Tigerleechs singer Sheby have been so nice and answered some questions about he group and this was done in july-2021

Please tell me a little bit history of the group?

-Tigerleech is born in 2013. I (Sheby/singer) create the band with three guys, but I knew they will not stay any longer in the band. Their investment in the project was small. We did an ep 4 titles in 2014. Olivier (drums) arrived then Fabien (guitar) in 2015. Gabor (bass) joined the band in 2017. We recorded the second ep. Gabor left for a while and came back. We recorded the first album « The edge of the end » in 2019. During all that time we did some shows in Paris and France but not enough because of the instability of the band. Loïc (drums) joined the band last year. I think we are in a better mood now (laughs)

Please tell me a little about every member in the group right now, age, family, work, interests and something bad about everyone? Earlier bands? Other bands on the side?

-Gabor (bass) is from Hungary. 37 years old. Physiotherapist. He likes bodybuilding, motocycling, drinking beers and playing bass. He had a band (The Void) in Hungary, did two albums with them.

-Fabien (guitar) is 27 years old, works on music softwares. He likes climbing, playing guitar and played in  « Town Of Sand ».

-Loïc is 25. Works in a shop of electronic smoking. He likes playing drums, had a band (U-Bilam). He also plays in a Grind band (GZP)

-I’m more than fifty years old. I’m a runner on gigs. I practice some sports. I played in Smegmatics, Ancalagon (that became Mass Hysteria, a very famous band in France)

I can hear much different influences but mostly Stoner/Sludge and I think sometimes about Killing Joke, Amebix and Rage Against the Machine too? Favorites from the past?

-Of course we have many influences. Killing Joke (definitely for me), I didn’t know Amebix and RATM (how is it possible to avoid them ?), but we don’t have that funk, hip hop touch they have. We like 90’s bands like Alice in chains, Soundgarden, Pantera, Prong, COC, Life of Agony, Rollins Band….   also Red Fang, Crowbar, Clutch, Deftones, Down ….  We are a stoner/sludge band with hard-core and metal influences.

Tigerleech are you satisfied with the name? How did it came up? You weren’t afraid that some other band would be named like this? Which is the best bandname you know?

-Yes we like it very much. It’s a mix of two very different animals. At the beginning of the band, we were looking about something with leech. I saw a video about a tigerleech, wich is a big yellow and black leech who attacks crabs…. No big deal with another band with that name, we have goods lawyers (laughs).

There are so many bands with a good name, but the important thing is to do good music….  

What´s the best thing with playing live?

-We do music for playing live. We do our music to share it with people, to feel vibes of the audience. We have this chance to play music and say what we want to say, so we try to do it the best we can.

And where is best to play? And the worst place?

-At this moment, we did more bars than clubs. There are many places to play in France. All the bands know that a shitty place is where the owner don’t give a shit about music. You don’t have a meal, you have two beers to share…. This means these guys don’t have any respect about their own place…. We did very good shows in some crowded little bars. No matter the place you have to do your best in front of ten or thousand people.

How is to play this sort of music in France right now? Which types of bands do you have concerts together with? Do you miss playing concerts right now? Have you planned any gigs?

-As I said, there’re many places in France. No problem to play loud. We played with different styles of band, from grunge to hard rock. We missed a lot playing during the covid pandemic. We had almost ten gigs in 2020 for the first album, all cancelled. The second album will be out the 8th october, and we will play in Paris the 9th november. I’m booking some dates for winter 2021 and 2022.

How would you describe your music in three words?

-A mix of stoner, sludge and hard-core

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle? I know you don´t play punk but I think I hear some hardcore in the background…

-We all like hard-core sound.

I told you I’m more than fifty. I fell into punk when I was fifteen. I had no choice because my two older brothers were in. They had a band « The Trotskids ». They made a tour with GBH in the eighties. I’ve seen many bands (Ramones, The Damned, UK Subs, GBH, The Clash, ….).Punk is also a life style, a way of thinking. I like the DIY of the american punks. I still apply this way of life every day.

Which song/album or group was it who took you into music and playing yourself?

-My parents listened to old fashion french sound. With my brothers, we first listen to french pop, then The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and some bands from the seventies (Status Quo, Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin,…) Then Punk arrived wit huge impact. Then the nineties with all these fabulous bands. Early I explained that my brothers created their punk band….I had to do the same.

What shall a young guy do today to shock their parents as the way we did when we were young? They have already seen everything ?

-It’s true it’s not easy for kids to shock their parents. They can’t do it with music even if French hip hop is awfull (laughs). There was a huge gap between our parents and us. The fact that we were in a rebel mood gave us the ability to be closer and understanding towards our children

How is it to live in France right now? Politically? Fascists? Covid ?

-France is still a nice country to live. But like some countries all over the world and some in Europe, we have the menace of being ruled by the extreme right. The fault lies with previous governments which were incapable. At each election they get closer to power. It may be unfortunately that they have the power for five years for people to realize that these assholes are dangerous.                                                 

About Covid, the government sailed blind. sometimes by making good decisions, sometimes bad ones. The covid taught us to live under a dictatorship between smoldering fire and confinement. The only positive thing is a Big warning for humans to take care about earth.

Is there any good bands from France right now? Is the punkscene/metalscene/hardcorescene big ?How is it in your hometown?

-Yes of course, we have very good bands in France (Gojira, Hangman’s chair, …). Yes these three scenes are big but I think they should more mix and support each other

What do you know about Sweden? Have you been here sometime? What is typical Swedish?

-I’ve been two times in Sweden. I like very much north european countries. My wife is half danish. I don’t know so much about Sweden, sorry.

Have you heard any good bands from Sweden?

-ABBA (laughs) sorry wrong answer. We like « Horndal » « The Hives » »Entombed » »Meshuggah » that’s all.

Your lyrics, who does them and what influences you? Never in french?

-I write the lyrics. It’s about life, death, relationships, love, ecology, often in a dark way. I prefer to write and sing in english for the moment but may be one day……

Is there any subject that you never will write anything about?

-No….if I'm inspired and if my words make sense.

Politic and music, does it goes hand in hand? Which is your most political song? Is it important to get out your opinions in music?

-It’s a choice for a band to talk or not about politics. When I was younger, I didn’t give a shit about it, but now it pissed me off and I’m very angry about  these assholes ruling our lives. Same old shit since so many years. On our second album, there will be two songs about politics and the elite.

« I’m against it » « Ode to the elite ».

It’s not that much important to get out our opinions, but sometimes to yell at malfunctions is good.

Best political band/artist?

-Dead Kennedys, Sepultura, more punk and  hard-core bands than metal bands I think

Do you think that music(lyrics and so on) can change anyones life, I mean people who listens to music?

-Sure it does, it has changed my life. It can give you strenght, it can make you cry. You read lyrics of a band and it goes right to your heart because it happened to you….

Your favorite recordcover alltime? Who does your recordcovers? And do you have any good recordstores in your hometown?

-London Calling « The Clash » For our first album it was the drummer Olivier, for the second it’s a friend. There are two or three good record shops in Paris but they unfortunately tend to disappear.

Is it important to get out physical records of your stuff? Why or why not? Vinyl, CD, cassette, what do you prefer if you could choose whatever ?

-Yes I think it’s important because in music (especially in rock) guys are still collectors. For the moment we do cds. One day if we get more money, I think we will do it on a vinyl. Vinyl is the best support, this has never been equaled…. 

Please tell me a funny thing which have happened during your career and under some gig?

-It was in the nineties with my band « Ancalagon ». We played with Biohazard and Clutch. It was a mess, a remake of spinal tap because we were very stressed. I fell because I tripped over the microphone wire. the drummer was wrong in the songs and the guitarist unplugged his jack while playing…..a nightmare!!!

How does your audience look like? Which people do you miss on your concerts? Which is the biggest band you ever have played together with?

-Our audience is a good mix between metalheads, punk or hard-core guys and normal people. We played with small french bands for the moment.

Please rank your five favoriterecords, five favoriteconcerts and five most important things in life?

-Records : - Soungarden « Badmotorfinger » -Corrosion of Conformity « Blind » -Bad Brains « I against I »  -Prong « Cleansing » -Cro-mags « The age of quarrel »

Concerts : -Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, Suicidal tendencies, Ramones, Prong.

Life : Love, my wife and two kids, music, food, wine (I’m french !)   

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?
-First one is a compilation of « The Who » (64/74). The last one is the last album of Gojira « Fortitude ». I’m not an absolute fan and I didn’t have enough money to spent a lot in a record, so I buy records with a normal price.

Is it boring with interviews? Is it much interviews?

-No I like interviews even if you have 38 questions to answer (laughs). I like to talk about music, our band or life,  so it’s a pleasure. We didn’t have so much interviews now, may be I will change my mind in some years….

Do you care about reviews? Which is the most peculiar you ever had, with this band or any other band you have been to? Have you ever changed anything after a bad review?

-Reviews are important. when the reviews are good or bad, you have to accept them and draw conclusions. I didn’t have any peculiar review. We got very good reviews about the first album, but some guys said that some songs are too long, it was true, so we change it on the second album.

Which bands do people compare you to, is it boring that people compare you to other bands or is it understandable?

-It’s understandable that people compares TIGERLEECH with other bands.  We have many influences and they are evident in our music.We heard Rollins band, Alice in Chains, Metallica….

If you could choose five bands from the past and the history and nowadays and both dead and living bands to have a concert together with your band. Which five have you been chosen?

-MC5, Sex Pistols, Bad Brains, Prong, Red Fang

Is music a good way to get out frustration and become a nicer person outside the music??

-The answer is in the question. You get all you want in music You can have and feel whatever you want from music.

Which is the most odd question you ever have got in an interview?

-As I sai earlier, we didn’t have so much interviews for the moment so no odd question. I like a lot your question about band to play along with. That’ a good idea !

Which is the question you want to have but you never get. Please ask it and answer it?

-I get one : When will you end to play music ?  answer : never !

Futureplans for the band?

-A little break for hollidays in August. Back to rehersals in september. Release of our second album the 8 october. We play in Paris the 9 november and more dates in France in winter and  2022 (nothing concrete yet, working on it).

For yourself?

-I just hope we will not live something like we just do…. I talk about the pandemic.

Wisdomword?

-Never be wise.

Something to add?

-Thank you Peter for what you do since all these years. Thank you for the interview, and we hope we will come to Sweden and play soon. Hello to all readers of Skruttmagazine. Peace. 

One more question? Jungle punk? What is that?

-It’s a private joke. I was working with a TV team in Calais (a town in the north of France). They made a broadcast about « The Jungle », a place where migrants live and try to cross the channel to go to England. The band did a fast song and called me : « hey we did  a punk song ». So we called it Jungle punk. It’s about the last guy on earth, he is a punk and don’t give a shit about this world….