Belfast-born alt-grunge solo artist Tender Claws has released her new single, Twinge, with her debut EP, Tear Him To Pieces, to follow in August. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
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Tender Claws is the stage name of Tess Corr, who is now based in the North West of England.
Talking about her new track, she says, “I wanted to write an upbeat, in-your-face song to, ironically, have some fun while processing the feelings stemming from a relationship, that I had really hoped would develop into something more, ending quite abruptly.
“It left me quite devastated at the time. Despite things not going the way I wanted, I felt some freedom from being ‘released’ from a connection that was making me feel anxious and small in a way.
“When we play this one live, I don’t play guitar for a change, which gives me the freedom to move more on stage, which is a nice parallel to the message of the song. Dance away the heartache as Roxy Music once said!”
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
The name Tender Claws is based off of my initials (I’ve heard mixed reports on whether we’re related to THE Corrs)) as I think it represents the sound and vibe of my music well: at times soft and intimate; at others loud, distorted and harsh.
I was always musical at school, playing flute and classical guitar mainly, but only began writing music and performing as Tender Claws after I’d graduated from university where I studied Maths and Physics, as that was the ‘sensible’ thing to do after school!
I’ve been vegan for eight years for environmental and ethical reasons, as I think it’s one of the best things an individual can do to reduce their carbon footprint (but definitely not to disregard the fact that massively polluting fossil fuel companies have tried to scapegoat ordinary individuals for immense greenhouse gas emissions when really they’re the real issue).
How would you describe your music?
Alternative rock that bounces between punchy and ethereal, encompassing elements of grunge, industrial, indie, shoegaze and goth. It’s gritty but groovy, dark but sparkly, escapist but personal.
Who are your musical inspirations?
It varies between songs, which I think will become apparent on the release of my debut EP as all the songs have quite different textures and vibes to them, but my overarching inspirations are Queens of the Stone Age, PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Jehnny Beth and a lot of 90s rock/grunge acts. With my latest single Twinge in particular, I’d say it’s reminiscent of more ‘recent’ acts such as Adult DVD, Shelf Lives or Coach party.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I went to see Adam Ant at the Philharmonic in Liverpool when I was 14. My dad tried to convince my young and naive self that everyone who goes to gigs dresses up and I would be the weirdo there if I didn’t do so but I stood my ground.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I think it was a CD of The Best of the Human League. I went through a phase in my mid-teens of watching lots of old Top of the Pops episodes that got me into a lot of 80s stuff.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Can I choose two?! Mean Eye by Thistle or Xtal by Aphex Twin (I only discovered it recently!).
Favourite lyric of all time?
One that stood out to me recently after reading a Nirvana biography and listening to their catalogue again was “Just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you”. Class.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
An impossible question! Well, Queens of the Stone Age are one of my all-time favs and their first album makes me feel so nostalgic so maybe Avon. Or should I choose Crawl Home as that also features PJ Harvey so I’d get two gorgeous voices and inspirations for one?!
Where can people find your music/more information?
My website. My music is on all major streaming platforms. I’m pretty active on socials and you can find me at @tender.claws on Instagram or TikTok. And you can stay up to date with any shows via Bandsintown, or even better by signing up to my mailing list (link available on all socials).
Alan Corr (no relation)