Pull Tiger Tail

by Mark Deming
In an interview with the British magazine Neu, one of the members of Pull Tiger Tail said that the group was formed because "Our parents made us do it. They all wanted to be rock stars, too." Assuming they aren't kidding, the parents of singer and guitarist Marcus Ardere, bassist and keyboard player Davo McKenzie-McConville, and drummer Jack Hamsom must have started nagging their kids about making it big in music sometime in late 2005, since Pull Tiger Tail made their stage debut in February of 2006. Ardere, McKenzie-McConville, and Hamsom were childhood friends who were born and raised in Stratford-on-Avon and were attending Goldsmiths College when they decided to form a band. Coining their name during a lengthy road trip while visiting the United States, Pull Tiger Tail draw their music from equal portions of guitar-fueled Brit-pop and arch indie pop, though the bandmembers are fond of referring to their sound as "new rave." After the group relocated to London, Pull Tiger Tail's sharp, energetic music and cheeky humor made them a popular club attraction, and only seven months after making their stage debut, they released their first single, "Animator," on the independent label Young and Lost Club Records. The single sold out its limited-edition pressing, and the U.K. label B-Unique Recordings (home to the Kaiser Chiefs and Primal Scream) signed Pull Tiger Tail to a record deal, putting "Mr. 100%" in stores in December 2006. In 2007, Pull Tiger Tail were invited to take part in New Musical Express' annual New Music Tour, where they shared the bill with the Rumble Strips, Blood Red Shoes, and the Little Ones. In March 2007, the band released its third single, "Let's Lightning," with a fourth single, "Hurricanes," following in June.