Play as Scranton indie rockers Tigers Jaw in free retro-style video game online
Scranton indie rock band Tigers Jaw continues to rise in popularity in 2018 following the release of their latest album, “Spin,” through Atlantic Records’ new imprint, Black Cement. The benefit of being on a major label not only means bigger distribution but more visibility and marketing, which can take some creative forms.
Yesterday, the group debuted an online video game on their website called “How Do You Roll” that ties in directly with their latest music video for the single “Window.” Playing off the retro roller rink theme of the video, the simple “Pac-Man”-style gameplay features pixelated versions of four members of the band – including vocalist/keyboardist Brianna Collins and vocalist/guitarist Ben Walsh – running around a maze collecting hearts, smiley faces, and roller skates while avoiding janitors cleaning the rink.
While it is free to play here, you must first sign into your Spotify account to earn a digital “quarter” to insert and play like a classic arcade machine and, like those old games, it can be just as challenging to collect all the objects without getting caught. A link on the side allows players to listen to “Spin” while playing, an album they recorded with Philadelphia producer Will Yip, who also recorded their previous record, “Charmer,” at Studio 4 in Conshohocken. As the curator of the newly established Black Cement Records, Yip chose Tigers Jaw as the first band to be featured on the label.
Following music videos for “Guardian” and the beautiful “June” shot at an abandoned Poconos honeymoon resort, the video for “Window” plays on nostalgia in both its visuals and its heartfelt lyrics.
“‘Window’ is about the strong connection you feel to someone else after your time together is long past. You are just getting through everyday life but everything feels different, and any reminders of that person can send your whole world spinning,” Walsh told The Independent when the video premiered in February.
“We discussed themes of nostalgia and memory with director Kris Merc, as well as washed-out lighting with purples, pinks, and blues, and we landed on a theme of ‘neon dream.’ The vibe and lighting of an old school roller rink and arcade really matched the loneliness and longing of the song.”
“I was really inspired by the location of the roller rink and wanted the styling and makeup to be a mix of the ’70s and ’80s with some modern touches,” Collins added.
“My own personal style has been taking a lot from those eras lately, so it was fun to shop for everyone with that style in mind. I also asked the guys to bring some of their own clothes that they thought would work with what I was envisioning, so I was able to mix and match vintage and newer clothing styles.”
After touring overseas in the United Kingdom last month, Tigers Jaw is back in the United States now for a North American run with Philadelphia pop punk band The Wonder Years, which will stop at The Fillmore (29 E. Allen St., Philadelphia) for two nights on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9.
Read a review and see photos of Tigers playing the NEPA Holiday Show at the Scranton Cultural Center last December here and see photos of them opening for Dashboard Confessional at the Alt 92.1 Snow Show at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre in January here.
