It seems odd that I would be talking to Kansas City act The Republic Tigers not in my hometown of Kansas City, but in Austin. I remember hearing these guys back before they were signed, during the special radio spot devoted to local bands who only had rough demos recorded in their basements to show for their efforts. Yet, here I was talking to a band that had traveled hundreds of miles from our city to play one of the biggest festivals of the country. A band that had jumped from having that rough demo on a local show to having a highly-praised studio release on the label of the music director of shows like “The OC” and “Gossip Girl” and who’s single “Buildings and Mountains” started to find its way onto national stations. 
When you look at it, speaking to these guys in another state only shows how far they have progressed and how much further they’re looking to travel. And if you’re one of those people who thought that the only good band to come out of Kansas City was The Get Up Kids, then you really need to get with the times and check the Republic Tigers out.
Bethany, PopWreckoning: You guys were one of the first signings to Alexandra Patsavas' label.
Republic Tigers: The first.
PW: K, the first signing and from that you've gotten a lot of play on shows like "Gossip Girl", which I kind of label as a guilty pleasure of mine. How do you feel about having songs on a show like that?
Kenn Jankowski, The Republic Tigers: It was a guilty pleasure and now its not. I think it is a good show.
Justin Tricomi, The Republic Tigers: It is a good show.
PW: Yeah? So you watch all the episodes?
Marc Pepperman, The Republic Tigers: I think the whole nation agrees that it is a good show. The ratings would be way lower than they are, so it is a lot of people's guilty pleasure. We're honored to be on it.
Ryan Pinkston, The Republic Tigers: Yeah. A lot of A.D.D. scripting, but in a good way.
PW: Haha. So how has play on shows like that affected you?
KJ: I don't know. I think it has definitely reached a younger crowd that we probably couldn't have touring. We do a lot of shows that are like 18 and over and 21 and over. So that gets it out and introduces us to a bunch of people that wouldn't be able to hear us any other way, essentially.
PW: Yeah, that's true. You guys were actually my first 21 and over show ever when I turned 21.
RP: Really?
MP: Awesome. No way?
KJ: How old are you?
PW: 22 now. That was, I believe, February 29, 2008.
RP: 2008?
PW: Haha, not that I've memorized the exact date or anything.
RP: No, that's awesome. Where was it?
PW: The Record Bar.
RP: Ah, nice. The Record Bar.
PW: Best first 21 and over show ever.
JT: That's cool. That's so awesome.
KJ: Did you hear about us through "Gossip Girl"?
MP: Though, you are from KC.
PW: Yeah, I heard you guys on 96.5 the Buzz actually.
KJ: Cool.
PW: Yeah, that actually brings up another one of my questions. The song that I heard originally by you guys was "Patterns" and you don't play that anymore and it doesn't seem to be released anywhere.
KJ: I don't know if it will be the same where it was played on the radio, but hopefully it will end up on our next record. There are things where we need to rework in that song and I think I figured out they key to it vocally in the chorus and verses.
JT: It is a brilliant song, but we just… we're perfectionists.
KJ: Yeah, I was jogging in place, while I sang the verses and I had a cold on the second verse because I sang them a month apart, so it happened quickly, at least the lyrics did and all the vocal parts. We definitely want to see it done as well. We do hear about it a bit, so we do want to see that as maybe one of the tracks. We have to work on them a bit and they have to go through the filters of each one of us and hopefully it will be exactly what we want.
RP: It always had good reactions when we played that song, so we can't just let it disappear.
PW: I know and I never had the privilege to hear "Patterns" live, but I heard the new ones like "Whale Song" and "Kingsley" a few times.
KJ: Cool.
PW: Are there other new songs that you guys have in the works?
KJ: There's one called "Living the Now" and a lot more with no titles that we've been working on, at least no for sure titles yet. But "Living the Now", that's a for sure title.
There are a bunch of songs with pseudonyms.
RP: Yeah, whatever we titled the file on the computer, that is our idea.
KJ: “Line Leader”? That might not stay through, but it might. “Line Leader” is a good title.
MP: We're often in the studio and consistently working on new ideas. And everybody has them. 
PW: Kenn, I know that originally you were doing a lot of the stuff, yourself, vocally. So what is the writing process now and how has that changed, especially now with a solidified line up?
KJ: Vocally, well, it is still the same. I mean, but it has always been collaborative as far as the songs go musically—like with everybody.
RP: We'll get an idea and we'll have a file on the computer or whatever we use to create the idea, and we'll have a handful of those and Kenn will start working the vocal melodies.
KJ: Yeah, I will actually be seeking more help from everyone with vocal melodies and things like that. "Kingsley" and "Whale Fight" literally came from the title of the song that Ryan came up with for those songs, so they're…
RP: Almost temporary as titles.
KJ: They're the lyrics now.
RP: There's always, like whatever title I get, it's always some word or the first thing that comes into your head, but Kenn made a good point saying that it is like, whatever may come to your head, that title is whatever that song makes you feel at that moment.
PW: OK. So you're laying down the instrumentals first for those, then title, and then vocals?
KJ: Yeah. Although actually, “Living the Now” was done lyrically first. I had kind of a Nada Surf vibe in my head, but nothing directly from them. I just kind of had a feel and in like viewing them on stage a bit, I just kind of, you know, I had to write. I actually watched an episode of “Gossip Girl” that made me cry a little bit [Ed. Note: K, let's be BFF! -J], and then I wrote the lyrics to “Living the Now”.
PW: So maybe you'll be hearing that one on an episode of “Gossip Girl” someday.
KJ: Yeah.
PW: That kind of leads to this other question, on your album, you guys do a lot of looping and stuff like that. How do you translate that into your live show? How do you adapt your album songs for that?
KJ: I'm sorry, we do a lot of what?
PW: The effects and layers and loops, which are really cool sounds, but hard to do live.
KJ: Oh the things that are impossible to do live we have coming from the computer. Our sixth member. Because it is impossible to do it.
JT: It counts for the 7th, 8th, and 9th [members], as well.
KJ: And honestly, really the only concerts where I ever really completely enjoy are concerts like Blonde Redhead and Flaming Lips you know? Bands that use a computer because you’ve heard everything else and it is just not awesome enough unless there is a computer present in my opinion.
JT: And then it sounds like the CD, but you kick it up a bit. It’s great. It’s nice. you definitely don’t want to sacrifice what was written for…what was that?…Keeping it real, that kind of thing.
KJ: I think we keep it more real than a lot of the laptop bands.
PW: Yeah, well sometimes you see somebody with a microphone and all they have backing is a laptop, but you guys do have real instruments.
KJ: Yeah, everything you see us doing, we are doing.
PW: Are there challenges with performing with a computer?
MP: Not really, we just have to have a really solid drummer named Justin Tricomi and everything else is just…
JT: Yeah, that’s a good point, you have to have a really solid drummer.
KJ: Every band that I’ve been in for the last 15 to 20 years has had the background of a keyboard or some kind of a computer thing going on. It’s something I’ve always loved personally and I don’t feel about it. It’s my roots honestly.
JT: Yeah, we’ve all adopted it.
PW: OK, that leads to a question that I have specifically for you. With Golden Republic you were doing guitar duties, right?
KJ: Yeah
PW: What is it like to now be a frontman for a band?
KJ: To be the frontman is a little more stressful, I guess. I can’t really explain it. You’re constantly able to ruin a lot of things.
PW: So more pressure.
KJ: Yeah, more pressure. I don’t like that.
PW: You guys have been very successful as far as Kansas City bands go. You have all these songs on TV shows and you were on David Letterman, but I also know you’ve had to keep a lot of jobs aside from the band. How do you feel about the state of the industry that you have to do stuff like that?
JT: Times have changed. So you take the top and bottom: where like back in the day if you wanted to listen to somebody’s record, you had to have the vinyl and if you didn’t have the vinyl, you couldn’t even copy it like a cassette. If your friend has a record that you want to borrow, he can’t listen to it anymore. It is as simple as that. So if you wanted to possess it, you had to go out and purchase it. Obviously, cassettes came and that made it so you can copy and soon that took it to a computer, which took it to the next level. So that affects if for sure, but at the same rate, there’s also a big benefit to that because of the exposure.
The whole reason why we’re here at this point, beside just the music and beside the band itself is because of the internet. So in my opinion it is kind of a toss up. Give and take. It changes the industry sure, but it also moves it faster. Bands back in the day had to tour for years and years in order to get stuff around. Now you can be a band for a year and have hundreds of thousands of people hear you, which I think is the case for somebody that Atlantic just signed. I can’t remember her name, but she’s new and won an award in England and doesn’t even have a record out.
RP: M.I.A?
PW: I’m pretty sure she is signed.
JT: But yeah, she doesn’t have a record out and she got signed and now she’s going to put the record out. She got the award based off of the music she has on the internet, so that’s an incredible thing. 
KJ: And the internet is why you’ve heard “Patterns” and “Whale Fight”.
PW: I did hear “Patterns” from the Buzz, actually.
RP: They snagged “Patterns” from the internet.
MP: We offered it as a free download.
KJ: I think they got it from the internet and then we heard them, we heard Jeriney playing it on the Buzz and a few months later we gave her a CD. “Patterns” probably was actually on the CD we gave her.
PW: Wow. I just assumed that you guys had sent that in to the Buzz.
MP: Yeah, we love the Buzz.
PW: And they do support you a lot. I’m not sure if you were aware, but I heard you were the most requested song for awhile with “Buildings and Mountains”.
JT: That’s awesome. they have done absolutely nothing but good for us and we couldn’t thank them enough for what they’ve done. It is hard with radio bands and radio right now. And even the industry with radio has changed to the point where you can’t-there’s a lot of pay to play issues going on and even with local bands that radio stations love, most of the time they can’t play them, so for 96.5 the Buzz to stick their necks out and play us quite often really says a lot for the support they’re trying to give us and also just as important, the support they’re trying to give the Kansas City music scene because they understand what happens if somebody starts to kick it up. It creates a buzz for that talent and it motivates people I think, other bands, to really get their stuff together. It makes it so it doesn’t seem so far-fetched to get to that point. Like it could happen soon. So yeah, we thank the Buzz for that one.
RP: Yeah. I agree with that.
About this point Anya Marina begins playing on the stage closest to us.
PW: OK, well since it just got a lot louder, I’ll wrap this up. For a final question, you guys have worked with a lot of Kansas City artists, like I know you have worked with Olympic Size for some of the backing vocals on the last album.
KJ: Yeah, Kristin Paludan.
PW: Who else do you see up and coming out of the Kansas City scene?
JT: I personally like the Life and Times. Allen Epley is an amazing songwriter.
PW: They are at SXSW, did you guys catch them here?
JT: Yeah, I saw their show, it was amazing. Allen Epley has been around for a long time and he’s always been writing good music. They’re about to put out a new record, it is amazing, we’ve heard it and I love it. They’re doing great. I, personally, that’s my pick.
MP: Yeah, mine too, we played with them at New Years. They’ve taken a lot of influence from us, sitting at home writing a lot of music and then once or twice opportunity knocks and really getting it done. They’re a three piece. Their EP is really good.
KJ: Cowboy Indian Bear.
PW: I’ve heard of them, but yet to catch them.
KJ: You’ve got to. They’re really good. They’re from Lawrence, well not Lawrence, but the area. My friend Marty is in that band. Martinez Hillard and they are awesome. they opened for Musee Macinque at Record Bar and I got their CD. It is three songs that I have and it is really good.
JT: I haven’t seen them, but I have heard a lot about them.
KJ: They will be on our next bill locally. They have to be. I’ll be very angry if we don’t get them.
RP: Yeah, Forester played me their CD and it was pretty great. I was blown away and like, “Holy shit this came from KC?”
KJ: Marty from Jen Say Kwahs.
RP: Yeah, which were a good band.
PW: They were. That’s who I saw open for you guys the first time.
KJ: Yeah, they’re good.
JT: There’s always more, but those are the ones off the top of our heads.
PW: Sounds great. Thanks.
The Republic Tigers: myspace | @ Chop Shop Showcase
Keep Color Price: USD 13.98 38 used & new available from USD 7.48 Related Posts
- March 31, 2009 — Chop Shop Showcase @ Brush Square Park: East Tent, SXSW, Austin TX (3)
- July 11, 2008 — The Republic Tigers - Keep Color (0)
- April 7, 2009 — Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside (0)
- March 13, 2009 — The Get Up Kids Filmed 24-Song Reunion Set @ Liberty Hall, Lawrence KS (0)
- February 23, 2009 — Anya Marina is Amazon’s “Deal of the Day” (0)
- February 18, 2009 — N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo (0)
- February 9, 2009 — Getting Down with the Grammys (0)
- February 6, 2009 — Anya Marina @ Tin Angel, Philadelphia (3)
- December 15, 2008 — Interview With: Jessie Baylin (0)
- December 11, 2008 — The Night the Buzz Stole Christmas: Jack’s Mannequin (3)
Subscribe to the feed version of popwreckoning in a feed reader.
