Biography
J. Tillman crafts songs that evoke wistful, melancholic scenes of romance and fringe existences, echoing the introspective resonance of Nick Drake while incorporating the rustic sonic layers associated with Ryan Adams. His initial visibility came from drumming duties in the indie outfits Saxon Shore and Stately during his time as a student in New York City. Outside those commitments, he started developing original songs under the sway of Nick Drake and Pete Seeger alongside the prose of Flannery O'Connor. Several of his early recordings reached Damien Jurado, prompting an invitation to accompany the songwriter on tour. Tillman delivered solo performances at multiple stops and handed out CD-R copies of the collection I Will Return. He also connected with Eric Fisher on the road, resulting in the production of another CD-R release titled Long May You Run. Both musicians later joined Richard Buckner for a U.S. trek, where audiences again encountered Tillman’s self-burned discs.
Fargo Records issued his first widely available solo effort, Minor Works, in 2006, while Keep Records simultaneously reissued I Will Return and Long May You Run together as a two-disc package. Yer Bird Records followed with the more orchestrally detailed Cancer and Delirium in 2007, marking Tillman’s fourth album. Though his independent output continued to draw praise, he stepped into a new role in 2008 by becoming a member of Fleet Foxes. The band maintained an intensive touring schedule behind its debut record, even as Tillman prepared fresh material that surfaced as Vacilando Territory Blues and Year in the Kingdom in 2009. He departed Fleet Foxes in 2011 to devote attention to his own work, assuming the name Father John Misty for the 2012 album Fear Fun. That twelve-song set merged the vocal harmonies of his previous group with a sheen of Gram Parsons and Harry Nilsson-informed, Laurel Canyon-inspired neo-psychedelia.
Fargo Records issued his first widely available solo effort, Minor Works, in 2006, while Keep Records simultaneously reissued I Will Return and Long May You Run together as a two-disc package. Yer Bird Records followed with the more orchestrally detailed Cancer and Delirium in 2007, marking Tillman’s fourth album. Though his independent output continued to draw praise, he stepped into a new role in 2008 by becoming a member of Fleet Foxes. The band maintained an intensive touring schedule behind its debut record, even as Tillman prepared fresh material that surfaced as Vacilando Territory Blues and Year in the Kingdom in 2009. He departed Fleet Foxes in 2011 to devote attention to his own work, assuming the name Father John Misty for the 2012 album Fear Fun. That twelve-song set merged the vocal harmonies of his previous group with a sheen of Gram Parsons and Harry Nilsson-informed, Laurel Canyon-inspired neo-psychedelia.
Albums