Cage the Elephant continue their tour across the UK and before their show at Rescue Rooms, I managed to get an interview with Daniel Tichenor, otherwise ironically known as Titch (He’s a tall guy). The show was fantastic as expected and Titch had a lot of interesting things to say…
How’s the tour been so far, you excited?
Yeah I mean coming to the UK always has a different feeling, compared to shows in America where they’re normally bigger venues. But with shows like this, these small ones are still so exciting because like you know, we’re going back to those old school times with the big energy in these small rooms.
Would you say you prefer the small ones?
I mean you’ll see how it is tonight, it’s just a different atmosphere. It’s hotter and crazier, the shows just feel more intimate to me.
Where about are you from originally?
We’re all originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky but now we live in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve been there for about 6 years now. Me and the 2 brothers have known each other since we were kids- our dads knew each other when they were younger, probably around early 20s.
So how did you actually meet then?
It was funny like I moved away to this place called Louisville, Kentucky and I had an accident which was near death so I ended up moving back home to Bowling Green and I was at a friend’s house and right across the street Matt and Brad were staying there and we hadn’t seen eachother for a while. So they ended up popping over and we were hanging out and within probably 8 months’ time we formed Cage the Elephant.
I’ve got to ask, how did the name come about?
The age old question. I mean it’s been so long, it’s just one of those things, kind of just a name now. It probably had a meaning at one point, I think it was a representation of our society and something the media forced and it’s like [laughs] it’s too deep you know, take it as you want.
[Laughs] so yeah, what do you think of Nottingham then?
I like it, I haven’t really got to explore too much. I think it’s the 3rd time I’ve been here so yeah I’ve been able to see quite a bit.
When you first started the band together, do you remember your first proper gig?
Yeah I mean it was in our hometown, a place called Tidballs and it’s a local bar. A lot of great bands come through there, I mean it’s kind of like our home place. Every time we release a new album we’ll go and do a show at that place just for those people, just to let them know we don’t forget about them. That was our starting point- it was like 120 people max, really small. There’s a pool table on one level in a room that’s just about big enough for a pool table and there’s one at the back then you have a new area where about 100 people can fit in- it’s a cool place.
I was listening to your new album and it probably is my favourite one at the moment, so I was wondering if you had an album that you were most proud of?
This one for sure. I mean we went through a lot of changes on this album, we lost a band member and you know a lot of times for bands that’s not easy and also Lincoln, we were close friends so it was like losing a friend so you have to kind of reform and you know, come up with a new formula and we were able to figure it out thankfully. We did this album with a different producer also so.
I saw you at reading festival in 2014 and I was wondering what would you say your favourite aspect of being in a band is? Whether its festivals, gigs, recording etc.
I think my favourite aspect is definitely the recording process because you know you’re travelling. That part is fun in the beginning but after a while people start having families, and you know people you love, when you’re on the road, you’re gone for a while and you start missing people so that becomes tough. I mean I enjoying playing the shows no doubt but the travelling part is difficult.
What’s the tour life like then? You into your drink and messing around?
[Laughs] I mean I wouldn’t say we’re saints you know, I’d say yeah- I can’t speak for everyone but I do my fair share of drinking so yeah I would say we’re drinkers, sometimes to cope with people we’re missing from home.
You got any festival plans this year?
Well we’re not really doing any festivals this year, I think right now we have 2 arena tours planned in the states and I can’t really say what’s going to happen with the festivals. Hopefully follow up this year, so hopefully next year in 2017 we’ll be over here doing some festivals.
When you do a new album, you release them and pretty much tour straight after, are you sort of straight back in the studio after that working on the next stuff?
Yeah I mean the process is you tour the album and then we take a little bit of a break. You’re constantly writing songs even when we’re travelling on the road so we’re always aware of the next album so we want to keep sharp and producing new ideas.
Okay well thank you for the interview, it’s been great. I can’t wait for the show.
Thank you very much it was nice to meet you.
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