ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Tigera
Summer Soulstice Music Festival took place on Saturday on Milwaukee’s East Side with musical acts on four different stages throughout the day. Pop rock quintet Tigera took the Farwell Stage at 5:30PM, bringing an engaging and energetic performance to the burgeoning crowd.
Tigera consists of vocalist Devon Huckstep, lead guitarist Ben Koshick, rhythm guitarist Alex Radish, bassist Cody Christian and drummer Dale Smart. They are known for their shoutable choruses, ambitious guitar solos and challengingly emotive lyrics, making for spirited and animated live shows. Huckstep elaborates on the band’s formation, “It all started with the two guitarists and the drummer; they were all in cover groups and wanted to play original music so they formed Tigera. I found them on Craigslist, and the bass player Cody used to work on carnival cruise ships; when COVID happened he got sent back here, and he came into Dave’s Guitar Shop where Ben worked, and the rest is history.”
The band released an EP in 2020 and another in 2021. After a year-long hiatus from releasing new music, Tigera’s single “Love Bound” came out last December along with a music video finding them utilize various local businesses as well as the Milwaukee transit system. “We chose that song specifically to make a music video for because it’s such high energy and it seemed like a good one to visualize,” Huckstep explained. “Sam Kirby came in and really brought that song to life.”
Their most recent single “The Calm Before” just came out at the end of May. Koshick said about the tune, “I think “interpretative” is a good word for it. When we were in the studio recording that song, on our way back I was reading the lyrics and I asked Devon what was going on with him (laughs). Depending on how you read it, it could be either a song for hope or for hopelessness. It somehow tows that line and does both at the same time.”
Keeping their streak going, Tigera have another single coming out this Friday titled “Weightless”. “It’s the song I wrote as I was thinking about how to propose to my now-fiancé,” Huckstep said. “It’s ultimately a glimpse into the future, asking yourself what your life will look like if you make this move. We have a video coming with it too; all five of us are dressed in track suits, headbands and white sneakers doing fitness stuff Richard Simmons-style…it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Tigera are releasing two more singles before their next EP “Be My Light” comes out in August; they have more visuals on the way as well. “The trio of music videos we have coming have a common theme that’ll all tie in together,” Huckstep shared. “You won’t really get to see the whole story until they all come out; Sam Kirby has been a genius and I look up to him so much for how he made this all happen.”
Their next show is Tosa Tonight on July 26th.
