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Roy Pitluk recently sat down with VENTS Magazine to discuss his brand new single “Put A Tiger In My Tank”. The interview can be found below!
Who influences you as an artist?
I’ve been influenced by poetry (Pablo Neruda; John Keats; Reinardo Arenas; Gerard Manley Hopkins); mythos (ancient Greek religion; Yoruba; Santeria; Aztec legends; Judiasm); art (Frida Kahlo; Gustav Klimpt; Kandinsky; Basquia; Robert Rauschenberg); cinema (Luca Guadagnino, John Lynch); and musicians (Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Sara Vaughn, Nine Inch Nails, Chopin, Chavela Vargas, George Michael; David Byrnel).
What led to the creation of the song “Put A Tiger In My Tank”?
After a long career in court reporting, I became a 24/7 caregiver for my husband. After his passing, I returned to music. “Put a Tiger in My Tank” represents the dilemmas I face as a widower returning to the world of meeting men for companionship and pleasure. “Tiger” also represents the surge of strength and libido that occured as my healing journey evolved. The tiger represents the prize earned after the hunt; it represents my feeling of strength and virility; it represents my co-optation of a the comic version of Tony the Tiger; it represents the spirit of fun and mischief as I begin my search for male-to-male connection, pleasure, and companionship.
What musical styles did you incorporate into this song and why did you go in that direction?
This song is created and sung in the style of popular music. I only heard my own voice and my own words. There is a strong rhythm, and the song is punctuated by the enjoyment and emotional needs that led me to this search. It is also a search to replace loneliness with fun. There is an inherent need to reject dogma and the status quo.
In what ways do you think the music video format allows for more creative expression compared to solely audio?
The video format enriched and expanded this song. After all, this song is a story. It happens to be informed by my story. Working with Nick Busco of Busco Productions was a terrific experience. He is a brilliant video artist, and he is also a swell guy! It took us three days to finish the filming, and then Nick’s work started. The video animated and amplified the song in ways that I could never have imagined!
What do you hope viewers take away from watching and listening to “Put A Tiger In My Tank”?
This is an important question. I want viewers to understand that the process of grieving can result in many different outcomes. Some of these outcomes fit within the mold of bourgeois respectability. Some of the outcomes do not fit. My story is a story of discovery, of love, of pleasure. It is also a story about throwing away the rules that others think I ought to follow. It is about taking complete ownership of myself. It’s a way of saying, enjoy your exploration; enjoy your sensuality; love and embrace who you are. Unshackle yourself from the expectations or judgments of other people. It’s my life. It’s your life. It belongs to you and your Creator.
What is the inspiration behind the song “Put A Tiger In My Tank”?
The inspiration from this song came from within me. It came from the love of people who gave their love with no judgment and no preaching. It came from my spiritual studies in Judaism, in Vippassana Buddhism, in Toltec teachings. It came from my rejection of all dogma. My inspiration also comes from music, the arts, nature (the desert), the multiverse of spiritual awakenings as described by Joseph Campbell, .
What was the most memorable moment or scene for you during the filming of the music video?
The peak moment really occurred when I saw the finished product. Nick Busco had created a layered audio/visual narrative that expressed the complexity and mischief and adventure that “Put A Tiger in My Tank” is all about!
What can your fans expect next?
My fellow lovers of music can expect more authenticity; more passion; more exploration. I continue to breathe in mythos and love and sensuality and the imagery of nature and the mysteries of the universe. I want to write and sing more in Spanish, one of the languages of romance. I want to explore punk and hip hop as vehicles for poetry. I want to experiment with dance rhythms and ambient house rhythms. I am singing and writing more music in the style of jazz and blues. I will continue to sing openly about the beauty of eroticism in the expression of love and romance. This can happen when we are young, and it can happen when we are old! Dr. Ruth, Robert Mapplethorpe, Sappho, Frida Kahlo, Anais Nin are all alive and well in my world! I don’t plan on leaving The Garden of Earthly Delights!
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