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Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has also performed and released studio albums under the name J. Tillman. Maintaining a steady output of solo recordings since 2004, Tillman has been either a permanent or touring member of
Demon Hunter Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. Although the brothers created the band together, only Ryan remains, since Don left the band to take care of his ...
,
Saxon Shore The Saxon Shore ( la, litus Saxonicum) was a military command of the late Roman Empire, consisting of a series of fortifications on both sides of the Channel. It was established in the late 3rd century and was led by the "Count of the Saxon Shor ...
,
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), ...
,
Jeffertitti's Nile Jeffertitti's Nile is an American psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles, California. History Jeffertitti's Nile is the project of Jeff Ramuno, bassist for Father John Misty. Ramuno self-released two albums in 2009 and 2010, and for his 2014 re ...
, Pearly Gate Music, Siberian,
Har Mar Superstar Sean Tillmann (born February 6, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has performed and released studio albums as Sean Na Na and as a member of hardcore band Calvin Krime, but is best known for his work under the name Har Mar Super ...
, Poor Moon, Low Hums, and Jonathan Wilson, and has toured extensively with
Damien Jurado Damien Jurado is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, United States. Over the years, he has released albums on Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Loose, and is currently on his own label Maraqopa Records. Music career Jurado's solo ...
,
Jesse Sykes Jesse Sykes (née Solomon) (born July 17, 1967) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her band Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, which was formed in 1999 with Phil Wandscher. Early life and education Sykes was born in Mount Kis ...
, and
David Bazan David Bazan (; born January 22, 1976) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona who now resides in Seattle, Washington. Bazan is the lead singer and creative force behind the band Pedro the Lion and was the lead singer ...
. He has also made contributions to albums by more mainstream artists such as
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
,
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
,
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...
, and
Post Malone Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his variegated vocals, Malone has gained acclaim for blending genres and subgenres of hip ...
.


Early life

Joshua Michael Tillman was born in
Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...
, on May 3, 1981, the son of
evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
parents Barbara and Irvin C. Tillman, an engineer at
Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
, who met at a Christian youth group. His mother was raised in
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, where her parents were missionaries. The eldest of four children, he has a brother and two sisters. Before he 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 has commented that his parents strongly emphasized Christianity in his upbringing, to a degree which he has described as "culturally oppressive". He was estranged from his parents for many years, but they have since reconciled. After learning drums at a young age, Tillman learned guitar when he was 12. He attended a
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
church and an Episcopal elementary school while growing up, then a Pentecostal Messianic day school. He said he was naïve when he was growing up because there was limited secular cultural influence within the home and no secular music was allowed. Around the age of 17, his parents modified their cultural stipulations; he was allowed to listen to secular music that had a "spiritual theme". For this reason, his early purchases included albums like
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's '' Slow Train Coming'' as he was able to convince his parents that Dylan was classified as a "Christian artist".


Career


Early career and Fleet Foxes (2004–2012)

After attending
Nyack College Alliance University (formerly Nyack College ()) is a private Christian college affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and located in New York, New York. Enrolling just over 1,000 students, the school is organized in three academ ...
in New York from 1999–2002, Tillman moved to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
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 Damien Jurado is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, United States. Over the years, he has released albums on Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Loose, and is currently on his own label Maraqopa Records. Music career Jurado's solo ...
. 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 Yer Bird Records is a Calgary, Alberta-based independent record label. Founded by Morgan Galen King in 2004 in Charlottesville, Pennsylvania. King partnered with photographer Benjamin Gallman and Yer Bird Records moved from Charlottesville to Ph ...
released his more elaborately arranged fourth album, ''Cancer and Delirium''. After signing to independent record label
Western Vinyl Western Vinyl is an independent record label founded in 1998 and based in Austin, Texas. The imprint was formed by Brian Sampson and Ryan Murphy originally to release their lo-fi indie rock projects as Win Foster and Havergal. Artists *Abram Sh ...
, 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 Zach subsequently moved there as well and is now in the musical group Pearly Gate Music. The following year Tillman released ''Singing Ax''. In 2008, Tillman joined Seattle
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
band
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), ...
as their drummer. After extensive touring with Fleet Foxes, promoting their album ''
Helplessness Blues ''Helplessness Blues'' is the second studio album by American band Fleet Foxes, released on May 3, 2011, by Sub Pop and Bella Union. The album received universal acclaim from critics, going on to be nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th G ...
'', Tillman played his final show with the band in Tokyo on January 20, 2012.


Father John Misty performing name and ''Fear Fun'' (2012–2014)

After leaving Fleet Foxes, Tillman moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and signed to new label
Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
. Dissatisfied with the slow and sad music he had previously made, he adopted the new performing name of Father John Misty. The first album under his new name, ''
Fear Fun ''Fear Fun'' is the first studio album released by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. It was released on April 30, 2012, in the UK and Europe on Bella Union, and in the rest of the world on May 1, 2012, on ...
'', was released on May 1, 2012. 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 ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...
''s
Aubrey Plaza Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began her career performing improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. She starred as April Ludgate on the NBC sitcom ''Pa ...
. The album was a dramatic departure from any of Tillman's prior releases. As Father John Misty, Tillman was featured on
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...
's 2013 album ''
Indicud ''Indicud'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the third studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on April 16, 2013, by GOOD Music, Wicked Awesome Records, and Republic Records. It was the first album of Cudi's solo career to not be ...
''. Tillman wrote an essay about Damien Jurado's recording, ''
Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son ''Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son '' is the eleventh studio album by American rock musician Damien Jurado. It was released January 21, 2014, by Secretly Canadian. The album was announced in the middle of October with a short trailer and an ...
'' (
Secretly Canadian Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Secretly Canadian is a label included in Secretly Group, which ...
, 2014). He also wrote the soundtrack for a short film called ''The History of Caves'', directed by his wife, 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 reviews (for example, from ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', calling it the "new standard by which all seasonal music must now be measured", or from ''Spin'', giving the release 10 out of 10 points and calling it " sential year-round listening"). The poster text further states that the release will be sold as "compact disc" as well as " mited edition prismatic hologram 6xLP on merlot and emerald semi-translucent 180 gram vinyl with original alternate-side etchings by Josh Tillman available till icsupplies last". The poster names five songs that are part of the track list: "Gesture I: Inoculation (Mother And Child)", "Gesture II: Feast Of Spirits", "Anacrusis Future Seed", "Naked Fire/The Fifth Season" and "Gemini".


''I Love You Honeybear'' (2015–2016)

The album ''
I Love You, Honeybear ''I Love You, Honeybear'' is the second studio album by American folk music, folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. It was released on February 9, 2015, in the United Kingdom and Europe by Bella Union, and in the rest of ...
'' was released in February 2015 to widespread acclaim. According to Tillman, it is a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
about himself and his personal life. Tillman made headlines by covering Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" and "Welcome to New York" in 2015. He claimed to have never listened to the artist prior to recording the covers. This was done as a parody of
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...
, who had released his own version of Swift's ''1989'', featuring covers of every song. Tillman released a new song entitled "Real Love Baby" on May 19, 2016. He appeared on the song "Saturday Night Inside Out" on
The Avalanches The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in Melbourne in 1997. They are known for their studio albums '' Since I Left You'' (2000), ''Wildflower'' (2016), and '' We Will Always Love You'' (2020), as well as their live and ...
' second studio album ''
Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the w ...
'', which was released on July 1, 2016. Tillman gained media attention on July 22, 2016, after walking off stage at XPoNential Music Festival in
Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...
, after twenty minutes into his planned fifty-minute performance. Instead of performing his setlist, Tillman walked out and asked, "What the fuck is going on?" He then talked for six minutes about the "numbing" role entertainment plays in our lives and how "stupidity just fucking runs the world because entertainment is stupid." When the audience applauded him he asked them not to and responded by saying, "Maybe just take a moment to be really fucking profoundly sad." He finally played a thirteen-minute piece from his then-upcoming album ''
Pure Comedy ''Pure Comedy'' is the third studio album by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. Its release was announced on January 23, 2017. It was released on April 7, 2017 on Bella Union in the UK and Europe and on Su ...
'' called "Leaving LA" which references the frustrations he spoke of during his speech. Tillman then covered
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
's "
Bird on the Wire "Bird on the Wire" is one of Leonard Cohen's signature songs. It was recorded 26 September 1968 in Nashville and included on his 1969 album ''Songs from a Room''. A May 1968 recording produced by David Crosby, titled "Like a Bird", was added to ...
" before telling the crowd he loved them and walked off the stage, cutting his performance short. The following day, Tillman explained his performance in an Instagram post, in which he called
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention a "demonic clown pageant coronation of our next potential Idiot King", which took place the night before Tillman's performance. In September 2016, his voice and likeness were featured in
Brad Neely Brad Neely (born October 26, 1976) is an American comic book artist and television writer/producer known for his work on television series such as '' South Park'', ''China, IL'' and '' Brad Neely's Harg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio,'' the web series '' ...
's animated
surreal comedy Surreal humour (also called surreal comedy, absurdist humour, or absurdist comedy) is a form of humour predicated on deliberate violations of causality, causal reasoning, thus producing events and behaviours that are obviously illogical. Portrayal ...
show ''Harg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio'' on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
. In the first-season finale episode "For Alba", he sings a song titled "This is America". The song features an animated Father John Misty singing what appears to be a humorous parody of his music, with lyrics most likely written by Brad Neely. The lyrics describe how Americans "die doing the dumbest of crap," such as riding
unicycle A unicycle is a vehicle that touches the ground with only one wheel. The most common variation has a bicycle frame, frame with a bicycle saddle, saddle, and has a human-powered vehicle, pedal-driven direct-drive mechanism, direct-drive. A two spee ...
s,
ghost hunting Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts. Typically, a ghost-hunting team will attempt to collect evidence supporting the existence of paranormal activity. Ghost hunters use a variety of ...
, and performing stunts while
cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
ing as
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
. He also obsessively mentions
Go-Gurt Go-Gurt (stylized as Go-GURT), also known as Yoplait Tubes in Canada and as Frubes in Britain and Ireland, is an American brand of low-fat yogurt for children. It can be sucked out of a tube, instead of being eaten with a spoon. It was introduced ...
s throughout the song.


''Pure Comedy'' and ''God's Favorite Customer'' (2017–2020)

On January 23, 2017, the title track from Misty's third studio album, ''
Pure Comedy ''Pure Comedy'' is the third studio album by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. Its release was announced on January 23, 2017. It was released on April 7, 2017 on Bella Union in the UK and Europe and on Su ...
'', was released with an accompanying music video. The second single released from ''Pure Comedy'', "Two Wildly Different Perspectives", was released with another music video on January 30, 2017. The third single released was "Ballad of the Dying Man" on February 1, 2017. The fourth single, "Total Entertainment Forever", was released on the night it was performed on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' on March 4, 2017. ''Pure Comedy'' was released on April 7, 2017. The album sees Tillman externalize the stereotypical Father John Misty character that he developed through the two previous albums to prevent himself from being constricted to the character's image, using his personhood and experiences to expose his outlook on life. The Pure Comedy World Tour began in April 2017 and continued into early 2018. During this tour, Tillman mixed the tracks for his next album produced with Jonathan Rado, revealing potential song titles "Mr. Tillman, Please Exit the Lobby" (later shortened to "Mr. Tillman"), "Ouch, I'm Drowning", "Well, We're Only People and There's Nothing Much We Can Do About It", and "Dum Dum Blues". The album explores heartache and was written during a six-week period where Tillman was living in a hotel. Tillman released the lead single, "Mr. Tillman", from '' God's Favorite Customer'' on February 20, 2018. The album was announced on April 18 and was released on June 1; its track listing was shared, alongside two further songs, "Disappointing Diamonds Are The Rarest Of Them All" and "Just Dumb Enough to Try". British screenwriter and film producer
Drew Pearce Drew Pearce is a British screenwriter, director, and producer. He is known for creating the British TV comedy '' No Heroics'', co-writing ''Iron Man 3'' and '' Hobbs & Shaw'', and writing the story for '' Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation'' ...
, who had previously directed the music video for "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment", sought out Tillman for his directorial debut ''
Hotel Artemis ''Hotel Artemis'' is a 2018 American dystopian action crime film written and directed by Drew Pearce, in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Jeff Goldblum, Charlie Day, Brian Tyree H ...
'', when he wanted to cast a musician. Tillman has a small role in the film as a bank robber, and has said that his character "gets his head blown off within, like, 30 seconds." Tillman also contributed to the soundtrack of ''Hotel Artemis'' with the song "Gilded Cage", which was released on June 8, 2018, the same day as the film. The song has since been removed from streaming platforms for unknown reasons. On March 23, 2020, Tillman released a live album titled ''
Off-Key in Hamburg The discography of Josh Tillman, an American singer-songwriter, consists of fourteen studio albums, six EPs, seventeen singles, a soundtrack and several contributions. Albums as J. Tillman * ''Business of the Heart'' (unreleased demos recor ...
'', which was recorded at the Hamburg
Elbphilharmonie The Elbphilharmonie (; "Elbe Philharmonic Hall"), popularly nicknamed Elphi, is a concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg, Germany, on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River. It is among the largest in the world. The new glassy con ...
on August 8, 2019, on
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
. All proceeds from the album go to the
MusiCares MusiCares Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1989 and incorporated in 1993 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Meant for musicians to have a place to turn in times of financial, personal, or medical crisis, ...
COVID-19 Relief Fund. It has been described by ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' as a "high-end luxury offering" and "immaculate".


''Chloë and the Next 20th Century'' (2021–present)

In December 2021, a spoken-word vinyl was mailed to fans by Bella Union. It was announced Father John Misty's fifth studio album, '' Chloë and the Next 20th Century'', would be released on April 8, 2022, by Sub Pop and Bella Union. It includes eleven tracks produced by Tillman and Jonathan Wilson. The album and its track listing were officially revealed on January 5, 2022, with its lead single "Funny Girl" released the same day. A second single from the album, "Q4", was released on February 9, 2022. A third, "Goodbye Mr Blue", was released on March 9, 2022. On April 4, 2022, "The Next 20th Century" was released as the fourth and final single to precede the album's release. The Father John Misty EP ''Live at Electric Lady'' was released on Sub Pop on September 15, 2022. It includes a cover of
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
's "
I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever) "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" is a soul song co-written and performed by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder and Yvonne Wright, for Wonder's fifteenth studio album ''Talking Book'' (1972). The song is featured in the 20 ...
".


Musical style

Tillman's musical style has been described as
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
,
indie folk Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. The genre has its ...
,
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
,
chamber pop Chamber pop (or Chamber rock; also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of string section, strings, horn section, horns, piano, and voca ...
,
soft rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...
,
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
, and
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
. Tillman produced one album, ''Let Us Be'', for Matthew Daniel Siskin, also known as Gambles.


Personal life

Tillman met photographer Emma Elizabeth Garr after he moved to the
Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neighb ...
neighborhood of
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 2011. They were married in
Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...
in September 2013. They lived in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, but have since returned to Los Angeles. Garr had previously lived in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
for several years. She has taken photographs for his albums. Having been raised in an
Evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
household, Tillman now openly criticizes religion in many of his songs. He has said that he is still "culturally Christian for all intents and purposes" but is troubled by the way Christianity is commonly expressed in the United States. Tillman has struggled with depression, anxiety, and drug use. He stated in 2017 that he microdoses on
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
every day to alleviate his depression and anxiety. He has also stated that he has been diagnosed with
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
by three separate therapists.


Discography

Studio albums as J. Tillman * ''Untitled No. 1'' (2003) * ''
I Will Return ''I Will Return'' is J. Tillman Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has also performed and released studio albums unde ...
'' (2004) * ''
Long May You Run, J. Tillman ''Long May You Run, J. Tillman'' is J. Tillman's third album. It was originally released in limited edition of 150 copies through Keep Recordings.cf. Fargo Records (2007): Booklet. In ''I Will Return / Long May You Run, J. Tillman'' D booklet P ...
'' (2006) * ''
Minor Works ''Minor Works'' is the first album by Father John Misty, J. Tillman released on an official label: Fargo Records. It was completed after three limited CDr albums (''Untitled No. 1 (album), Untitled No. 1'', ''I Will Return'' and ''Long May You Run ...
'' (2006) * ''
Cancer and Delirium ''Cancer and Delirium'' is J. Tillman Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has also performed and released studio album ...
'' (2007) * ''
Vacilando Territory Blues ''Vacilando Territory Blues'' is J. Tillman's sixth album. It was released via the Western Vinyl label. The label writes: "Vacilando Territory Blues, came as the result of three different recording attempts in 2008, in which entire sessions were ...
'' (2009) * ''
Year in the Kingdom ''Year in the Kingdom'' is J. Tillman's seventh album. It was released via Western Vinyl Western Vinyl is an independent record label founded in 1998 and based in Austin, Texas. The imprint was formed by Brian Sampson and Ryan Murphy original ...
'' (2009) * ''
Singing Ax ''Singing Ax'' is the eighth studio album by American folk musician J. Tillman, released via Western Vinyl. It is the final album Tillman released under his own name. The album is an LP and Mp3 release only. It was recorded in three days in Febr ...
'' (2010) as Father John Misty * ''
Fear Fun ''Fear Fun'' is the first studio album released by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. It was released on April 30, 2012, in the UK and Europe on Bella Union, and in the rest of the world on May 1, 2012, on ...
'' (2012) * ''
I Love You, Honeybear ''I Love You, Honeybear'' is the second studio album by American folk music, folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. It was released on February 9, 2015, in the United Kingdom and Europe by Bella Union, and in the rest of ...
'' (2015) * ''
Pure Comedy ''Pure Comedy'' is the third studio album by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. Its release was announced on January 23, 2017. It was released on April 7, 2017 on Bella Union in the UK and Europe and on Su ...
'' (2017) * '' God's Favorite Customer'' (2018) * '' Chloë and the Next 20th Century'' (2022) with Fleet Foxes * ''
Helplessness Blues ''Helplessness Blues'' is the second studio album by American band Fleet Foxes, released on May 3, 2011, by Sub Pop and Bella Union. The album received universal acclaim from critics, going on to be nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th G ...
'' (2011) with Saxon Shore * ''Be a Bright Blue'' (2002) * ''Four Months of Darkness'' (2003)


Awards and nominations


A2IM Libera Awards

! , - , rowspan="2", 2015 , Himself , Hardworking Artist of the Year , , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2", , - , rowspan="2", ''
I Love You, Honeybear ''I Love You, Honeybear'' is the second studio album by American folk music, folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. It was released on February 9, 2015, in the United Kingdom and Europe by Bella Union, and in the rest of ...
'' , Album of the Year , , - , 2016 , rowspan="2", Creative Packaging Award , , , - , rowspan="3", 2018 , rowspan="2", ''
Pure Comedy ''Pure Comedy'' is the third studio album by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. Its release was announced on January 23, 2017. It was released on April 7, 2017 on Bella Union in the UK and Europe and on Su ...
'' , , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3", , - , Album of the Year , , - , Himself , Best Live Act ,


Berlin Music Video Awards

The Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVAs) are an annual festival that puts filmmakers and the art behind music videos in the spotlight. ! , - , rowspan=2, 2017 , rowspan=2, "Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution" , Best Music Video , , - , Best Director ,


Grammy Awards

The
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s are awarded annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous f ...
of the United States. Josh has received one win from four nominations. ! , - , align="center" ,
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, ''
Helplessness Blues ''Helplessness Blues'' is the second studio album by American band Fleet Foxes, released on May 3, 2011, by Sub Pop and Bella Union. The album received universal acclaim from critics, going on to be nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th G ...
'' ,
Best Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the folk genre. Honors in several ...
, , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3", , - , align="center" ,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, ''
I Love You, Honeybear ''I Love You, Honeybear'' is the second studio album by American folk music, folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. It was released on February 9, 2015, in the United Kingdom and Europe by Bella Union, and in the rest of ...
(Limited Edition Deluxe Vinyl)'' , Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package , , - , align="center" rowspan="2",
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, ''
Pure Comedy ''Pure Comedy'' is the third studio album by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. Its release was announced on January 23, 2017. It was released on April 7, 2017 on Bella Union in the UK and Europe and on Su ...
'' ,
Best Alternative Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. H ...
, , - , '' Pure Comedy (Deluxe Edition)'' , Best Recording Package , ,


mtvU Woodie Awards

! , - , 2013 , "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings / Drive" , Best Video Woodie , ,


NME Awards

! , - , 2018 , Himself , Best International Solo Artist , ,


Rober Awards Music poll

! , - , 2012 , rowspan=4, Himself , Best Songwriter , , , - , rowspan=2, 2015 , Best Male Artist , , , - , rowspan=2, Best Songwriter , , , - , 2017 , ,


Sweden GAFFA Awards

Delivered since 2010, the GAFFA Awards (Swedish: GAFFA Priset) are a Swedish award that rewards popular music awarded by the magazine of the same name. ! , - , rowspan="2", 2019 , Himself , Best Foreign Solo Act , , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2", , - , '' God's Favorite Customer'' , Best International Album , , -


UK Music Video Awards

The
UK Music Video Awards The UK Music Video Awards is an annual celebration of creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music video and moving image for music. The awards began in 2008. There is a wide range of opportunities for UK individuals and companies to ...
is an annual award ceremony founded in 2008 to recognise creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music videos and moving images for music. Tillman has received one award from two nominations. ! , - , rowspan="2" , 2017 , rowspan="2" , "Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution" , Best Rock/Indie Video – International , , , - , Best Animation , ,


References


External links

*
Profile on Western Vinyl website

Profile on Yer Bird website

Profile on Autumn Tone Records website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Misty, Father John Josh Tillman 1981 births Living people 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American singers American drummers American male drummers American male singer-songwriters Bella Union artists Critics of religions Fleet Foxes members Grammy Award winners Indie folk musicians Musicians from Seattle Nyack College alumni People from Rockville, Maryland Singer-songwriters from Washington (state) Third Man Records artists Western Vinyl artists People from Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles Singer-songwriters from Maryland