Just a few weeks ago, the Okalahoma born and raised band Other Lives kicked off their U.S. tour in Minneapolis to promote their latest album, Tamer Animals. Scheduled to play throughout the U.S., this instrumental emotionally moving band will team up with Radiohead toward the end of February and tour with them throughout the next several months.
Before they play in Miami at the American Airlines Arena on Monday, February 27, I figured I’d catch up with Other Lives’ lead singer, guitarist Jesse Tibish to get the inside scoop on what they’re up to on tour.
Now that your latest album Tamer Animals has been released, how does it feel to finally perform it live?
It feels great! We’re in the beginning stages of our tour, so everyone is well rested and has a lot of energy right now.
How do you guys travel?
We travel by van, which is one of my favorite parts of touring– I really look forward to it. Most of us keep to ourselves and just read, write or make music on the drive. You know, how often do you actually get five or six hours just to yourself?
What’s your current read?
I was reading Franny and Zoe but the van already ate it.
You guys have been teaming up with top artists recently, touring with Bon Iver last year and now Radiohead, how does it feel?
It’s definitely a shift, going from playing small clubs to sold-out arenas, but it’s a healthy challenge for the band. Touring with Bon Iver last year was amazing and our biggest shows to date. To see a band with such a great musicianship and production was really eye opening. We’re really excited to start touring with Radiohead, they seem like great guys and it’s a great next step for our band.
How would you describe the vibe of an Other Lives show?
I’m always in my head during a show so it’s hard to gauge, but I’d have to say our crowd is usually pretty quiet and observant.
What’s the weirdest sort of affection you’ve received from a fan on this tour?
I don’t know if I’d call it weird but there has been some really kind things fans have done. One lady wrote a song for me. We’ve also received some posters and poems. This woman even got a tattoo of our name on it!
What are you guys ultimately trying to communicate to your fans through your music?
Positivity for sure. When we’re writing music, we’re writing music that speaks to us and hopefully gets translated to others in a positive way as well. It’s really stunning to see people’s reactions.
