dowry's first trip to the usa

On the way to a long-time friend of Polite Records. Good luck little record!

also: don't worry, Nick, I did put your address on the parcel but have cleverly removed if from this photograph to keep you safe from your over-enthusiastic fanbase.

dowry EP launch

The Dowry EP by Tiger & Panda is now available to buy. You can buy it here on 10" (including free download code) or as a digital download in any format.

Dowry was written as a performance of two medleys in 2009 on Dowry Parade in Bristol. It was performed at the scout hut in the same year. We had always intended for it to run together and wanted to document it, so in 2011, Phil Dodd recorded us performing it at his house on Hermitage Street in Cheltenham. He did a great job.

The music and artwork for Dowry are a collection of things from the time surrounding our year living together on Dowry Parade. It is deliberately simple and stark in places and the two sides of the record have distinctively different atmospheres.

Olly and I have been making music together since we were seventeen. This is something we have been working toward since then and I'm so glad we did it the way we have. The cost of the production of this record was £830 but you can do it for much cheaper if you print your own artwork. you can get 250 7"s for about £450 plus VAT from DMS ltd and hand draw a cover onto paper if you want (we did this with CDs with our friends when we were in school and it was lots of fun). We decided to get our artwork printed up nice so it cost extra.

I was able to do this because my Grandma, before she died, discovered some money she didn't know she had. She and my Grandpa decided to give it to my brother and me and told us to do what we liked with it. I had just put it away and saved it but then my Grandma died earlier this year. We had recorded the songs by then but had not decided what to do with them. I decided that a constructive thing to do with the money was to make something I was proud of and that would last, and that is why I have dedicated this record to my Grandma.

We haven't put thank yous in the liner notes because we didn't want to miss anybody out, but I would like to thank Phil Dodd in particular for endless help and support, Frances and Steph for help with everything, including folding and writing out download codes, all at Stitch-Stitch and especially Steve Brett, Steve and Jo, Annie and Will and our mums and dads for coming to watch us, Headfall and Local Kid records, Cafe Kino, and Betty Morris, for letting us book the scout hut for shows.

work force

An evening of cutting and folding.

Thanks Steph and Frances for helping us out.

dowry arrives

The 10" record of Tiger & Panda's Dowry EP arrived today, and it looks beautiful. I am proud as punch. Above, me and Olly share a high five in celebration.

We got the record cut and printed at DMS ltd. in Plymouth who were helpful and nice.

We are hoping to officially release Dowry this Wednesday and I will make a blog post with portfolio/catalogue shots when we do so.

dowry

Last week, Olly Watson and I went to Cheltenham to be recorded as Tiger & Panda by our friend Phil Dodd for an EP called Dowry, which we are hoping to press onto vinyl 10" some time this year.

It was lots of fun setting stuff up and recording in the area between their living room and kitchen and we were very pleased with what was recorded. Phil is a master.

Thanks very much Phil and Tish for having us. It was the best weekend.