Photo by Madeline Harvey
I met Tony Presley, the creative force behind Real Live Tigers, at a house show circa 2004. Since then, Tony has moved away and back to Austin, spending some time in Fayetteville, AR and Portland, OR. In my memory, Tony was always piecing together miscellaneous gigs and odd jobs to pursue his work as a touring songwriter. He was always planning a getaway — a trip somewhere or a string of tour dates. More than a decade later, Tony’s still at it. Recently, he launched the Austin-based label Keeled Scales with friend Seth Whaland, releasing music from Mirror Travel’s Lauren Green (LRN GRN), Water Liars’ Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, and (soon) Adam Torres.
Presley’s songs thrive on a soft restlessness, evoking moods both contemplative and brooding. The project’s newest video for “Leave A Map,” taken from the recently reissued album Denatured, captures this sense of nervous drifting with gorgeous, subtle color treatments and cinematography by Brad Bores. The video was created when Presley accepted a job driving a car from Texas to Massachusetts and took the opportunity to detour through small Ohio rustbelt towns for shooting locations. With his wanderings, Presley leaves viewers a map back to the everyday adventures of pre-Internet America, and we’re pleased to ride in the passenger seat.
This Sunday Real Live Tigers will perform with St. Louis-based touring duo Dubb Nubb at Beerland. Shortly after, the band hits the road for a string of dates with LRN GRN. Those dates are listed below the video embed below.
Sep 04 – Beerland – Austin, TX w/ Dubb Nubb
Sep 10 – Truelove – Waco, TX*
Sep 11 – Satellite Bar – Houston, TX*
Sep 12 – Blue Moon Saloon & Guest House – Lafayette, LA*
Sep 13 – Sluggo’s – Pensacola, FL*
Sep 14 – Hardback Café – Gainesville, FL*
Sep 15 – Mosey’s – Panama City, FL*
Sep 16 – Allways Lounge & Marigny Theatre – New Orleans, LA*
Sep 17 – Track House – Austin, TX*
Sep 19 – Boomtown Tavern – El Paso, TX*
