UTG VIDEO PREMIERE: Lily and The Tigers – “The Hand You Deal Yourself”

April 29th, 2014

Matthew Leimkuehler

Lily and the Tigers are not complacent folk music. It is not a band comprised of mere sensationalistic tendencies; the type of folk that listeners hear in mainstream radio play — it is delivered unvexed and outstandingly. The latest release from Lily and the Tigers, The Hand You Deal Yourself, is a remarkable record full of complexities not often found in the genre, while still being able to please the easiest of folk lovers. Under The Gun Review is excited to team up with Lily and the Tigers to bring you the brand new music video for the record’s title track, “The Hand You Deal Yourself.” The video takes the viewer on a trip through a sardonic universe that parallels such a unique track.

Click the “Read More” button to view the brand new video and to check out an exclusive interview with upright bassist Adam Mincey about the concept of the video, the recording process on The Hand You Deal Yourself, and what the band will be up to for the rest of 2014.

UTG: Thanks for the time today, Adam, and congrats on the release of The Hand You Deal Yourself. How has response to the record been?

AM: The response has been extremely positive. I think people have felt intimately connected to it. We aimed to take the listener on an emotional journey and have been grateful for the amount of people who have had a moving experience with the album. Again and again, journalists have connected imagery of nature — which makes sense because all of our instruments are made from wood! But, of course, we are also inspired by the woods! One journalist even proposed that, “you can almost hear the wind in the maple trees.” Even today during a radio interview the DJ said it was as if we were playing to her while she was sitting on her back porch. And that is what this is about, connecting with people!

UTG: You guys are touring a lot. Which of the new songs have best transitioned into the live show?

AM: All of them! We have been really excited about the new album and can’t help ourselves but to want to play each song night in and night out. We have especially enjoyed performing “Beaumont” recently because that song is about hitting the road and being free! We are currently on tour so this song has become our tour anthem! Also the song “Just a Memory” has taken different shapes each time we play it. On the record it was recorded with electric guitars and a Rhodes piano. But because we are traveling in a Toyota compact car we can’t seem to fit the piano in it–and trust me we have tried. So anytime we are playing a venue that has a piano we jump for joy! But unfortunately most of the pianos haven’t been tuned in what seems like a decade!

UTG: We’re premiering the video for the title track today. Tell me about the concept of the video.

AM: The concept is based around the strength tarot card. It’s about discovering the shadow side of oneself. Even if at times it seems overpowering or dark, the idea is learning not to fear this but embrace it. We all have a shadow side that we tend to ignore or tuck away. The strength comes from accepting and growing from that. We had the chance to shoot this video on one of the few snow days Atlanta had this winter. So, we took advantage of the snow as a representation of the introspection that often accompanies the cold, dark winter.

UTG: You recorded the record in rural Vermont. There are a lot of places where you can become isolated in this country–why this particular area?

AM: We have always felt very connected to Vermont. Casey lived in Burlington in 2009 and has always been very inspired among the mountains in Vermont. So, when we were put in contact with our producer, Steve Askew (who lives in Warren, VT), it seemed too good to pass up. The setting was just ideal. We camped on the Mad River and passed two waterfalls every day going to the studio. Billboards are illegal in Vermont, only moose crossing signs exist. They just get it.

UTG: What do you think stands out most about your band on this record?

AM: Growth! Coming back down to a trio we have learned to listen to one another and have a stronger dialogue within the song writing. We also had more time in the studio, which allowed us to get what we really wanted rather than settling for what we had within the few hours allotted.

UTG: What’s the rest of the year look like for you guys?

AM: We are currently out on a seventeen-day tour around middle America. During summer we will be touring regionally in the south. Also, we are currently booking a three-week tour in Europe. We are planning to book solid shows in larger cities and then hop around busking train stations and city streets. Maybe we’ll learn a few French folk songs along the way and drink some nice Boudreaux.

Purchase Lily and the Tiger‘s new record, ‘The Hand You Deal Yourself’, today.
Written and conducted by Matthew Leimkuehler (@callinghomematt)