Tigerstate marry minimalist sounds with maximalist perspectives on effortlessly playful “Back To You”

Founded in the eye of the pandemic, the music of indie collective Tigerstate is a palliating celebration of togetherness, freedom, calmness, and colour. All originally connected as members of Oslo’s underground and alternative scene, in something akin to an extended family network, the band has come together to form one righteous alt-pop power-group with their sights now firmly set on the overground and global stages.

A group fully realised in the combination of their individual talents and perspectives, Tigerstate has limitless opportunities at their (collectively ninety-strong) fingertips. A glance at their previous discography emphasises just how all-encompassing and varied their sound can be, from the startling disco synths of previous single “Occupied”, to the hazy organic sounds of “summer nights”, and the bouncy R&B melodies of crowd-favourite “i’ll drink from your cup”. However, whilst each track in their armoury may be tinged a slightly different shade, all remain within their distinctive palette of psych-pop.

Latest release “Back To You” marks the second in their current self-titled debut album campaign, Tigerstate, and comfortably fits within this established and expansive sound. Speaking of the track, the band describe ““Back To You” is a slow, but dancy track about love and longing. It’s wondering whether the protagonist’s lover is longing for her as much as she longs for him. The track is inspired by the dancy and lush sound of disco, as well as the rich harmonies of Brazilian Bossa Nova.”

Opening with a few beats of funky keyboard distortion, and quickly transforming into a richly layered pop-tilted orchestra of strings and percussion, the song conjures imagery of melting colours oozing from the speaker across tables and up walls. The cool and unwavering assurance in lead singer Bethany Forseth-Reichberg’s vocal tone is the perfect contrast, glossing the track with a minimalistic and effortless feel despite the hubbub of its plucky and playful production.

In the track’s accompanying one-take music video (directed by Fahil Anweri), this sound has been materialised into a beautifully stripped back aesthetic routinely punctuated by moments of fun, campery, and personality. “We wanted it to capture the mood of the song, but also the playful nature of the band,” they explained.

“Back To You” leaves listeners - or tiger cubs as the band affectionally calls their followers – with a lasting impression of the soothing ease and seductive cleanliness with which Tigerstate create their sound. Pertinently, this seems to also be the case in their album to follow. “It is sort of a fever dream, where nothing is impossible,” the band said of the LP, “making this album kind of felt like that. It was like everything came by itself on a conveyor belt. All the ideas and melodies came quite easily. It was meant to be.”

Whilst obvious comparisons can be drawn to the likes of Jungle or Parcels, Tigerstate are a mosaic of influences, imaginations, and instrumentations, and have undeniable potential to attract fans in all different fragments of their sound.