Contemplating the Horrors: Divorce on Liminal Years, Spiteful Songwriting, and 100 Packets of Biscuits
Words by Dylan McNish
It’s January 2025, I’m sitting on a 6-hour train to *The Midlands*, miserably hung over and the Scottish skies are predictably grey. In no state to choose my own music, Spotify autoplay delivers a flash from the gods, ‘All My Freaks’ by Divorce. After listening to it 27 times on repeat and four months late to the Divorce-party, the only reasonable response was to deep-dive into their discography and see what other ear-gems I could find.
Their debut album ‘Drive to Goldenhammer’ quickly became my most anticipated album release of the year, which I made everyone in my vicinity acutely aware of. Cut to March 7 at midnight on the dot and I was shocked to find that not only could the album meet the high expectations I had set, but it overdelivered, becoming something I can only describe as a must listen.
Now, over 12 months later I had the opportunity to ask Tiger from Divorce some pressing, highly journalistic questions about their process for making music, what comes next, and some personal must-knows.
Best Left Magazine: What is one word you would use to describe the next year of Divorce?
Tiger: Liminal
If you could perform anywhere in the world that you haven't already, where would it be?
Tiger: Brazil
If you could write any song that has already been written, what would it be and how would you change it?
Tiger: The Art Teacher by Rufus Wainwright, but I would make it EDM.
As someone who grew up around Nottingham, what do you miss about it whilst being in the States?
Tiger: Birds the Bakers and people knowing what The Midlands is.
What is one American thing you would bring back with you?
Tiger: Leo’s Taco Truck in LA.
What are you listening to on the road?
Tiger: Electric Hour by Sword 2 and Ingénue by k.d.lang
Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
Tiger: Usually sitting down and not talking to anyone, contemplating the horrors.
Who is one artist, dead or alive, you would want to collab with?
Tiger: John Shuttleworth, all the way.
Who would you cast in a biopic about your life?
Tiger: Felix would be played by Jack Nicholson and I would be played by my younger brother.
Is there a song on your album that informed the direction you’ve taken with your future music?
Tiger: Not especially, our new stuff is very much it’s own thing. But listen and make up your own mind!
How do you get into the right frame of mind to write/ create music?
Tiger: Me and Felix get really competitive and try to outwrite each other, it’s a spiteful process.
Where do you draw non-music inspiration from?
Tiger: Reading books! I read one recently called Trumpet by an author called Jackie Kay that made me feel like a human again. Reading is great.
Do you have a favorite divorce?
Tiger: My parents. NOT. I’m finding divorce sadder than I used to. But it’s each to their own.
Has anyone gotten divorced at one of your shows?
Tiger: No.
How do you decide who takes the vocals for any song?
Tiger: Usually whoever has written the lyrics decides.
If you had an infinite budget for a rider, what would you put on it?
Tiger: Last year at a headline show in Edinburgh we accidentally got delivered 100 packets of biscuits by the Asda delivery courier. The excess was revolting. I would keep my rider as is now and ask for a lot of money.
I leave this interview inspired that there is still ample opportunity to become the first person to get divorced at Divorce. The future is bright, and wife applications are below. You can catch Divorce on tour, and be sure to check out their latest album, “Drive To Goldhammer” wherever you get your music.
