Colin 
TYGERMYLK has released their long-awaited debut album Local Girl, Always Tired, a bold and deeply personal body of work shaped across ten years of growth, reflection, and resilience. The release arrives ahead of their launch show on 19 November at St Pancras Old Church. The project explores key moments that have influenced every part of their identity, from early experiences with chronic illness to their ongoing advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights and disability inclusion.
The album presents a vivid portrait of a life rebuilt through honesty and determination. Each song reveals a different chapter of that journey, and together they form a complete story that showcases the full emotional range that listeners have come to expect from Tygermylk. The record carries dreamy vocals, sharp lyricism, infectious melodies, and bright indie pop hooks that signal a major step forward for an artist who has always treated songwriting as a lifeline.
A decade of stories brought into focus
The focus track ‘Local Girl, Always Tired’ reflects on their experience of leaving London during the pandemic and returning to a hometown that once held painful memories. They shared how a breakdown before lockdown pushed them back into a space filled with trauma, only to face relapse from long-term chronic illness when the world shut down. That return brought its own conflict, since small towns can offer support yet lack diversity and representation. The song captures the tension between wanting comfort and needing freedom.
The title itself came from a moment of chance. TYGERMYLK overheard a job interview in a Manchester hotel where someone was asked what their headline would be. The reply, “Local Girl, Always Tired,” struck them immediately and grew into the central thread of the project. They turned that phrase into a mission statement, one that speaks to exhaustion, humour, and the search for belonging.
The album also includes ‘Natali’, ‘The Deverills’, ‘Confetti’, ‘Babe III’, and ‘Emergency Contact’, each bringing a distinct emotional weight. ‘Babe III’ began as a way to process the loss of their grandfather and became even more meaningful when their father contributed backing vocals shortly before his unexpected passing. That grief shaped ‘Emergency Contact’ too, which opens with a voicemail from him and reflects the disorientation that follows sudden loss.
A record that balances pain and joy
Elsewhere, TYGERMYLK explores sexuality, self-acceptance, and the pressure to fit into structures that rarely make space for queer and disabled voices. ‘Confetti’ celebrates personal liberation with confidence and warmth, while ‘Beast’ confronts the fear that chronic illness can twist into feelings of being unlovable. They explained how other people’s ignorance once distorted their identity and how writing the song helped them reclaim their sense of worth.
‘The Deverills’, created with Laura Reznek, offers a lighter moment. It leans into the absurdity of growing older, the comfort of deep friendship, and the music industry’s obsession with youth. The track captures the joy that runs through the core of TYGERMYLK’s work, even when the themes cut close to the bone.
Since launching in 2018 with ‘What God Would Keep Us Apart’, TYGERMYLK has earned support from BBC News, Scene Magazine, and major festivals including Glastonbury and Isle of Wight. Hayz Harland built that reputation through years of busking across London’s Southbank, turning vulnerability into connection and refining the voice that now anchors this debut. Local Girl, Always Tired arrives as a complete artistic statement from an artist who has worked for every inch of their momentum.
You can follow TYGERMYLK on Instagram.
Photo Credit: Anita McAndrew