Tigers Jaw: The Band That Got Me Out Of Bed

Ethan Hill
Nov 10, 2025
8 min read

Tigers Jaw’s self-titled record is one of my most cherished albums of all time. It’s filled with angst and youthful emotion, distorted guitars, acoustic moments, fast punk energy, and slow, emotional ballads. It’s hands down one of the best albums to ever come out of the emo and East Coast scene. Honestly, to me, it’s one of the greatest albums ever. Sure, it’s not your typical sell-out record that some magazine might call “the best album of all time,” but it connects with the right people and the ones who truly need it. Tigers Jaw has never been about anything other than making great music and keeping their fans excited while being themselves and growing creatively. The music is passionate and inspiring, the lyrics heartbreaking and poignant. It’s a timeless piece of art that will keep finding people who need it most.

When I first heard Tigers Jaw, I was probably sixteen. I was still figuring my life out, and things with my mom were pretty rocky. I had just moved out with my dad and my little brother, August. We ended up in a small townhouse on the other side of town; just the three of us starting over. My room was upstairs with a window that overlooked the tiny Midwest town I’d been stuck in since I was a kid. Every morning I woke up to the sight of a FedEx building and a Cracker Barrel sign outside my window. I spent hours in that room just staring out, and that’s where I started writing my first real songs.

That’s also where I discovered Tigers Jaw. I remember sitting in bed, watching cars pull in and out of the FedEx parking lot, when “I Saw Water” came blasting through my earbuds. It was jarring at first..this sudden rush of sound after such a dull moment, but it pulled me in instantly. My focus shifted from the window to the music, and for the first time, I was fully immersed in Tigers Jaw.

It’s hard to describe that feeling years later, but I still remember how powerful that intro felt. My life was upside down, my parents had split again after a short stretch of calm, and even though my dad and I were close, I still shut myself off like any angry sixteen-year-old would. I stayed in that room every day, staring out the window and wondering how I’d ever feel normal again. Then that intro hit me.

“I said I wanted to break my friends but my dependency won’t let me away.”

That line hit me like a ton of bricks. I was crying before the second line. Honestly, I cried hard the first time I heard Tigers Jaw, lol. I could go on forever about the lyrics and how each one hit me differently.

“My friends are up in mountains and I’m drowning in lakes.”“I just don’t feel incredible.”“I see me become a recluse.”

I was instantly tied to the record and I hadn’t even made it through one song yet.

Before “I Saw Water” ended, I queued up the rest of the album. When “The Sun” started, it felt like the record had found me.

“Nothing that I do ever seems to make a change.”“The sun swallowed me.”“What about your friends? Do they make you happy?”

I’d never connected with lyrics on that level before. This was before CREEKS, MOBO, or any of the other bands I’d later fall in love with. I was just figuring out my own sound and starting to write songs. Hearing this album made everything click and it showed me what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to sound like. It shaped my taste in music, and honestly, if it wasn’t for Tigers Jaw’s self-titled record, I probably wouldn’t even know CREEKS, MOBO, Movements, or Turnover.

Then came that song — “Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine.” From the first second, I knew it was going to stay with me forever. I connected to it deeply because I was really missing my mom at the time, and these lyrics absolutely wrecked me:

“Lie to me like you used to. Tell me everything is how it should be.”“A perfect betrayal.”“I can see myself reflected in your eyes.”

That song understood exactly what I was feeling. The betrayal and loss of someone who was supposed to always be there. My mom and I had always been close. She was into Local H, Blink-182, Dashboard Confessional. She dated women, and I thought she was cool as hell. She made me feel comfortable painting my nails or wearing girls’ clothes. I told her things I thought my dad wouldn’t understand (even though he probably would’ve). But then she was gone again. I was sixteen and trying to get through life with just my dad and brother. That motherly affection and guidance I craved had disappeared. “Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine” brought all that emotion out. It was the first time I really accepted she was gone, and the song helped me release that.

Okay, I know this is getting long and maybe a little sappy, but bear with me. “Chemicals” is another song that still gets me. Not because it’s complex, but because every time I hear it, I start comparing myself to someone and I don’t even know who or why. Maybe it’s just the emotional leftovers from earlier tracks, but the words are insanely powerful.

“You are strong. So much stronger than me. All along because you are everything and I am nothing.”

If that doesn’t split your heart in half, I don’t know what will. The lyrics on this record are raw and brutally honest. Nothing’s overproduced. Nothing’s fake. It’s emotional, real, and full of youthful fire balanced by a surprising maturity. There aren’t many albums this good — from the lyrics to the vocals, guitars, and drums, everything fits perfectly.

The next few tracks pick the energy back up with songs like “Between Your Band and the Other Band” and “I Was Never Your Boyfriend.” These really show off the dynamic between Adam and Ben trading vocal duties. It also gives a glimpse of the direction Tigers Jaw would take on later albums like Charmer and Two Worlds.

And then comes the closer — “Never Saw It Coming.” It’s stripped down, simple, and absolutely devastating.

“I learned a lot about falling in love when I fell out of love.I learned a lot about being a friend when I was alone.I played with fire and I burned it all down.I’ve made more mistakes than you can count.”

Every line in that song lands like a punch to the chest. It’s minimal but powerful — the definition of “less is more.” It forces you to stop, reflect, and really feel. To me, it’s one of the best songs Tigers Jaw has ever made.

This album is an experience. It delivers everything from acoustic sadness, pop-punk riffs, shouts, whispers, heart, and honesty. It’s full of emotion and energy from start to finish. It’s one of those albums you’ll never forget hearing for the first time; where you were, how you felt, and why it mattered. Tigers Jaw’s self-titled record is raw, unfiltered, and beautiful exactly as it is. It’ll always be influential to every emo kid dreaming of writing their own songs someday.

Tigers Jaw has always made it happen. Staying true to their sound, their fans, and themselves. They create for the love of music, and you can feel that in every track. They’ll always be one of my favorite bands; not just for their music, but for their attitude, passion, and heart. TJ 4 Life <3

A Conversation W/ Ben Walsh

EH: The self titled record feels much more raw and intimate than your more recent work; Was it your intention to be so raw, or do you think it was just a reflection of life at the time?

BW: We were very young when we made that record, and had never been in a studio before. We didn’t overthink anything, we just played the songs the way we knew how to play them. I don’t think we knew how to properly utilize the microscope of the studio setting to our advantage, which maybe gives the self titled its raw purity. It’s a snapshot of our youth and it’s incredible that it continues to reach people.

EH: The songs “Heat” and “The Sun” were released prior to the self titled album, on “Belongs to the Dead” How did those songs evolve over time? Which versions do you prefer?

BW: Those songs had been performed in the self titled way prior to making Belongs to the Dead. When Adam and I made Belongs to the Dead, we purposefully reworked the songs to sound simpler by using the same setup instrumentally. We also recorded everything through a cassette deck to give it the grainy quality that it has. I love both versions, but I have more vivid memories of making Belongs to the Dead because we did it ourselves.

EH: How has your songwriting process changed from the earlier years up to now?

BW: It hasn’t changed astronomically, I just have to stop myself from overthinking things now. Lyric writing has always been difficult and will probably always be for me. Lately, I have been more collaborative with writing and bring ideas to the band before they feel “done” to me.

EH: Did you and Adam split songwriting duties on self titled or did you mostly write together?

BW: We jammed early versions of most of the songs together for a while, and they grew over time with different structures, or the addition of riffs and harmonies, but the genesis of each song would either come from me or from Adam as an acoustic song typically.

EH: “Plane vs Tank vs Submarine” among many other songs became an emo standard over time, did you have ever imagine your songs resonating with so many people?

BW: I could have never imagined it would resonate with people the way it did. I remember demoing the very first version of it in my parents living room, and debating even keeping it as a song.

EH: Is there any song or moment from the album that you still appreciate the same way as when it was created? Are there any moments you don’t like anymore?

BW: My appreciation for it has evolved with time. The fact that people still connect strongly with it gives it new life all the time. It’s fun to reconnect with my past self and rediscover feelings I had while making early songs. Occasionally it is difficult for me to hear my own voice from such a young age but it’s the only voice I have, so I have to give myself grace.

EH: What makes Tigers Jaw so special? Years later and you guys still go just as hard as always. You’ve always seemed so passionate and determined about your work.

BW: We make music we love. We never fail to appreciate the support that has got us to where we are. We love to travel and play music and create with each other.

EH: How has tour been going for you guys? Any shows you’re extra excited about?

BW: We had an amazing time playing some west coast shows, followed by the Common Thread tour in Europe and the UK. A highlight was definitely our show in Riverside CA, which turned out to be our largest ever. It felt very surreal.

EH: What’s life like now as a father? What are some of your favorite memories so far?

BW: I am loving dad life. It is the most challenging and most rewarding thing. Some of my favorite memories are seeing my daughter connect to music and dancing for the first time, watching my close friends and family meet her for the first time, and seeing her interact with my dog Chloe who recently passed, but got to be around for my daughter’s first year and a half.

EH: If you only had one album you could listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?

BW: Probably Wildflowers by Tom Petty

Thank you so much Ben!

This might be my favorite write up so far :)

Thank you everyone for checking out this weeks blog

See you next week - Ethan