Tijuana Panthers

Each time Tijuana Panthers release a new record, they often hear that same familiar statement: “this is your best record yet.” Many bands might hear this and feel as though they have arrived, while others use it as motivation to continue to outperform themselves. But Chad, Phil, and Dan seem unbothered by the phrase, perhaps from hearing it directed toward nearly every release.

Now in their forties, the band members have day jobs, families, and/or additional musical projects—all factors that might inhibit growth for some, but that have allowed this band to live on in its purest form, and presumably for many years to come.

Aptly named, their latest release, Halfway to Eighty, takes on challenging themes of time and reflection, and although the album’s core found its way to the surface inadvertently, such is the nature of Tijuana Panthers: a band that is so established, its creative fire is best sparked without intention.