Kevin Tihista
Encyclopedia
Kevin Tihista is a singer-songwriter
and musician
. He is a former bassist for the Chicago group Triple Fast Action
and contributed songs to the Veruca Salt
album Resolver. Tihista's solo music is a mixture of pop and rock combining orchestration
, electronica
, vamping, and multi-tracking
. Much of his solo work has been released under the eponym, "Kevin Tihista's Red Terror," a musical collaboration between Tihista and brothers Tom and Ellis Clark of the band "Epicycle."
. He began playing guitar in the seventh grade. As a teenager in the 80's, Tihista was a self-described loner and fan of heavy metal
bands like KISS
and Mötley Crüe
until his junior year in high school when his brother gave him a tape of Meat Is Murder
by the Smiths
. Tihista promptly tore down the heavy metal posters adorning his room and began listening to similar alternative rock
and punk
/gothic rock
bands like The Cure
and Siouxsie and the Banshees. His parents’ divorce and frequent moves during his high school years led an increasingly alienated Tihista to drop out of high school.
and eventually joined Wes Kidd
as bassist for the band Triple Fast Action
. According to Kidd, Tihista came up with the name “Triple Fast Action,” inspired by a Gold Bond medicated powder
commercial. Triple Fast Action enjoyed moderate success during the mid-1990s releasing two albums: Broadcaster (1996) and Cattleman Don’t (1997).
After Triple Fast Action disbanded in 1998, Tihista was recruited by Veruca Salt
’s Louise Post
in the wake of Nina Gordon
’s departure from the group. Veruca Salt's fifth album, Resolver, was released in 2000. Tihista wrote or co-wrote three songs for the album with Post including "Imperfectly," "Officially Dead," and "Hellraiser" but was reportedly unhappy with the results and left the band before the album’s release.
His experience with Veruca Salt was, however, a catalyst for Tihista’s theretofore untapped songwriting talent. Collaborations with Tom and Ellis Clark of the band Epicycle followed in the form of a new band, "Kevin Tihista's Red Terror," with Ellis Clark producing.
The group's name, "Red Terror
," was apparently inspired by a famous racing horse of the same name, an allusion underscored by the album art of the group's 2001 EP and first full-length release, "Don't Breathe A Word," in 2001. Despite its untimely release by "Division One," an imprint of Atlantic Records
, only a week after the September 11, 2001 attacks
, the album was hailed by UNCUT
magazine as one of the top 20 albums of 2001. After Division One folded in October, 2001, Tihista signed with Parasol Records
and the group’s second album, “Judo,” was released in 2002. Parasol released the group’s third album, “Wake Up Captain,” in 2004. Tihista also recorded with Epicycle during this period performing harmony vocals on the songs "Crash" and "Big Day" for Epicycle’s 2002 album, “Swirl.”
In 2005, Tihista released a collection of demos
and studio tracks without the "Red Terror" appellation entitled “Home Demons” with the UK label, Broken Horse. The Broken Horse issue contained 20 tracks (or 21 including the hidden acoustic version of "Can I Count On You?"). The U.S. version on Parasol contained just 14 tracks (including the exclusive "Do You Know What We Should Do Now?").
Tihista's work with Tom and Ellis Clark has primarily been in the studio arranging and producing his songs: the three rarely perform live as a band. Instead, on occasion, Tihista has engaged other musicians to perform on the road with him including Randy Diderrich of "Sunday Runners" and brothers Steve and Gary Vermilion of "Pheasant." This incarnation of the band can be heard in one of its rare studio appearances on the song "Jim Henson's Blues/You're Not Bad" from the album "Home Demons."
Tihista’s solo success has been undercut by harrowing bouts of stage fright
. Although he often performed live in front of audiences as the bassist for Triple Fast Action, Tihista appears uncomfortable performing the role of a "front man" and, consequently, his stage fright has sometimes limited his ability to tour in support of his albums.
In many music reviews Tihista’s music is frequently compared to the work of singer/songwriter Elliott Smith
. When interviewed, however, Tihista often seems to resist the comparison and claims he is largely unfamiliar with Smith’s work. Influences Tihista has acknowledged in interviews include Tears for Fears
, the Smiths
, Cat Stevens
, Bread
and America
, among others. He has consistently named Tears for Fears' "The Hurting
" as his favorite album.
On May 26, 2007, Tihista's MySpace blog announced that he was finishing work on his forthcoming album, "Modern Standard" with long-time collaborators Tom and Ellis Clark.
On July 29, 2009, a message from Kevin Tihista through his UK label Broken Horse appeared on the Drowned in Sound message boards. Kevin reported that he hasn't released anything in a while due to a lack of an American record label, however Broken Horse recently purchased him home recording gear. He has over 100 new songs plus hundreds of stock piled songs with the plan to preview some on YouTube soon. He plans to release a lot of material in 2010.
On August 24, 2009, Tihista's MySpace blog announced that he was finishing work on a new album with the running title, "On This Dark Street." The recording is apparently the fulfillment of the song collection previously intended for release as "Modern Standard," an album title which Tihista now refers to as "cursed." Tihista describes the new album as home recorded and stripped down in comparison with his previous releases. The new recording, it appears, will be released on Broken Horse.
On 3 December 2009, Broken Horse listed on its blog the titles of over 30 new Kevin Tihista songs that had been recorded.
Don't Breathe A Word - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (September 2001) Division One/Parasol
Judo - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (2002) Parasol
Wake Up Captain - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (2004) Parasol
Home Demons, Vol. 1 - Kevin Tihista (2005) Parasol/Broken Horse
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is a former bassist for the Chicago group Triple Fast Action
Triple Fast Action
Triple Fast Action was an indie rock/alternative rock band started by Wes Kidd and Brian St. Clair, both previous members of Chicago band Rights of the Accused, in 1995. Kidd went on to manage such bands as Cheap Trick, The Damnwells and fellow bandmate Kevin Tihista while working for New...
and contributed songs to the Veruca Salt
Veruca Salt (band)
Veruca Salt is an alternative rock band founded in 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included vocalist-guitarist Louise Post. Guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick has been with the band since 1999 and drummer Kellii Scott has worked with the group on and off since 1999...
album Resolver. Tihista's solo music is a mixture of pop and rock combining orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, vamping, and multi-tracking
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. Much of his solo work has been released under the eponym, "Kevin Tihista's Red Terror," a musical collaboration between Tihista and brothers Tom and Ellis Clark of the band "Epicycle."
Early life
Kevin Tihista was born and raised in Walnut Creek, CA in the San Francisco Bay areaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. He began playing guitar in the seventh grade. As a teenager in the 80's, Tihista was a self-described loner and fan of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands like KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
until his junior year in high school when his brother gave him a tape of Meat Is Murder
Meat Is Murder
Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band The Smiths. It was released in February 1985 and became the band's sole number one album in the UK charts during the band's lifetime, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. It reached number 110 in the US...
by the Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. Tihista promptly tore down the heavy metal posters adorning his room and began listening to similar alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
bands like The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and Siouxsie and the Banshees. His parents’ divorce and frequent moves during his high school years led an increasingly alienated Tihista to drop out of high school.
Career
Tihista worked a series of odd jobs until, at 21, he moved to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and eventually joined Wes Kidd
Wes Kidd
Wes Kidd was a founding member of Rights of the Accused and Triple Fast Action, the latter signing to Capitol Records and Deep Elm Records. He grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and attended Glenbard West High School. After Triple Fast Action disbanded in 1998, he went on to produce several albums...
as bassist for the band Triple Fast Action
Triple Fast Action
Triple Fast Action was an indie rock/alternative rock band started by Wes Kidd and Brian St. Clair, both previous members of Chicago band Rights of the Accused, in 1995. Kidd went on to manage such bands as Cheap Trick, The Damnwells and fellow bandmate Kevin Tihista while working for New...
. According to Kidd, Tihista came up with the name “Triple Fast Action,” inspired by a Gold Bond medicated powder
Gold Bond medicated powder
Gold Bond is a brand of over-the-counter skin care products produced by Chattem of Chattanooga, Tennessee, now a subsidiary of the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis. It is available as both a powder and a topical cream. Gold Bond is used to curb moisture, control odor, and soothe minor...
commercial. Triple Fast Action enjoyed moderate success during the mid-1990s releasing two albums: Broadcaster (1996) and Cattleman Don’t (1997).
After Triple Fast Action disbanded in 1998, Tihista was recruited by Veruca Salt
Veruca Salt (band)
Veruca Salt is an alternative rock band founded in 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included vocalist-guitarist Louise Post. Guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick has been with the band since 1999 and drummer Kellii Scott has worked with the group on and off since 1999...
’s Louise Post
Louise Post
Louise Lightner Post is the lead vocalist and guitarist for alternative rock group Veruca Salt. She is a graduate of Barnard College, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.-Musical career:...
in the wake of Nina Gordon
Nina Gordon
Nina Rachel Shapiro Gordon is an American rock singer, and is the co-founder of the band Veruca Salt, having written the songs "Seether" and "Volcano Girls"...
’s departure from the group. Veruca Salt's fifth album, Resolver, was released in 2000. Tihista wrote or co-wrote three songs for the album with Post including "Imperfectly," "Officially Dead," and "Hellraiser" but was reportedly unhappy with the results and left the band before the album’s release.
His experience with Veruca Salt was, however, a catalyst for Tihista’s theretofore untapped songwriting talent. Collaborations with Tom and Ellis Clark of the band Epicycle followed in the form of a new band, "Kevin Tihista's Red Terror," with Ellis Clark producing.
The group's name, "Red Terror
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
," was apparently inspired by a famous racing horse of the same name, an allusion underscored by the album art of the group's 2001 EP and first full-length release, "Don't Breathe A Word," in 2001. Despite its untimely release by "Division One," an imprint of Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, only a week after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the album was hailed by UNCUT
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
magazine as one of the top 20 albums of 2001. After Division One folded in October, 2001, Tihista signed with Parasol Records
Parasol Records
Parasol Records is an American independent record label based out of Urbana, Illinois. The label was founded by Geoff Merritt as an outgrowth of the catalogue Parasol Mail Order ....
and the group’s second album, “Judo,” was released in 2002. Parasol released the group’s third album, “Wake Up Captain,” in 2004. Tihista also recorded with Epicycle during this period performing harmony vocals on the songs "Crash" and "Big Day" for Epicycle’s 2002 album, “Swirl.”
In 2005, Tihista released a collection of demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and studio tracks without the "Red Terror" appellation entitled “Home Demons” with the UK label, Broken Horse. The Broken Horse issue contained 20 tracks (or 21 including the hidden acoustic version of "Can I Count On You?"). The U.S. version on Parasol contained just 14 tracks (including the exclusive "Do You Know What We Should Do Now?").
Tihista's work with Tom and Ellis Clark has primarily been in the studio arranging and producing his songs: the three rarely perform live as a band. Instead, on occasion, Tihista has engaged other musicians to perform on the road with him including Randy Diderrich of "Sunday Runners" and brothers Steve and Gary Vermilion of "Pheasant." This incarnation of the band can be heard in one of its rare studio appearances on the song "Jim Henson's Blues/You're Not Bad" from the album "Home Demons."
Tihista’s solo success has been undercut by harrowing bouts of stage fright
Stage fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
. Although he often performed live in front of audiences as the bassist for Triple Fast Action, Tihista appears uncomfortable performing the role of a "front man" and, consequently, his stage fright has sometimes limited his ability to tour in support of his albums.
In many music reviews Tihista’s music is frequently compared to the work of singer/songwriter Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
. When interviewed, however, Tihista often seems to resist the comparison and claims he is largely unfamiliar with Smith’s work. Influences Tihista has acknowledged in interviews include Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
, the Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
and America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
, among others. He has consistently named Tears for Fears' "The Hurting
The Hurting
The Hurting is the debut album by the British pop band Tears for Fears. It was released on 7 March 1983, and peaked at no. 1 on the UK Album Chart...
" as his favorite album.
On May 26, 2007, Tihista's MySpace blog announced that he was finishing work on his forthcoming album, "Modern Standard" with long-time collaborators Tom and Ellis Clark.
On July 29, 2009, a message from Kevin Tihista through his UK label Broken Horse appeared on the Drowned in Sound message boards. Kevin reported that he hasn't released anything in a while due to a lack of an American record label, however Broken Horse recently purchased him home recording gear. He has over 100 new songs plus hundreds of stock piled songs with the plan to preview some on YouTube soon. He plans to release a lot of material in 2010.
On August 24, 2009, Tihista's MySpace blog announced that he was finishing work on a new album with the running title, "On This Dark Street." The recording is apparently the fulfillment of the song collection previously intended for release as "Modern Standard," an album title which Tihista now refers to as "cursed." Tihista describes the new album as home recorded and stripped down in comparison with his previous releases. The new recording, it appears, will be released on Broken Horse.
On 3 December 2009, Broken Horse listed on its blog the titles of over 30 new Kevin Tihista songs that had been recorded.
Discography
Kevin Tihista's Red Terror - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (EP) (August 2001) Rough Trade RecordsDon't Breathe A Word - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (September 2001) Division One/Parasol
Judo - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (2002) Parasol
Wake Up Captain - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (2004) Parasol
Home Demons, Vol. 1 - Kevin Tihista (2005) Parasol/Broken Horse