Biography
Tiles emerged as a veteran quartet rooted in Detroit, Michigan, where their hard-edged neo-prog sound merges the intricate structures and exploratory spirit of classic progressive rock with the intensity and drive of hard rock and progressive metal. Although Rush provided the earliest spark, the group has shaped a singular identity across five studio albums by absorbing and blending an array of additional sources. Their story began in 1988 when guitarist Chris Herin and drummer Mark Evans first worked together in Standing Pavement. A privately issued cassette titled Crowded Emptiness reached Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, who offered the band a production contract on his Simmons Records imprint in 1990. By then the original lineup had dissolved, leaving only Herin and Evans. The remaining pair formed Hanover Fist, cut eight demos, and watched the label close when distribution could not be secured.
Herin and Evans regrouped once more and began tracking material as a duo for what became the first Tiles album while continuing to seek a permanent bassist. They brought in fellow Michigan native Kevin Chown, then based in Detroit, to record the bass parts as a session musician. Vocalist Paul Rarick joined after auditioning, and Chown stayed on as co-producer, suggesting his student Jeff Whittle for the bass position. Whittle entered in 1993 as final mixing neared. The quartet, now named Tiles after the Led Zeppelin track “Out on the Tiles,” has maintained nearly the same membership for more than twenty years.
The self-titled debut first appeared on Standing Pavement Records before Dream Circle/Polydor licensed it for European release and Teichiku Records handled Japan in 1995. The record drew strong notices from European and Asian critics and registered on several charts. Tiles returned to the studio in 1997 to record Fence the Clear, the sole album without Evans; Pat DeLeon handled drums. Issued the same year by Inside Out Music and mixed by Rush producer Terry Brown, the album initiated a long working relationship with Brown and received favorable coverage in both North America and Europe.
Presents of Mind followed in 1999, again mixed by Brown, with artwork by Hugh Syme, who has created every subsequent cover. The album drew on Rush, early Kansas, vintage Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and heavier acts such as Queensrÿche and Dream Theater. Among its admirers were Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and Mike Portnoy. Tiles supported Dream Theater on a European tour, expanding their audience considerably.
Window Dressing arrived in 2004 after nearly five years. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Brown, the record featured extended song cycles that defined the band’s approach, with violinist Matthew Parmenter adding a neo-classical element; he has appeared on every Tiles release since. Exhaustive touring in Europe and North America earned positive notices for both the album and the live shows, culminating in a 2005 Detroit Music Award nomination and the attention of numerous fellow musicians.
Fly Paper surfaced in 2008 and included guest appearances by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, Alannah Myles, Sonya Kitchell, and Max Webster’s Kim Mitchell. After the tour cycle the group withdrew to begin writing new material, though uncertainty led them to consider disbanding. They ultimately continued and marked their twentieth anniversary with the live albums Off the Floor (2012) and Off the Floor 2 (2014), both issued on Standing Pavement.
In early 2016 Tiles announced Pretending 2 Run, a 96-minute double-length song cycle recounting a man blindsided by betrayal. Brown produced the set, which featured contributions from Mike Portnoy and his son Max—the first time they recorded together—along with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Adam Holzman, Mike Stern, Colin Edwin, Chown, choirs, and orchestral strings. A preview trailer appeared online in March, followed weeks later by a lyric video for “Weightless.” The album was released in April 2016, eight years after Fly Paper.
Herin and Evans regrouped once more and began tracking material as a duo for what became the first Tiles album while continuing to seek a permanent bassist. They brought in fellow Michigan native Kevin Chown, then based in Detroit, to record the bass parts as a session musician. Vocalist Paul Rarick joined after auditioning, and Chown stayed on as co-producer, suggesting his student Jeff Whittle for the bass position. Whittle entered in 1993 as final mixing neared. The quartet, now named Tiles after the Led Zeppelin track “Out on the Tiles,” has maintained nearly the same membership for more than twenty years.
The self-titled debut first appeared on Standing Pavement Records before Dream Circle/Polydor licensed it for European release and Teichiku Records handled Japan in 1995. The record drew strong notices from European and Asian critics and registered on several charts. Tiles returned to the studio in 1997 to record Fence the Clear, the sole album without Evans; Pat DeLeon handled drums. Issued the same year by Inside Out Music and mixed by Rush producer Terry Brown, the album initiated a long working relationship with Brown and received favorable coverage in both North America and Europe.
Presents of Mind followed in 1999, again mixed by Brown, with artwork by Hugh Syme, who has created every subsequent cover. The album drew on Rush, early Kansas, vintage Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and heavier acts such as Queensrÿche and Dream Theater. Among its admirers were Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and Mike Portnoy. Tiles supported Dream Theater on a European tour, expanding their audience considerably.
Window Dressing arrived in 2004 after nearly five years. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Brown, the record featured extended song cycles that defined the band’s approach, with violinist Matthew Parmenter adding a neo-classical element; he has appeared on every Tiles release since. Exhaustive touring in Europe and North America earned positive notices for both the album and the live shows, culminating in a 2005 Detroit Music Award nomination and the attention of numerous fellow musicians.
Fly Paper surfaced in 2008 and included guest appearances by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, Alannah Myles, Sonya Kitchell, and Max Webster’s Kim Mitchell. After the tour cycle the group withdrew to begin writing new material, though uncertainty led them to consider disbanding. They ultimately continued and marked their twentieth anniversary with the live albums Off the Floor (2012) and Off the Floor 2 (2014), both issued on Standing Pavement.
In early 2016 Tiles announced Pretending 2 Run, a 96-minute double-length song cycle recounting a man blindsided by betrayal. Brown produced the set, which featured contributions from Mike Portnoy and his son Max—the first time they recorded together—along with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Adam Holzman, Mike Stern, Colin Edwin, Chown, choirs, and orchestral strings. A preview trailer appeared online in March, followed weeks later by a lyric video for “Weightless.” The album was released in April 2016, eight years after Fly Paper.
Albums
