Father John Misty

Father John Misty
Tillman performing in June 2017
Born
Joshua Michael Tillman

(1981-05-03) May 3, 1981 (age 43)
Other namesJ. Tillman
Occupations
  • Musician
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2001–present
Spouse
Emma Elizabeth Garr
(m. 2013)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
  • drums
  • percussion
  • harmonica
  • bass
Labels
Formerly of
Websitefatherjohnmisty.com

Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician. He is known for his satirical lyricism and eccentric performance style.

Tillman began his career in Seattle in the early 2000s.[1][2] One of his demos reached Damien Jurado, and in 2003 he opened for him on his tour. Tillman began performing and releasing studio albums under the name J. Tillman. The albums were characterised for their folk sound and intimate lyricism. In 2008 Tillman joined the band Fleet Foxes, as their drummer during the tour for their first record, he also went on to play on their second album, Helplessness Blues (2011). Tillman left the band soon after the record was completed, and started a new solo project, now under the name Father John Misty, releasing his first record, Fear Fun, in 2012. The album was a radical departure from his previous output, featuring a more marked, indie rock sound, and satirical lyricism. His second album, I Love You, Honeybear (2015), received widespread acclaim, and was said to be a concept album, based on Tillman's relationship with his wife, Emma. Honeybear was followed by another concept album, Pure Comedy (2017), exchanging the romantic content of the former for a nihilistic view of society, consumerism, and politics. His next two records, God's Favorite Customer (2018) and Chloë and the Next 20th Century (2022), explore soft rock and traditional pop respectively.

During his career he has been either a permanent or touring member of Demon Hunter, Saxon Shore, Jeffertitti's Nile,[3] Pearly Gate Music,[4] Siberian,[5] Har Mar Superstar,[6] Poor Moon,[7] Low Hums, and Jonathan Wilson,[8] and has toured extensively with Jesse Sykes, and David Bazan.[9][10] As a record producer and songwriter, Tillman has also made contributions to albums by more mainstream artists such as Beyoncé,[11] Lady Gaga,[12] Kid Cudi,[13] Lana Del Rey, and Post Malone.

  1. ^ "Josh Tillman Biography". Artist Direct. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  2. ^ Demming, Mark. "Father John Misty Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  3. ^ "Jeffertitti's Nile – No One – Q MagazineQ Magazine". Q. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  4. ^ Lester, Paul (May 4, 2010). "Pearly Gate Music (No 778)". The Guardian. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  5. ^ Levin, Hannah. "Rocka Rolla". Thestranger.com. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "Har Mar Superstar with Josh Tillman at Satellite – Photos & Show Review – April 25, 2013". Grimygoods.com. April 26, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  7. ^ "Poor Moon: Good dancers on lonely streets – What's Up! Magazine". Whatsupmagazine.com. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "Jonathan Wilson's 'Fanfare' is the most important album of 2013". DangerousMinds. October 28, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  9. ^ "J. Tillman". thesixtyone. September 22, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  10. ^ Alt-Gramma. "Interview with Josh Tillman". Speed of Dark. Archived from the original (blog) on April 30, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  11. ^ Camp, Zoe (April 25, 2016). "Father John Misty Tells Two Stories About Beyoncé Collaboration: One Real, One Fake". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  12. ^ Phillips, Amy (September 15, 2016). "Lady Gaga Announces New Album Joanne". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  13. ^ Muller, Marissa G. "Father John Misty Talks New Album, Doing Mushrooms with Kid Cudi and his TV Pilot". MTV. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.