Biography
The sparse, intimate songs of singer/songwriter Tomberlin first surfaced in 2017 through an early pressing of her debut album. Featuring only acoustic guitar, keyboards, and light strings, At Weddings placed the spotlight squarely on her fragile vocals, melodies, and introspective lyrics. After signing with Saddle Creek, she preserved that same close-knit sound on her second full-length, i dont know who needs to hear this..., which arrived in 2022.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Sarah Beth Tomberlin relocated frequently during childhood because her father worked as a pastor. As a youngster she took a handful of piano lessons and taught herself guitar on an instrument her parents had given her. The devout Baptist family eventually settled in rural Southern Illinois. Her exposure to secular music remained limited, consisting mainly of American Idol performances of songs she did not recognize; any CDs she later purchased were kept hidden from her parents.
Homeschooled, she earned her high school equivalency degree at 16 and then balanced full-time employment with college classes. During this period she began writing the material that would form her first album. The Owen Pallett-produced At Weddings, which explored isolation and young adulthood, received a limited vinyl edition from Joyful Noise Recordings in late 2017. That same year Tomberlin completed her associate degree and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. She soon joined Saddle Creek Records, which reissued the debut in 2018 with three additional tracks. Within a year of her first live performance she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and relocated to Los Angeles. The Projections EP, written in Los Angeles and recorded in Philadelphia with Alex G, was released in 2020.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a period of movement that took her back to Illinois, then Los Angeles, then Louisville before she finally settled in Brooklyn. There she recorded her second album, i dont know who needs to hear this..., at Figure 8 studios with producer and engineer Phil Weinrobe (Adrianne Lenker, Kings of Convenience). Though the record stayed hushed and intimate, it featured contributions from Weinrobe, Cass McCombs, Stuart Bogie (Superhuman Happiness), and Gyða Valtýsdóttir (Múm), among others. She supported the release with an international headlining tour that included North American dates performed with a full band.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Sarah Beth Tomberlin relocated frequently during childhood because her father worked as a pastor. As a youngster she took a handful of piano lessons and taught herself guitar on an instrument her parents had given her. The devout Baptist family eventually settled in rural Southern Illinois. Her exposure to secular music remained limited, consisting mainly of American Idol performances of songs she did not recognize; any CDs she later purchased were kept hidden from her parents.
Homeschooled, she earned her high school equivalency degree at 16 and then balanced full-time employment with college classes. During this period she began writing the material that would form her first album. The Owen Pallett-produced At Weddings, which explored isolation and young adulthood, received a limited vinyl edition from Joyful Noise Recordings in late 2017. That same year Tomberlin completed her associate degree and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. She soon joined Saddle Creek Records, which reissued the debut in 2018 with three additional tracks. Within a year of her first live performance she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and relocated to Los Angeles. The Projections EP, written in Los Angeles and recorded in Philadelphia with Alex G, was released in 2020.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a period of movement that took her back to Illinois, then Los Angeles, then Louisville before she finally settled in Brooklyn. There she recorded her second album, i dont know who needs to hear this..., at Figure 8 studios with producer and engineer Phil Weinrobe (Adrianne Lenker, Kings of Convenience). Though the record stayed hushed and intimate, it featured contributions from Weinrobe, Cass McCombs, Stuart Bogie (Superhuman Happiness), and Gyða Valtýsdóttir (Múm), among others. She supported the release with an international headlining tour that included North American dates performed with a full band.
Albums
Singles
