Tygermylk is the project of Hastings-based artist Hayz Harland, a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and disability inclusivity. Years of busking on London’s Southbank taught Harland the power of vulnerability, a quality that shines on their debut album Local Girl, Always Tired. It was ten years in the making and co-produced with Tony Burrata (Edie Bens, The Staves). The record enlists poetic and witty lyricism, dreamy vocals, infectious melodies and bountiful indie-pop earworms.

The title song is the long-player’s focus track. Local Girl, Always Tired pulls on Tygermylk’s experiences of moving back to their hometown during the pandemic. Small towns can mean close knit community and support, but they can also lack diversity and representation.

Harland explained; “Just before the first lockdown, I had a breakdown. I was completely burnt out and had to leave London and move back in with my parents. (…) I’d been badly bullied when I was younger and never had many friends, and suddenly in 2020 I was back in the same place that had been the source of so much trauma. The song is about that feeling: being stuck in a small town that doesn’t fundamentally align with who you are, dreaming of a bigger life, aching to escape.”

The title Local Girl, Always Tired came from a chance moment of inspiration. “The idea came from overhearing a job interview in a hotel foyer in Manchester. This girl was asked, ‘If you ever made the headlines, what would your headline be?’ She sighed: ‘Oh, I don’t know… Local Girl, Always Tired’.”

Local Girl, Always Tired by Tygermylk is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.

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In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.