Most bands are thrilled to release a debut CD. Not Fond of Tigers. Indeed, founding member Stephen Lyons and drummer Dan Gaucher seem uneasy with the idea of having just one recorded representation of their local instrumental septet.

“The common perception of what a band does is, they figure out what they want to do, get good at doing that, and release that,” says Lyons, in the living room of the main-floor suite he shares with a roommate in a house just off Commercial Drive. Somewhat unnervingly, we are under the scrutiny of several pairs of glassy eyes, surrounded as we are by a number of stuffed animals, including an owl and a pine marten, belonging to Lyons's housemate.

“But our process is a little different,” continues Lyons, the frontman for Not Fond of Tigers. “So to have this CD as a static representation of us feels a little strange. I want to have more of them, at least. Just to have one is sitting a little uncomfortably with me.”

The origins of Fond of Tigers' process lies in the group's beginnings. After the demise of his adventurous pop band Beauventure, Lyons embarked on a solo career. But the lone-guitar-slinger project soon evolved to include playing along with tape loops and recorded drones.

“It became pretty ambient,” he says. “There was a while where it seemed like it was just me having nervous breakdowns on-stage. I didn't want to be playing solo. I was frustrated I couldn't find people to play with. Now it seems like there are loads and loads of musicians.”

Traces of these early experiments leak into Fond of Tigers' debut, as in the cymbal-crashing opener, “The Suburbs are for Lovebirds” . On busier tracks, like “Elkore” and “Here You Are, Hated” , however, the voices of guitar, clarinet, drums, and violin spark off each other, as though competing to dominate the frenetic musical patterns. Elsewhere, the pace slows and the volume subsides, allowing a simple musical phrase to be spun into a pleasant reverie (“A Thing to Live With That Will Live With You” ) or symphonic grandeur (“Here, You Are Hated” ). “Parade Rehearsal” , the epic closer, combines both the anxious and relaxed sides of the band.

Fond of Tigers arrived at this sound gradually, as Lyons gathered more musicians around him. “At the end of the time of playing solo, it [the music] was really amorphous,” the frontman says. “I'd basically left the structure behind. It was like I worked the pop out of my system somewhere in that dark alone time. Then, as things became more rhythm-based, and I played with people, the more it was a challenge of playing with a band.”

The project has now swelled to include two drummers (Gaucher and Skye Brooks), keyboardist Morgan McDonald, bassist Shanto Bhattacharya, trumpet player JP Carter, and violinist Jesse Zubot. The musicians' experience with other, often more jazz-oriented projects””from straight-ahead to free-form””have given some the impression that Fond of Tigers is a rock band with serious jazz chops.

“What are those? I keep them in my freezer,” says Gaucher with a laugh. “What's the difference between jazz or prog or metal chops? It's kind of irrelevant in a way. I'd call it more prog than jazz chops, where it's like 'Starting from this moment in time you have to execute these things and nail it'””yep, we can do it. Not always, but generally. But I don't think any of us would like to call ourselves a jazz musician playing rock 'n' roll. We all have pretty diverse tastes.”

Nevertheless, the musicians' technical abilities influence not just the music but their approach as well. Fond of Tigers continuously challenges itself by changing tempos, styles, and/or arrangements.

Which is why having one single, lonely, recorded calling card out there feels a little dissatisfying. “Recording is such a snapshot,” says Gaucher. “It's two days in the life of a band that's now been in existence for about four years. Some groups really try to just refine their thing. There's always this unspoken level of freshness we try to keep in.” Gaucher catches himself. “Fresh””that's a bad word to use. We're doing things a little bit different every time.”

Lyons estimates that Fond of Tigers has at least two albums' worth of material ready to record. In the meantime, the band can hone its chops, jazz or otherwise, where it's been winning admirers””in the city's local venues.

“The comment I've received a number of times is that it's really wild to see two drummers freak out for that long right beside each other,” says Gaucher. “That's as close we get to fireworks, I guess. But the music really does push us. I've played Fond of Tigers gigs where I literally need a headband because I have sweat running into my eyes. I've never had that before.”

“It can get pretty mentally and physically exhausting,” Lyons adds. “I often feel swept up in it. It's not loose and easy-going. It's arduous””it's almost like a task, but a rewarding one.”

Fond of Tigers plays David Lam Park as part of Jazz at the Roundhouse on Saturday (July 1).