Mud Fox Tribe’s latest single, “Stormy,” swirls with the psychedelic haze of Sgt. Pepper’s era Beatles, a colorful and spiraling helter skelter. But let’s set aside The Beatles comparisons, because apart from the fact that lead vocalist Cole Tyler Hottenrott is weary of comparisons to the Fab Four, this local band exhibits instrumentals that are closer to the meandering indie rock of The Growlers and offer vocals that hint at the raw yowls of Alabama Shakes or reverb-soaked harmonies of Phosphorescent.
Besides, the references to the British band and fairground attraction bring a brighter picture to mind than the band intended. With lyrics like “I’m still haunted by the stench of rotten affairs,” it’s clear Hottenrott had a very different picture in mind. When I asked Hottenrott to visualize the song by describing it as a room, he replied: “decrepit, covered in cobwebs and very dark”—imagery that’s much more in line with the “house of hell” described in the lyrics.
There’s an overall sense of familiarity that’s hard to place—though perhaps it’s just leftover hints of the vintage rock from their old band, The FORZ. Hottenrott notes that the new project was a chance to start something new after the band broke up: “We wanted to distance ourselves from the vintage rock sound we sort of got pigeonholed into. We really liked the idea of doing something more indie-folk oriented. Something more contemporary.”
The band draws inspiration from a blend of sounds; Hottenrott names off a blend of psychedelic and folk artists, from Tame Impala to The Doors to Fleet Foxes. The former, in particular, comes through in moments like the effect-soaked piano solo that juts out halfway through the song. “My vocals are double tracked, drenched in tape delay with an effect to make them sound a bit wobbly and spooky,” Hottenrott shares.
This theme of eeriness is reflected in the single’s cover art: a photo taken at World’s End, the park and conservation peninsula in Hingham. The moniker evokes a forest imagery that is echoed in Hottenrott’s description of their music: “A walk through fog-covered woods. Sometimes peaceful, sometimes beautifully spooky.”
Take that walk with Mud Fox Tribe on their latest adventure: “Stormy” is streaming below, and the band plays live at the Hard Rock Patio on May 12th.