84 Tigers

Drawing from the sonic legacies of Small Brown Bike and the Swellers, 84 Tigers forged a hard-hitting blend of post-hardcore and alternative rock for their first full-length effort, the 2022 release Time in the Lighthouse.

The project took shape in 2021 when Small Brown Bike members Mike Reed and Ben Reed joined forces with Jono Diener, longtime drummer of the Swellers. After Mike Reed recorded rough versions of material composed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he forwarded the tracks to Diener, convinced the drummer’s style would suit the songs perfectly; Diener committed without hesitation. The three musicians then traveled to Rancho Recordo, a studio nestled in Michigan’s woodlands, where producer Marc Jacob Hudson—known for his work with Against Me! and Taking Back Sunday—helped shape their debut. The finished ten-song collection merged the Reed brothers’ signature brand of intense, emo-tinged hardcore with echoes of 1990s alternative rock. Spartan Records released Time in the Lighthouse late in 2022.