Tigers Blood can align with the pop zeitgeist like no Waxahatchee album before it. But the album follows no trend. At first, Crutchfield and her producer, Brad Cook, weren't sure they wanted to build on the Americana aesthetic. Saint Cloud not at all. That album, says Crutchfield, “was such an obvious pivot, sound and vibe, but it just felt so right that I was kind of like I can't think what people will think about it. I just have to go that way. So, in a way, it was very free, making this record.
“And then we made it and it came out and the reaction to it was very positive. And I think me and Brad were both like, Damn, what are we going to do? How will we track it? We both really felt like this is not a fluke, we can do it again, but we had no plan or idea of how.”
Take “365,” which eventually became a spare acoustic ballad. Early on, Crutchfield considered giving it to Wynonna Judd. they had become a friend after that Saint Cloudand released a duet, “Other Side,” in 2022. When Crutchfield, Cook and a group of session musicians first attempted to record “365” in early Tigers Blood in sessions at the Sonic Ranch studio in West Texas, Cook recalls involving a synthesizer and perhaps some electronic drum loops. “We were dancing around a pop sound, pop production,” says Crutchfield. “I think when your profile goes up, the door opens for you to go or that sound and it's tempting to go through. This lasted about a day. We gave him a good six hours.”
Crutchfield recalls feeling increasingly alienated from her work as the deal progressed. “I was on my phone,” he says, “totally drifting off. I was like, I really don't like what we're doing, but I'll let everyone feel what they're working on.”
Cook sensed her distress and sent the other players home. The two decided to stay on their own. “Katie is easily one of the most brilliant people I know, and also in tune with what works and what doesn't work for her,” Cook says. “I've worked with other artists where you show them what works for them and what doesn't. But Katie just doesn't need that.”
“It was very much like, 'I think we should get some cool musicians in the room together and we'll just play as a band,'” says Crutchfield. “And that's what we did.” Working any other way, he continues, felt like he was “trying to go fishing with a tennis racket.”
