Beau Jennings is the proud husband of a former punk rocker. “My wife was in a band in college,” says the Norman, Okla.-based singer/songwriter. “From what I understand, it was her and three other women. And while none of them had much musical experience, they got together and learned punk-rock songs and played a handful of shows.”
That fleeting success was enough to inspire “Rubberburn,” the latest single from the dark-horse Americana favorite and his band, the Tigers. The track can be found on their third LP, American Stories Major Chords, available October 18 on Black Mesa Records.
“I found a clipping of some local press they’d done at the time—it was very dated, totally focused on the novelty of a ‘chick band’ and not giving them their due,” says Jennings. “They called themselves Rubberburn. They were a big hit for their brief span.”
Jennings, on the other hand, has some staying power. After years of hammering it out in Brooklyn with rootsy indie-rock outfit Cheyenne, Jennings returned to his home state looking for fresh energy and inspiration. He found both with the Tigers, a self-contained unit of seasoned players that includes guitarist Chase Kerby, drummer Dustin Ragland, pianist/organist Chris Wiser and bassist and sound engineer Michael Trepagnier. When he’s not working with the Tigers, Jennings continues to evolve as a solo artist, having collaborated with Sufjan Stevens, Richard Swift and others.
And when it comes to his wife’s short-lived punk band?
“This is how I imagined them sounding,” says Jennings. “I sent the demo to my wife with no explanation, and she thought I’d found an old recording—so I think we must have gotten close.”
We’re proud to premiere Beau Jennings & The Tigers’ “Rubberburn.”
—Hobart Rowland
