Intimate Stranger

After four years of touring Latin America, the UK, Europe and the USA, Intimate Stranger - an international band formed in 2006 by Chilean guitarist Lautaro Stranger (Cucsifae, Don Fango, Disturbio Menor) and English/Croatian singer/bassist Tessie Stranger, has finally had the breakthrough they deserve with the release of their second album “Under” in June 2010. As of November 2010 the band is now based in Austin, Texas, adding new drummer Victor Ziolkowski and with a widespread 2011 US tour. The title song is getting extensive radio play across the globe, (including Austin’s 101 X, BBC Radio 6, and top South American stations Horizonte, Zero and Rock and Pop), the video for “Under” is now on MTV and the press reviews for the album and in particular the second single from the album, Nighttime are sensational. Since its formation in 2006, the band has lived in London, Santiago and more recently in Austin, TX playing at venues as diverse as The Rock Garden, and The Dublin Castle in London, The Roxy in Buenos Aires, Club Blondie and Teatro Caupolican in Santiago, to the Parish in Austin and the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, NY. Intimate Stranger has performed with: Cheap Trick, Surfer Blood, High on Fire, Anita Tijoux, Carl Stone, The Raincoats, Hello Cuca, Sky Larkin, Black Tape For a Blue Girl, Crystal Castles and more. Adding keyboardist Ismael Palma in 2008, the new set up with synths and keyboards has further evolved the band's sound, as is reflected in the their new material, which was described on Tom Robinson's Introducing BBC 6 Radio as “sounding gritty and dirty and calm and etheral at the same time, with beautiful vocals – a difficult balancing act”. March 2010 they pre-released their second album Under, to coincide with their SXSW 2010 full-house Showcase at Maggie Mae’s, Waterloo Records Showcase and a tour of the southern states of the USA (supported by strong TV, radio and press including live performances and interviews on Fox, KEYE TV and ME TV). With a growing fan base in the USA and headliner status in Chile, the band is currently touring the US and garnering media coverage on Spin Earth, Spinner, BeaconPass, Rolling Stone, Austin 360, AntiGravity, Village Voice and much more. The Austin Chronicle recently highlighted them as one of Austin’s best new acts and among the top ten to watch out for in 2011, “The Anglo-Chilean quartet just moved to town – signed to Austin's Fringecore Records – and made quite the first impression. In obvious radio singles "Nighttime" and "Under," the international fourpiece mixed the glossy energy of New Wave with a modern, alt-rock edge, anchored by Croatian singer/bassist Tessie S-Woodgate. They won't be strangers for long.” READ MORE... Austin Music and Entertainment recommended the band in its interview with Tessie Stranger, “Check out Intimate Stranger; they’re both Austin’s newest band and one of its most worldly. This city is more eclectic with Tessie, Lau, Ismael and Victor making music in it, so let’s welcome them with open arms and make sure they want to stay. READ MORE... After their January 2011 show at the Knitting Factory, New York, Spinner’s Annie Reuter, wrote “Frontwoman Tessie Stranger has been named one of the “Leading Ladies of Rock” by Rolling Stone Chile and last Friday she demonstrated just why. With powerful stage presence, her vocals immediately grab the listener. Her singing combined with atmospheric guitar effects, soaring synth melodies and solid drum rhythm had concertgoers energized and dancing along.” READ MORE... Other critics have picked up on the band’s powerful stage presence, with David Ponce, one of Chile’s top music critics writing, “One of the reasons why its so special to see Intimate Stranger live, is because they go so much beyond playing the album, they recreate the album each time, with every show being a completely unique and new experience.” Extravaganza, Chile recently wrote; "The band's sound is warm and sensual, violent and sweet, gritty and sensitive. All at the same time. Live, this quartet is a killer unit that overwhelms the audience with waves of noise and electricity, and has become by far one of the best shows in the capital. Their performance is flawless." All this has followed on from the band being selected for a major interview by Rolling Stone Chile for the “Leading Ladies of Rock ' special, with a half-page photo of singer Tessie, on the inside front cover. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.