Tinca Tinca weaves retro-futuristic indie-rock and electronics with themes of love, transience, joy, anxiety, loneliness, and redemption. They released their self-titled debut album on October 9th, 2021.
Tinca Tinca was started by multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Travis Tench, Owen Tharp (guitar and harmonies), and Elyssa Hollifield (bass). Like Spīñal Tap, they play with a different drummer each month. Travis began his musical career at age 11, playing bass in the aptly-named group “Tinnitus,” with his older brother. “Local Boys Start Band,” raved the local newspaper. Since then, he’s played and sung as a member of an array of groups and projects around the world. As part of those groups, he’s had the good fortune to sing in Carnegie Hall, share the stage with Joan Baez, and open for Neil Young in the US and Canada. Tinca Tinca’s self-titled debut album is a lyrical, melody-driven, guitarmony-led return to Tench’s indie-rock roots, with a few subtle nods to 80’s-inspired synthwave tunes and country music.
Since beginning in Knoxville, Tennesse, Tinca Tinca has played an array of wonderful venues and festivals such as The Tennessee Theatre, The Bijou Theatre, Sunset on Central, and they've been featured on WDVX, WUTK, and live on WATE Channel 6. In the summer of 2023, Tinca Tinca joined the roster of artists on the Performing Arts Label at the Old City Performing Arts Center.
Funding for Tinca Tinca's debut album and release show was generously provided by the TEAM, via the Petri Project Program:
The TEAM's Petri Project Program was launched in 2017 and its goal is to foster a pipeline of inquiry and development into new work led by our artistic community. The program provides funding, rehearsal space, and producing support to seedlings of new work. This program has received generous support from the Axe-Houghton Foundation and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.