Catching Up With Brothertiger Ahead of His North American Fall Tour
With his first major tour in three years coming up, we talk about the Fundamentals series, sophisti-pop, and the disappearing reliability of the Mets.
For the past ten years, and for better or worse, I’ve been a massive Mets fan. My time in Queens commanded me to fall head over heels for the loveable losers, as there is no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than taking the 7 train out to Flushing in the hopes of seeing the Home Run Apple rise at least once.
If you aren’t a baseball fan, here’s the current situation for the Mutts, or Schmets, as my friends and I call them. With a double-digit lead atop the NL East, they’ve overcome some huge injuries and leaned on bit players to scoot them in reasonably good shape through the summer. But a four-game series against the second-place Braves last weekend found the team in hot water when they only came away with one win. Cue another round of the always legendary Subway Series against the Yankees on Monday and Tuesday night, and not only were the Mets playing for their divisional win lives but also for city pride and to not hear any guff from those gremlins up in the Bronx.
After losing Monday night, I watched Tuesday night’s rematch with an elevated glance. Not only did I not want to see the Yankees win again, but I also knew that John Jagos, who performs as Brothertiger, is also a massive Mets fan, and I was interviewing him for this piece the following day. I really wanted the Schmets to pull through so we could start our call on a bright note.
The Yankees won again.
When I ask Jagos what drew him to the Mets, he laughs. “I relate to underdogs,” says Jagos. “When I moved here, there is the option between them and the Yankees, and I knew it wasn’t going to be the Yankees.”
Jagos is talking to me from his Brooklyn apartment, a setting so far from his serene and nature-based Fundamentals albums, a series of releases over the past two years, each meant to reflect the four classical elements of water, earth, fire, and air. What started as a series of improvisational livestreams has become a signature moment for Brothertiger.
“Like every other musician, I was stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic,” says Jagos. “I started the livestreams as a way to keep performing and take questions from fans.” These shows became quite popular and had Jagos wondering what to do with them. “I wanted to make a ‘best-of’ compilation of the streams and turn them into real songs and real albums,” says Jagos.
The result is over two hours of flowing, hypnotic beats and heady synths that are the ultimate soothing balm for these trying times. Each volume plays its soundscape role to perfection, as titles like “Tide Pool,” “Every Moon Sets,” “Birds of Paradise,” and “Laminar Flow” set the mood. As effortless as these works sound, it wasn’t all easy, as a flood in his studio caused a delay for Fundamentals Vol. IV. “There were four feet of water in the studio,” recalls Jagos. “I lost my DX7, which I use on every song in some form, but at least the computer was alright.”
Fans of Brothertiger are still asking for more livestreams, but Jagos isn’t jumping back into them as he looks to his upcoming fall tour. “The livestreams were great, but there was a place and time for them, and I’m excited to get back out on the road.” Jagos will make most of the trek by himself, something he’s gotten used to after touring all of these years, with one of the highlights being the Same Same But Different Fest at Lake Perris State Park, California in September. One of Brothertiger’s influences is chillwave legend Washed Out, whom Jagos will share a bill with for the first time. “I had a friend that worked at Vans a long time ago, and we went to this party there, and he (Washed Out) was DJ’ing,” says Jagos. “That’s as close as I’ve gotten, but he did play one of my songs during a livestream last year, which is pretty cool.”
In November, Jagos will kick things off in Cleveland as a homecoming of sorts, as he was born and raised in northwestern Ohio before moving to Brooklyn a decade ago. Growing up in the 90s, he mostly listened to pop radio, which we agree is an entirely different idea compared to now. Still, he recalls his parents having an eclectic CD collection. “I remember my dad had this Steely Dan box set, and here I was as an eight-year-old singing these weird lyrics and loving the chord changes before I even knew what that was,” recalls Jagos. “My mom listened to this CD by The Proclaimers a lot because they were Scottish, and so are we.” While attending a show for Mogwai’s Mr. Beast tour, Jagos knew he wanted to be a performer, even if the post-rock intentions didn’t work out.
Jagos got to pay tribute to another childhood influence this year when Reimagine Music, a Holliston, Massachusetts label specializing in covers, asked him if he was interested in releasing an entire album cover after participating in a tribute to The Smiths in 2015. Jagos boldly chose Songs From the Big Chair, the legendary Tears For Fears record, giving Brothertiger a new fanbase. With Tears For Fears on their globetrotting reunion tour this summer, the band has been playing Brothertiger’s versions of their hits for a preshow playlist, and Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith are even on the record that Brothertiger’s version of “Mothers Talk” is better than theirs.
For a more current set of influences, Jagos also worked with some of his favorite electronic artists for an EP of remixes for the previously released single, “Heaven.” Included is a version from CFCF, in which Jagos sings high praise of his new record, Memoryland, and its companion piece Memoryland Enhanced. “It sounds like 2001, and he manages to capture a moment in time that’s really special,” says Jagos. Also included are two remixes by Ecovillage and Fire-Toolz, both of which Jagos says he came to know by being mutual fans of each other’s music over the internet. Fire-Toolz’s version is must-hear, as she slows Jagos’ vision into an eight-minute mind escape.
As for what’s next, another Brothertiger album is already set for release, with details coming soon. Jagos tells me it builds on his previous work but is more influenced by city pop and the sophisti-pop genre, which birthed bands like Prefab Sprout and Scritti Politti. Jagos recalls that when he sent the record to his usual mastering partner, they joked that the songs belong in A Goofy Movie. He’s approaching the phase with newfound ease, telling me, “I don’t get caught up in the press stuff and really don’t care about being in Pitchfork anymore,” as I note the Condé Nast curmudgeons would probably just give it a 6.4 anyway.
As for the Mets, “what do you think of them right now?” I ask Jagos. “Things were looking great until this last weekend,” he replies. “I know they’ll make the playoffs, and I don’t want to sound like a fair weather fan, but I’m not sure they’re built for a deep run.”
Such is life for Mets fans.
For your listening ease, I have a complete Fundementals playlist which you can listen to on Spotify or Apple Music here:
When I featured Fundamentals Vol. IV earlier this summer, I noted it is an Album of the Year contender for me. Still, I didn’t expect the continuous comments, DM’s, and texts about how much so many of you have connected with it, so please take in a Brothertiger show this fall if he’s coming your way. He’ll be showcasing his new nonwaterlogged DX7 as well.
Brothertiger Fall Tour 2022
Nov 2 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Nov 3 - Columbus, OH @ Spacebar
Nov 4 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Nov 7 - Seattle, WA @ High Dive
Nov 8 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Nov 9 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Nov 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Cid
Nov 12 - Santa Ana, CA @ La Santa
Nov 13 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
Nov 15 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge
Nov 17 - Dallas, TX - Three Links Deep Ellum
Nov 18 - Austin, TX - Swan Dive
Nov 21 - Atlanta, GA @ 529 Bar
Nov 30 - Washington, DC @ DC9
Dec 2 - Brooklyn, NY @ Zone 1, Elsewhere
Being a Mets fan sounds the same as being a Brewers fan; they give hope & excitement, and you totally buy in, even though you know they're only going to break your heart.
As for Brothertiger, Fundamentals Vol. III & IV were delivered yesterday, so that's what I'll be listening to today. Really glad you wrote these up earlier this summer!