Miniature Tigers fourth studio album, Cruel Runnings, will release on June 17. This album was produced while the band was on an extended vacation in Jamaica.

Band bassist Brandon Lee credits the album’s creativity and energy to the vacation. In a press release Lee said, “There was just a different energy there, a different energy in such a relaxing environment,” he said, “Everything came very naturally. We had all decided, ‘Let’s just try to be as much of us as possible”.

Lead vocalist and guitarist, Charlie Brand, wanted the album to capture the essence of a relationship. He feels this is a good representation of life itself. He wants the album to ultimately show the ups and downs of both a relationship and life in general.

In a press release, Cruel Runnings was described as “something halfway between nostalgia and the ecstatic now, an album that yearns for the recent past while staring open-hearted at what the present dares to bring. Songs about swimming pools remembered on sticky summer nights, lovers meeting at discotheques, streets where you used to live”. Due to the influence and importance of emotion, the band hopes this album will convey passion that all listeners can find relatable.

Miniature Tigers consists of Charlie Brand (vocals, guitar), Rick Schaier (keys), Algernon Quashie (guitar) and Brandon Lee (bass). The band’s first national tour occurred in 2008. In 2009, Miniature Tigers toured with Ben Folds and played the Monolith Festival. Recently, Miniature Tigers performed at the unofficial showcase at Rusty’s in Texas for an SXSW event.

The band already released the song “Swimming Pool Blues” from the new album. Today they also released a second track, “Oblivious” which can be heard on soundcloud. The soundcloud can be found here. For more information on Miniature Tigers album, click here to view their official webiste.