no flyover states because everything

is interesting to look at.

And the people that you meet are really nice.

So it's been a great trip.

You're kind of a music veteran.

You've been at this for a few years, haven't you?

Yeah.

I have been.

I've been releasing music since 2018.

And I was so glad to be able to come up to Wichland

Center because you guys have played so many of my songs.

And I feel like I know you guys already.

Yeah, I like that.

It's been great to be able to be here today.

Tell me about your brand new single.

So everybody knows your name is what it's called.

And it is a pretty fun song.

It's not about one person in particular,

but it's more inspired by dating horror stories

of my own and my friends.

And it's also kind of a bit of a nod to the fact

that when you live in a small town, as I'm sure,

everyone in this town knows,

you find out about everything that's going on.

You kind of find out about who is dating,

who, and who is breaking up with who,

and who is cheating on who, and with whom.

And you kind of find out about all these things,

whether you want to or not.

Sounds like a country song, yeah, doesn't it?

Right?

So it's all about that.

All right, well, let's give it a spin.

Lucy Tiger, here's the new one.

I know where you've been.

I know who you've been sneaking up with.

Cause Carol from the corner store,

so you coming out that back door.

I know who you've been sneaking up with.

Cause Carol from the corner store,

so you're coming out that back door.

Don't tell me I'm mistaken.

Don't say it's the truth and then lie again.

Cause better from the fall,

so you buy shots all weekend.

What happens when a small town stinks in a small town

that everybody knows your name?

You can't think of hearts like playing a game

but don't forget everybody knows your name.

You said we were meant to be.

You said you would get down on one knee

but Bailey from the butcher

says you said the same thing to his niece.

You say you're not sleeping well.

Well, I don't see how that's not well at all.

Cause better from the post,

so you with his sister down the hall.

What happens when a small town stinks in a small town

that everybody knows your name?

You can't think of hearts like playing a game

but don't forget everybody knows your name.

You said you would get down on one knee

but don't forget everybody knows your name.

Now I'm done playing eyes

cause I just feel like you're all the dice on us

and daddy's on his way out the door.

That's where he had his 45th.

I don't care what you say

but I won't let you treat me the way

and promise already on the phone

tell him how to come back on home.

What happens when a small town stinks in a small town

that everybody knows your name?

You can't think of hearts like playing a game

but don't forget everybody knows your name.

You can't think of hearts like playing a game

but don't forget everybody knows your name.

Lucy Tiger and everybody knows your name.

As you used to say way back when

before your time in American bandstand

it's got a good beat we can dance to it.

Excellent. That's the idea.

It's got a good beat.

Oh, so awesome to have you.

So let's talk a little bit about influences

growing up in Sydney where you influenced

by Australian artists or American artists?

Not by many Australian artists.

Unfortunately, I used to listen to a lot of music

that my parents listened to.

What you do is a kid.

Luckily, they had some pretty good taste.

They were listening to the Almond Brothers

and Leonard Skinner and lots of really great guys

from the 70s, Boscags and James Taylor

and the Rolling Stones and all that sort of stuff.

I really love that.

Especially the kind of Southern Rock stuff.

I got really into that.

And then I also love, I do love American country.

It's great.

You know, I love Miranda Lambert and Lanny Wilson.

And then of course like Whiskey Mires and Tyler Childers

that sort of like not quite the kind of pop stuff.

You know, I like the kind of slightly different stuff.

It's kind of, it's really interesting.

Good story.

Tell me about Muscle Shoals too

because that's a legendary place for music.

Oh, it is.

And that was the whole thing was that

so many of my favorite albums are recorded there.

And that's why I wanted to go there in the first place

to sort of see what it was like.

This, you know, funny little kind of town in North Alabama.

And, you know, I got there and it was really, really nice.

You know, it's on the banks of a river, the Tennessee River.

There's four little towns that are quite close to each other.

And we now live in the town that is on the north side

of the river called Florence.

And on the south side is Muscle Shoals.

And all the big studios are still there.

You know, I recorded a lot of my stuff in famed studios

where Aretha Franklin recorded

where, you know, Dwayne Orman and Wilson Pickett recorded.

I haven't recorded anything at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

which is where the Rolling Stones did their stuff.

But I have been there.

And that's a pretty cool place as well.

Wow, I bet you can just feel a cool vibe when you walk.

Oh, you can.

You can.

It's definitely very, very, you know, cool and interesting.

You can, like, feel the history.

You brought your guitar.

I did.

Have it in your lap.

You're maybe going to play a song for us, huh?

Yeah, let's do it.

What are you going to sing for us?

Well, let me play a few guys gasoline.

So this is of my 2020 AP call gasoline.

And it was one of the first songs that I,

I think it might have been the first song I recorded in the Shoals.

And it actually went on to win the award

for Best Country Blues Song of the Year in Australia in 2021.

Oh, congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I think it's pretty fun.

I think you like it.

It's got to get me some of that gasoline.

Cause I got them highway blues again.

Well, I'll pack up my suitcase and I'll head for the road.

Smile gets me to just get a bit of quit before I get old.

Just got to get this motor shot.

It's rockin' hey, you call me dollin' again.

Just got to get this some of that gasoline.

Cause I got them highway blues again.

Come on in my kitchen now.

Oh, and I get home here, baby.

That's where I will make those same mistakes.

It's rolling down this highway.

I can see why that goes by overstate.

Just got to get this motor shot.

It's rockin' hey, you call me dollin' again.

Just got to get this some of that gasoline.

Cause I got them highway blues again.

One more time.

Just got to get this some of that gasoline.

Cause I got them highway blues again.

Oh, yes.

That's a great song.

Thank you.

Remember here on that?

Oh, yeah.

And some tricky guitar work in there as well.

Thank you.

Yes.

Oh, Keith Richards is a big influence on me.

So I learned how to play guitar a little bit like he does and use different tunings and stuff.

And a lot of my songs, you know, it's a thing when you're a girl and you get up there and you play guitar and you're just playing like e-cords.

Everyone's like, mm, okay.

And then you kind of tune the guitar weird and all of a sudden you don't have to put any fingers down on the fretboard when you're playing.

People are like, oh my gosh, what's she doing now?

It's like, it's not just e-cords.

So did you watch videos or just listen to records or how did you pick up the style?

Yeah, I would listen to it.

And I could, after listening to a lot of songs, I could tell that it was a different, he'd be playing the chord that I was playing on my guitar, but it sounded different.

And I was like, well, how does it sound so different?

You know, it's the same chord, but it's different, sort of voicing is what they kind of call it in music.

And then I saw him playing and I was like, he's got to have it in a different tuning because instead of making like an e-shape,

he's just doing like that and he's only putting down his fingers over an entire fret and he's not doing anything out.

And I was like, this is crazy. And so then I did a bit more research and I figured it out and I figured out how to do it.

Wow, so you're all self-taught then.

A little bit. I talked some lessons when I was a kid and they really helped.

And yeah, I just sort of always just figured out how to do it and kept going.

Has Keith Urban opened the door for some Australian artists?

Look, I think it's been, it's definitely helpful because it's shown people that it can be done.

And he's really, he's a great role model to follow because he's such a hard worker and he's just a really nice guy from what I understand.

So I've not met him, I'm not related to him.

But he's definitely, you know, helped pave the way to kind of show people that Australians, you know, are pretty cool and we can rock out too.

Absolutely.

Johnny, you're seeing the studio Lucy Tiger on WRC Radio.

So good that you've brought along your father.

Right.

Today, yeah.

You're a family business.

I was going to say you rode in original guitar teacher, right?

Yes, that's it.

Yeah, but he taught me the first, you know, few chords and I went from there.

Awesome. Have you been playing many shows?

Yeah, we've been playing a lot of shows down in Alabama.

It's been really good.

So the shows itself for I live is because they call the whole area where muscle shows is just the shows.

And it's very big with live music.

So every night of the week, there will be multiple options for live music and really good ones too.

So it's been great.

And, you know, I've been playing a lot and I've been playing with a band as well, which is really good.

And we hope to definitely take that band like on tour.

You know, sometimes soon, hopefully sooner rather than later, I would love that.

But I get to play with some incredible people.

I've got in the band playing bass, a guy called Jimbo Hart, who was Jason Isbull's old bass player.

And also like a two-time Grammy winner.

Sometimes I get to play with Gary Nichols, who's another Grammy winner, who replaced Chris Stapleton and the Steel Drivers.

So it's great. It's a great place to be.

And you've had some collaborations with your writing too, haven't you?

Yeah, I've been doing a lot of co-writing recently.

In fact, I've been writing a lot with a guy called Mark Namor.

And if you're a big country music fan, you might know a couple of the songs that he's written like Moon over Georgia.

And that's what I love about Sundays.

So he is great.

Awesome. So that kind of gets you going in the right direction.

How does it go?

So you like to start a song and they finish or how does it work?

Generally, we come into the room and someone might have an idea.

They might have like a line for a chorus, or they might have just like a concept for a song.

And we just kind of work at it from there.

And we usually always come up with a pretty good one.

You've got a song to sing for us.

In fact, I think we played this one earlier this year.

Yes.

Is this also from the new set that you're putting out?

Yep. So this one, I'll play Hummingbird for you guys.

This will be on the next album, Greetings from Muscle Shoals.

And that will be out next month on September 27th.

And I'll make sure to send a few copies up to you guys.

I hope so. How can people get hold of your music?

Well, you can find me on social media at Lucy Tiger Music.

And that is Lucy spelled L-U-C-I-E.

And Tiger spelled just like the animal.

It is my middle name for real.

Is it really?

It really is.

Oh, that's awesome.

Yeah, it's not a stage name, it is my real name.

And you can also download my music and buy merch and stuff on my website,

which is Lucy TigerMusic.com.

If you have a middle name as Tiger,

you're bound for greatness, I think, actually.

Well, I think you're bound for something.

All right, take it away, Lucy.

I wanna feel the road underneath me

Rollin' got no one to see, no way to go, but all I know is

I gotta get going now.

I think you'll see when you see me command

The lane black top engine

I'ma got the stereo turned up all the way.

I gotta let him know I'm coming round a day.

All this street bird wants is to fly away.

I just wanna drive down the unknown name.

How is it?

Get a million miles on the back roads, baby.

Just follow them white lines.

Take the long way every time.

Just wanna run my songs.

Make you feel something.

Gonna aim for a horse tree.

I'm on the shore.

Just one thing.

I'm gonna make that hum bird sing.

Six strings, three calls on the truth.

It's been said a million times that's cause it's true.

It's all I need when I wanna let Lucy sing.

Maybe something might improve.

Use light on my bad side, baby.

Find yourself in my songs one day.

I won't hold back.

I'm gonna die.

I ain't gonna tell no lies.

All this street bird wants is to fly away.

I just wanna drive down the unknown name.

How is it?

Get a million miles on the back roads, baby.

Just follow them white lines.

Take the long way every time.

Just wanna run my songs.

Make you feel something.

Gonna aim for a horse tree.

I'm on the shore.

Just one thing.

I'm gonna make that hum bird sing.

I'm gonna make that hum bird sing.

Come on, baby.

Let's fly away.

We can sing the blues another day.

Come on, baby.

Let's fly away.

We can sing the blues another day.

I just wanna drive down the unknown name.

How is it?

Get a million miles on the back roads, baby.

Just follow them white lines.

Take the long way every time.

Just wanna run my songs.

Make you feel something.

Gonna aim for a horse tree.

I'm on the shore.

Just one thing.

I'm gonna make that hum bird sing.

I'm gonna make that hum bird sing.

Oh, yes.

Thank you.

Hey, familiar song.

Indeed.

Yeah.

Nice job.

Thank you.

Welcome back to the WRCO Studios.

Lucy Tiger is in the studio with us today,

by way of Sydney, Australia,

and Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Some pretty renowned towns there, I would say.

It's been quite a journey.

It's been good.

So let's talk a little bit about the treat you brought for us.

Oh, yeah.

These dairy milk, Carmelo Koala.

They're so good.

Okay, so those ones, there are some Australian things

that you can get on Amazon or, like, in stores

and, like, the international aisle, like Tim Tamms,

which are also good, but Carmelo Koala's,

I think, are, like, some of the best.

They're chocolate.

They've got caramel on the inside,

and they're in the shape of little koala bears.

Yeah.

Okay.

I can't read the nutrition information, though, I don't...

You don't need that.

Oh, okay.

You don't need that.

I think that's metric, so I doesn't mean...

It doesn't, yeah.

No, it doesn't matter.

They don't calculate.

Uh-huh.

The equivalent of a glass and a half

of full-cream milk in every 200 grams

of Cadbury dairy milk milk chocolate.

So it's good for you.

So we can't get these in the country in the US, though.

I think sometimes every now and then Amazon has them,

but we brought a whole heap over from Australia.

Okay.

Yeah.

So now here's another question for you.

Did you bring Vegemite?

Yes.

You did.

Yes.

All right.

We love Vegemite.

We love it.

I love it.

It's great.

I had never tried it.

There was another Australian artist that came through some years ago,

and we tried it, and I actually liked it.

It's good.

Yeah.

It was kind of salty, as I remember.

Yes.

And it's really good for you.

It's got lots of B vitamins in it.

Does it?

Yes.

What is Vegemite made out of?

Yeast.

Yeast.

Okay.

All right.

I don't know how.

I don't know how they go from like yeast plant to like a black spread

that you put on toast, but it tastes great.

Uh-huh.

Popularized in the minute works song.

Oh, yes.

Down under, right?

Yes.

Yeah.

Good stuff there.

And you probably get asked about Olivia Newton-John from time to time.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

She, um, she's definitely, uh, she definitely kind of holds a torch for Australia,

which is cool.

Mm-hmm.

You sound like her when you're talking a little bit, I think.

Yeah.

But you told me you've got kind of, uh, now you've got kind of an Australian Alabama thing going on.

Yes.

Well, you know, it's kind of one of those things.

I love to have, I love to have a chat.

Um, and everyone is always so nice.

And everyone in, in the south is, of course, very nice.

Um, but every now and then, I just got to get like, in and out of Walmart, like quickly.

Or I want to go like through the drive-through.

And they're so sweet.

Every time they hear me talk, they're like, where are you from?

And so then I got to have a comment, oh, so what are you doing here?

How long have you been here?

Oh, oh, where you live?

Oh, you're just around the corner from our cousin.

And I'm just, and it's so sweet and so nice.

But every now and then, I'm just like, hey girl, where are you band-aids?

Because I just want to get like, in and out.

So you're, you're trying to talk like them.

Yeah.

Disguise yourself.

Disguise.

I get it.

Yeah.

Oh, that is great.

Hey girl.

Hey girl.

So what are you going to sing for us before you hit the road today?

Yeah, let me play one more for you.

All right.

It's called Found My Home.

And it was the first song that we, um, the first big song that we sort of sent to kind of,

or maybe the second one.

That was the second one, actually, that we sent to Country Radio.

And, um, it was inspired by a trip that I took with my mom.

And we went to Nashville.

We went to Muscle Shoals.

Uh, we went to Memphis.

We went down a Clarksdale, Mississippi.

And it was a fantastic trip.

And I realized at the end of the trip, I was like, I think I found where I want to live.

And it's in Alabama.

So this is Found My Home.

Well, I'm here tonight in Nashville.

I'm a gas fell.

Took the old highway.

It's my kind of Monday heading for the state line.

I crossed the river on the 43 to the Pets.

And my tree found fame.

I'm flying.

It's found and you don't want to leave.

There's funny old town.

I said, oh, oh, oh, I found one.

I said, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh little house.

Get a dog in a wipe, pick a fence, we'll try to hear.

I found my home.

Now you got to try the catfish on the way to Memphis.

I know it shines there, breathing in the nighttime and always.

When it's raining, across the drain tracks, ten times take the fifth one.

Now I miss if the onion right here, the river all night singing.

About the same old song, I said, oh, oh, oh, without one.

And don't need a drop, no more because I got you.

All of my own.

I said, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh little house.

Get a dog in a wipe, pick a fence, we'll try to hear.

I found my home.

All of my own.

I said, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh little house.

Get a dog in a wipe, pick a fence, we'll try to hear.

I found my home.

All of my own.

All of my own.

All of my own.

All of my own.

All of my own.

All of my own.

Across the river on the 43rd to the fence and my tree found.

They were flowers, found and you don't want to leave.

I miss funny y'all down.

I said, oh, oh, oh, without one.

And don't need a drop, no more because I got you.

All of my own.

I said, oh, oh, oh, oh little house.

Get a dog in a wipe, pick a fence, we'll try to hear.

I found my home.

Lucy Tiger live.

Thank you.

Good stuff.

If you could hand pick an artist that's out there right now to do a duet, is there someone that you would choose?

Ooh, I would love, I'd love to do one with Miranda Lambert.

That'd be so cool.

Well, you were singing that. I was thinking that.

You could do like a rerun of like something bad.

Oh, absolutely.

It would be good.

Well, we'll play that if you really said that would be great.

Heck yeah.

Well, safe travels to you.

Thank you so much Phil.

So nice to meet you in person.

It was so great.

Lucy Tiger live in the studio with us thanks to grassroots promotions for sending us by sending her bias today.