Ukrainian three-piece band that has taken the sound of classic power pop/indie and coaxed it into the 21st century, Eat Me Tiger features Nicholas Timoshchuk on guitar and lead vocals, Max Gumennyy on drums and percussion and their new bass player Serge Semyonov.
Formed in 1999, their first band, called Pomaranch, participated in almost all major Ukrainian music festivals including Tavriyski Igry (Tavriya Games) and Perlyny Sezonu, where they won the Best Rock Band title in 2003. Named “Discovery of the Year,” Pomaranch toured stages all over Ukraine, having played in both small club scenes and open-air gigs. But they were not willing to drive themselves into the fixed commercial music formats of that time. In order to avoid any associations with Victor Yushchenko’s Nasha Ukraina political bloc when the Orange Revolution burst out in late 2004 (the band’s old name, Pomaranch, means “Orange”), they became Eat Me Tiger, with a completely different sound and English-language lyrics. Their hit single and video “From the Underground” rotated on radio stations and Ukrainian music TV channels. Heading to reach international acclaim, they released their next single, “Morning Sun,” from their forthcoming debut album called “Global Warming.”
KP: Whose idea was it to organize a band?
Nicholas: When we met with Max, he was already playing in a group, and I was looking to create my own band. However, it so happened that nothing came of Max’s band. Later Sasha, our first bass player, joined us. We started out jamming in a small smoky room in a Kyiv suburb, Voskresenka. Our band was called Shlim-Brim and sounded like crazy punk rock. Initially, we played only English-language songs. We’ve got almost five songs in this style.
KP: Who writes the songs’ lyrics?
Max: Nicholas is our ideological inspirer.
Nicholas: Sometimes, I come up with a completed tune. Other times I’ll bring the guys an idea without a precise melody or lyrics, and we figure it out together. Sometimes, a new song appears while we’re just jamming at rehearsals. Every time it happens in an absolutely different way. Actually, we started playing English songs only because it turns out more natural. It’s easier for me to write lyrics in English. It’s more interesting and enjoyable. And music sounds better.
KP: How important was music for you growing up? What artists/bands have had the most influence on you?
Max: While I was in the 10th grade, my older brother got together his own rock band. They found all musicians except for a drummer. And I decided to try. While I studied to play drums, his band split and I had to look for another band. As a child, I didn’t intend to become a serious musician. I only wanted to play music. At first I listened to various dance music, then I listened to all of Metallica’s albums. Eventually, I chose American alternative rock, such as Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Incubus, System of a Down, Muse. I still like to listen to Slipknot, but more for the drummer’s technique.
Nicholas: I wanted to be an artist since I was a kid. When I was a teenager and my parents weren’t at home, I often took screwdriver because it reminded me a microphone and sang along with music played on a tape recorder. Once I saw an electric guitar on TV and it got me. My first electric guitar was a chopped off hockey stick with a glittering iron ruler fastened to it. I rocked out and imitated the stage image. Later, the very first song I learned to play on a guitar was “My Girl” by Nirvana. I also listened to Queen and Led Zeppelin, but it was more for education. What I really love now is U2; it’s probably my number one. After that – the Police and Sting. They are fundamental. There are also newer bands that have already become classics. These are John Mayer for sure, Amy Winehouse, Simply Red and The Killers.
Serge: In my case, everything began quite strangely. When I was a kid, it was popular to take kids to piano lessons. In kindergarten, every little girl took piano lessons. I didn’t. I thought, why can little girls play piano and I can’t? I asked my parents and they sent me to music school. After a while, I switched from piano to guitar. I realized that playing a guitar is the coolest thing ever. I was simply fascinated by how my uncle played guitar. My uncle gave me my first guitar and taught me. During that time, I listened to my dad’s Beatles and Pink Floyd records. However I’m still mostly influenced by the Beatles, Garry Moor, and Sting.
KP: How would you define Eat Me Tiger’s music?
Nicholas: Basically, Eat Me Tiger can be classified as Brit-pop indie. But now we are feeling like introducing something else in, too. Max is the most alternative. I can listen to anything – from Chemical Brothers to Ray Charles. Sergey prefers even older music. The only way to succeed is to mix styles.
KP: What kind of sound shall we expect from your debut album?
Max: Changes in the band’s members influence the quality of sound. We had a period without rehearsals when we just thought and chose priorities for ourselves.
Nicholas: We’ve got a lot of material. But we don’t want to rush. The debut Eat Me Tiger album should become a sensation. We released our first single, “Morning Sun,” from the debut album and are now receiving feedback from our friends, fans and just people who have already listened to it.
KP: Describe the fans of Eat Me Tiger? Who’s your audience?
Serge: It’s people who are interested in good, quality music.
Nicholas: Those who filled Palats Sportu at Muse, Placebo, Brian Adams, Faithless and Black Eyed Peas concerts. Our aim as musicians is to play good music based on our music tastes, beliefs, feelings, emotions. If talking about the concept of Eat Me Tiger and attempts to make it more popular, we will not be led by only local consumers’ musical preferences.
Eat Me Tiger
Sept 28, 9 p.m.
Pyvna Bochka (17/1 Moskovsky Prospect, metro Petrovka, 461-8788)
