Tigers & Flies: A Joyful Rebellion
Picture this: a London basement, sweat-damp walls, amps humming like drowsy hornets. Tigers & Flies, mid-set, staring down what they thought might be their final bow. Then - darkness. The venue’s power snaps off. Silence? No. A swell of voices rises instead. Fans, word-perfect, singing their songs back at them. Guitars unplugged, drums stilled, but the music - alive, defiant, communal. In that crackling, unscripted moment, the band's purpose has never felt clearer. This is why we play.
Formed in Manchester’s lecture halls during COVID’s chokehold, Tigers & Flies (Arthur Arnold, Eddie Wigin, Arvin Johnson, Matteo Fernandes, Risha Alimchandani) emerged not just as graduates, but as alchemists of joyful noise. Their 2021 debut Among Everything Else - a sold-out, critically adored 10" vinyl hinted at brilliance. The 2024 Nervous Entertainment EP sharpened their post-punk-meets-jazz swagger. But it’s 2025’s Smashing Scene EP that captures their rebirth: four tracks of wiry guitars, brass-knuckle horns and Arthur’s lyrics slicing through modern malaise.
What fuels them? Pure, unadulterated joy. For Tigers & Flies, rehearsal rooms are sanctuaries. Plugging in isn’t so much routine as a ritual. When Matteo’s trumpet weaves through Arvin’s thunderous grooves, when Risha’s trombone locks with Eddie’s melodic basslines, when Arthur’s voice frays into a shout, the world outside evaporates. This is music as survival: life-affirming, sweat-soaked, and loud. They play like they’re discovering sound for the first time - every riff a revelation, every harmony a shared secret.
Their sound? Imagine XTC’s wit colliding with Gang of Four’s urgency, Orange Juice’s bounce, and The Pale Fountains’ romance. Yet it’s their live shows - infectious, kinetic, communal - that crystallise their magic. Audiences don’t just watch; they join. Loyal followers (a tribe as eclectic as the band’s record collections) dance like no one’s judging, shout lyrics like prayers and remind Tigers & Flies that their music isn’t just heard, it’s felt.
On 5 September, Smashing Scene lands via Violette Records. In October, it merges with Nervous Entertainment on a vinyl LP called Expanded Play - a 100 Limited Edition testament to resilience, unity, and the sheer bloody thrill of making noise together. Tigers & Flies are a beacon. In a fractured world, they offer raucous, radiant proof: when the lights go out, the music plays on.
Turn it up. Sing along. Be part of the joy.
Smashing Scene EP out 5 September 2025.
Expanded Play LP (VIO-082) 100 limited edition, out October 2025.
Live Dates:
28th October - Rossi Bar - Brighton
29th October - Next Door Records - London
More dates to be announced soon.