Joshua Tillman, also known as J. Tillman or Father John Misty, is an American
singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer. Maintaining a steady output of
solo recordings since 2004, Tillman is a former member of indie rock bands Saxon
Shore and Fleet Foxes, as well as Metalcore act, Demon Hunter and has
toured extensively with Pacific Northwest artists Damien Jurado, Jesse
Sykes, and David Bazan. Early life
Tillman grew up in an Evangelical Christian household in Rockville,
Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. The oldest of four children, he has a
brother and two sisters. His father was an engineer at Hewlett-Packard. Before
Tillman settled on a career as a musician, he briefly had ambitions of
becoming a pastor because of the performance aspect when he was
approximately six years old. He comments that his parents focused on the
spiritual aspects of his upbringing, which he describes as "culturally
oppressive". They were estranged for many years, but have since resumed
contact. After learning drums at a young age, Tillman learned guitar when he was
12. Tillman was raised in a Baptist church
and attended an Episcopal elementary school, but by fifth grade he found
himself enrolled in a Pentecostal Messianic Jewish day school. Tillman
said he was naive when he was growing up because there was almost no cultural
influence and no secular music allowed. Around the age of 17, there were new
stipulations from his parents - he was allowed to listen to secular music that
had a "spiritual theme". So his early purchases included albums like Bob
Dylan's Slow Train Coming as he was able to establish that Dylan was classified
as a "Christian artist". Career
= Solo albums = After briefly attending Nyack College in
New York, Tillman moved to Seattle when he was 21. He found a job there working
at a bakery, which allowed him to record at night before his 4:30 am shift began.
A demo he made eventually found its way to Seattle singer and songwriter Damien
Jurado. A year later Tillman started opening for Jurado. At shows Tillman
would distribute CD-R copies of songs that would later become his album I Will
Return. During the tour, he also struck up a friendship with Eric Fisher, who
produced another CD-R album, Long May You Run. Both albums were later released
on Keep Recordings. Tillman and Jurado both later signed on for a U.S. tour
with Richard Buckner. In 2006, the independent label Fargo
Records released Tillman's first properly distributed solo album, Minor
Works, and reissued I Will Return and Long May You Run as a two-disc set the
same year. In 2007, Yer Bird Records released his more elaborately arranged
fourth album, Cancer and Delirium. After signing to independent record
label Western Vinyl, Tillman released two albums in 2009, Vacilando Territory
Blues and Year In The Kingdom. Tillman said he wrote the title track of
Vacilando Territory Blues to describe imagery he associates with his move to
Seattle. His brother subsequently moved there as well. The following year
Tillman released Singing Ax. = Fleet Foxes =
In 2008, Tillman joined Seattle folk rock band Fleet Foxes as their drummer.
After extensive touring with Fleet Foxes, promoting their album
Helplessness Blues, Tillman played his final show with the band in Tokyo on
January 20, 2012. = Father John Misty =
On May 1, 2012, Tillman released the album Fear Fun under his new moniker
Father John Misty. A couple of months prior to the release of the album a
video was released for the song "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"
starring Parks and Recreation '​s Aubrey Plaza. The album was a dramatic
departure from any of Tillman's former releases.
As Father John Misty, Tillman was featured on Kid Cudi's 2013 album
Indicud. Tillman wrote an essay about Damien
Jurado's recording, Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son. He also wrote the
soundtrack for a short film called The History of Caves, directed by his wife,
the filmmaker Emma Elizabeth Tillman. The "Limited Run Promotional Poster" was
available at the artist’s website, and promoted a purported release called New
Winter, described as a "Christmas Neu-Jazz Double Album", and quoted
several paradoxes and made-up reviews. The poster text further states that the
release will be sold as "compact disc" as well as "[l]imited edition prismatic
hologram 6xLP on merlot and emerald semi-translucent 180 gram vinyl with
original alternate-side etchings by Josh Tillman available till supplies last".
The poster names five songs that are part of the track list: "Gesture I:
Inoculation", "Gesture II: Feast Of Spirits", "Anacrusis Future Seed",
"Naked Fire/The Fifth Season" and "Gemini".
In February 2015, the album I Love You, Honeybear was released.
Discography = Albums =
as J. Tillman Untitled No. 1
I Will Return Long May You Run, J. Tillman
Minor Works Cancer And Delirium
Vacilando Territory Blues - UK #191 Year In The Kingdom
Singing Ax as Father John Misty
Fear Fun I Love You, Honeybear
= EPs = J. Tillman
Documented Isle Land
Laminar Excursion Monthly #8 The Demos
The History Of Caves "I Luv You HB" Demos
= Singles, contributions and covers = Singles
"Wild Honey Never Stolen / Borne Away On A Black Barge 7"" -
Marissa Nadler / Father John Misty - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings /
Drive 7"" - "Bored In The USA" -, free, digital only
"Chateau Lobby #4" -, free, digital only, #19 Billboard Adult Album
Alternative "I Loved You Honeybee/I've Never Been a
Woman", Heart-shaped 7" - - special limited edition 2015 Record Store Day
release. "The Angry River", True Detective
Soundtrack Contributions
Kid Cudi - "Young Lady" - Botany - "Laughtrack" -, free, digital
only Covers
"Tillman Sings 'Tonight's The Night'", free, digital only, cover album of Neil
Young's album Tonight's The Night Personal life
Tillman is married to photographer Emma Elizabeth Tillman. They met in Los
Angeles at the Laurel Canyon Country Store and were married in Big Sur. They
currently live in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tillman had previously lived
in Seattle for several years. Notable performances
Late Show with David Letterman, May 1, 2012
KCRW: Morning Becomes Eclectic, May 30, 2012
Late Show with David Letterman, Nov 3, 2014
Roskilde Festival July 2, 2015 at Avalon Stage.
References External links
Official website Profile on Western Viny website
Profile on Yer Bird website Profile on Autumn Tone Records website