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Tilly and the Wall was an
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
group from
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
,
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. Their name originated from a children's book called ''
Tillie and the Wall Leo Lionni (May 5, 1910 – October 11, 1999) was an Italian-American writer and illustrator of children's books. Born in the Netherlands, he moved to Italy and lived there before moving to the United States in 1939, where he worked as an art dire ...
'', written by
Leo Lionni Leo Lionni (May 5, 1910 – October 11, 1999) was an Italian-American writer and illustrator of children's books. Born in the Netherlands, he moved to Italy and lived there before moving to the United States in 1939, where he worked as an art dire ...
. They are particularly noted for having a
tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...
r, Jamie Pressnall, provide
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
, instead of a
drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
.


History


Formation and ''Wild Like Children''

The group formed in 2001 after the demise of several Omaha groups, including
Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...
's
Park Ave. Park Ave. was an indie pop band which started in January 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska. The band lasted only two and a half years, but still retains a substantial fanbase. During their short time together, Park Ave. (named after an actual street in ...
, of which
Neely Jenkins Neely Jo Jenkins (born June 21, 1974) is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska best known for being a singer in the band Tilly and the Wall. She was also a member of the band Park Ave. with Tilly and the Wall bandmate Jamie Pressnall, (then Jamie William ...
and Jamie Pressnall (then Jamie Williams) were members. Jamie brought along
Kianna Alarid Kianna Marie Alarid is the lead singer and co-writer of Yes You Are and singer and bass guitarist for the band Tilly and the Wall from Omaha, Nebraska. She was formerly in a band called Magic Kiss with members of Park Ave. and The Faint, and befor ...
from another band that broke up called Magic Kiss.
Derek Pressnall Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called ''Tillie and the Wall'', written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide ...
and Nick White, natives of
Dunwoody, Georgia Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As a northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008 but its area establishment dates back to t ...
were drawn to the music scene in
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
and moved. Nick White was also one of the few constants for Bright Eyes in 2005, appearing on ''
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning ''I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning'' is the sixth studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records (the same day as their seventh album, ''Digital Ash in a Digital Urn''). The album will be reissued ...
'' and ''
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn ''Digital Ash in a Digital Urn'' is the seventh studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records, the same day as their sixth album ''I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning''. It peaked at number 15 in the ...
'', as well as touring worldwide with the band. Their first show was an open-mic night at the now defunct Ranch Bowl. Their first release, ''Woo!'', was recorded in
Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...
's garage, self-published, and distributed at shows around the Omaha area. The group released a limited-pressing eponymous 7" on Rue Royale Records, followed by their debut LP, ''
Wild Like Children ''Wild Like Children'' is the debut album by Tilly and the Wall. The album was recorded in the basement of Steve Pedersen's house, and was the first release of Team Love Records. The CD-release party for the album was held in Omaha, Nebraska ...
'' in 2004. It was the flagship release on Oberst's
Team Love Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
label and made with the help of Presto studios. ''Wild Like Children'' garnered the band a substantial amount of critical acclaim and propelled them to national tours with Bright Eyes,
Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley ( ) was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock. The group released their debut album ''Take-Offs and Landings'' ...
, and Of Montreal. In early 2005, Tilly and the Wall became the first "band in residence" at Omaha's
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is located in the Old Market Historic District of downtown Omaha, Nebraska, at the corner of 12th Street and Leavenworth Street. In addition to an international artist-in-residence program, Bemis Center hosts te ...
, using the Bemis Underground's Studio T to develop their follow-up album to ''Wild Like Children''. In September of that year, they released " You and I Misbehaving" as a limited-pressing 7" in the UK through indie label
Trash Aesthetics Trash Aesthetics is a British independent record label founded in 2004 by Rob Fawkes and Claire Hewitson and active until 2014. Based in South London, it specialised in releasing limited-edition runs of singles by both local bands and internat ...
. This release picked up further critical acclaim as well as support from
BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
broadcaster
Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music. Early life He attended The Ramsey Academy ...
. They played their first show outside of the US at the Freebutt in
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
on February 14, 2006.


''Bottoms of Barrels''

'' Bottoms of Barrels'', the band's follow-up to ''Wild Like Children'', was released on May 23, 2006. Tilly and the Wall appeared on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' on October 27, 2006, to perform "Bad Education". The song was not played in full due to time constraints. A number of live dates were played to support the album. The band toured with
Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child a ...
in support of her album featuring
The Watson Twins The Watson Twins are an American alternative country band based in Los Angeles, formed by identical twin sisters Chandra and Leigh Watson. Biography Chandra and Leigh were born on March 28, 1975, in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Louisville, Ke ...
, ''
Rabbit Fur Coat ''Rabbit Fur Coat'' is an album in collaboration by Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, with The Watson Twins. It was released in the United States on January 24, 2006, by Team Love. Lewis has described the album as a "sort of soul record". The album conta ...
''. They then went on their first headlining tour to promote ''Bottoms of Barrels'', with acts such as
David Dondero David Dondero (born 24 June 1969 in Duluth, Minnesota, United States) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. In 2006, NPR's All Songs Considered named David one of the "best living songwriters" alongside Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and T ...
, Now It's Overhead, and Wolf Colonel supporting them. They played the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
on April 27, 2007. In addition to performing at 2007's
Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
festival, Tilly and the Wall toured Australia. Band members Jamie Williams and Derek Pressnall were married shortly after the album's release, on August 12, 2006.


''o''

On February 25, Tilly and the Wall released a video for a new song entitled "
Beat Control "Beat Control" is a digital EP by indie pop group Tilly and the Wall, and the name of its title track. The EP was released via Team Love Records to online music stores on March 4, 2008. A limited edition 7" vinyl was also released. "Beat Control" ...
". The digital release of the song was on March 4, with a new album track "Cacophony" appearing as a b-side. "Beat Control" was released only as a single and was not included on the album released later in 2008. Tilly and the Wall's third album, '' o'', was released on June 17, 2008. Two songs they performed on their 2007 tour, "Too Excited" and "Chandelier Lake", appear on the album. The songs were played at their
Daytrotter Daytrotter is a recording studio, music venue and subscription-based music discovery website located in Atlanta, United States. It hosts recording sessions with indie music acts. The original studio in Rock Island, Illinois, was founded in 2006 ...
show. Tilly recorded their own version of the ABC song for the new season of ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
''. The first single from the album was "Pot Kettle Black". It was featured in the pilot episode of '' 90210'', TV spots for the
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series ''Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part on ...
film ''
Observe and Report ''Observe and Report'' is a 2009 American black comedy film written and directed by Jody Hill and starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris and Ray Liotta. It follows a Mental disorder, mentally unstable vigilante Security guard, mall cop who attempts to jo ...
'', the film '' Whip It'' and its soundtrack album, and in the video game '' Midnight Club: Los Angeles''.


''Heavy Mood''

Tilly and the Wall released a new album entitled ''
Heavy Mood ''Heavy Mood'' is the fourth studio album by American indie pop group Tilly and the Wall. It was released in October 2012 under Team Love Records, and produced by Mike Mogis Michael Riley Mogis (born May 16, 1974) is an American producer/eng ...
'' on October 2, 2012, available in CD and vinyl formats.


Band members

*
Kianna Alarid Kianna Marie Alarid is the lead singer and co-writer of Yes You Are and singer and bass guitarist for the band Tilly and the Wall from Omaha, Nebraska. She was formerly in a band called Magic Kiss with members of Park Ave. and The Faint, and befor ...
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
shakers The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as the Shakers, are a Millenarianism, millenarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian sect founded in England and then organized in the Unit ...
,
tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
,
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
*
Neely Jenkins Neely Jo Jenkins (born June 21, 1974) is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska best known for being a singer in the band Tilly and the Wall. She was also a member of the band Park Ave. with Tilly and the Wall bandmate Jamie Pressnall, (then Jamie William ...
– vocals, shakers, bells, bass guitar *Derek Pressnall – vocals,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*Jamie Pressnall – vocals,
tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...
r *Nick White –
keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
,
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...


Discography


Albums

*''
Wild Like Children ''Wild Like Children'' is the debut album by Tilly and the Wall. The album was recorded in the basement of Steve Pedersen's house, and was the first release of Team Love Records. The CD-release party for the album was held in Omaha, Nebraska ...
'' (2004) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
– CD/LP *'' Bottoms of Barrels'' (2006) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
– CD/LP *'' o'' (2008) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
– CD/LP *''
Heavy Mood ''Heavy Mood'' is the fourth studio album by American indie pop group Tilly and the Wall. It was released in October 2012 under Team Love Records, and produced by Mike Mogis Michael Riley Mogis (born May 16, 1974) is an American producer/eng ...
'' (2012) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
– CD/LP *'' I Want to F*ck It Up (Tilly and the Wall 2002-2013)'' (2020) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
– CD/LP


Singles and EPs

*"Nights of the Living Dead" on the compilation ''Ben Eberbaugh: A Rockin' Tribute'' (2003) –
Die Slaughterhaus Records Die Slaughterhaus Records is a record company based in Atlanta, Georgia, that includes punk rock acts such as Deerhunter, Black Lips Black Lips is an American garage rock band from Atlanta, Georgia formed in 1999. History The band formed in ...
– CD – UK No. 158 *'' Woo!'' (2003) – self-released – EP *''
Tilly and the Wall Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called ''Tillie and the Wall'', written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide pe ...
'' (2003) – Rue Royale Records – 7" *" You and I Misbehaving" (2005) –
Trash Aesthetics Trash Aesthetics is a British independent record label founded in 2004 by Rob Fawkes and Claire Hewitson and active until 2014. Based in South London, it specialised in releasing limited-edition runs of singles by both local bands and internat ...
– 7" *" Reckless" (2006) –
Trash Aesthetics Trash Aesthetics is a British independent record label founded in 2004 by Rob Fawkes and Claire Hewitson and active until 2014. Based in South London, it specialised in releasing limited-edition runs of singles by both local bands and internat ...
– 7" – UK No. 235 *"Bad Education" (2006) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
) – 7" *"The Freest Man" (2007) – w/ "The Freest Man" (
CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML or XML (including XML dialects such as SVG, MathML or XHTML). CSS is a cornerstone techno ...
Remix) –
Moshi Moshi Records Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label founded in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label has released music by bands including Lykke Li, Fimber Bravo, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, H ...
– 7" *"
Beat Control "Beat Control" is a digital EP by indie pop group Tilly and the Wall, and the name of its title track. The EP was released via Team Love Records to online music stores on March 4, 2008. A limited edition 7" vinyl was also released. "Beat Control" ...
" (2008) – w/ "Cacophony" – 7"/Digital Download – UK No. 77 *" Pot Kettle Black (2009) w/ "Save Me Now" –
Moshi Moshi Records Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label founded in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label has released music by bands including Lykke Li, Fimber Bravo, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, H ...
– 7"/Digital Download *"
That Remix Sucks ''That Remix Sucks'' is a remix EP of Tilly and the Wall songs, released as a digital download in 2009 froTeam Love Library Track listing # Beat Control (La La Lepus Remix) - 7:14 # The Freest Man (Cansei de Ser Sexy, CSS Remix) - 5:05 # Bad Ed ...
(2009) –
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...
*"Falling Without Knowing" (2009) –
Moshi Moshi Records Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label founded in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label has released music by bands including Lykke Li, Fimber Bravo, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, H ...


Featured singles

*The track " In The Sun" by
She & Him She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele) and M. Ward (guitar, production) formed in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.Scaggs, Austin"Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leon"''Rol ...
where they provided guest backing vocals, on the album '' Volume Two''. They were not credited on the track name, but were credited in the credits booklet that came with the CD.


Videography


Shortform

*"You and I Misbehaving" (2004, directed by
Nik Fackler Nik Fackler is an American filmmaker and musician. His 2008 romantic drama film '' Lovely, Still'' was nominated for a 2010 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. His second film was an experimental documentary film, ''Sick Birds Die ...
) *"Reckless" (2004, directed by Dominic DeJoseph) *"The Ice Storm, Big Gust, and You" (2004, directed by Kim Hager) *"Bad Education" (2006, directed by Nik Fackler) *"Rainbows in the Dark" (version 1) (2006, fan footage edited by Nik Fackler & Alan Tanner) *"Sing Songs Along" (2006, directed by Kinga Burza) *"Rainbows in the Dark" (version 2) (2006, directed by
Julian Acosta Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (giv ...
) *"The Freest Man" (version 1) (2007, directed by Jacob Thiele) *"The Freest Man" (version 2) (2007, directed by
Julian Acosta Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (giv ...
) *"Beat Control" (2008, directed by Cody Critcheloe & Drew Bolton of The Ssion) *"Pot Kettle Black" (2008, directed by Alan Tanner) *"Alligator Skin" (2008, directed by Whoop Dee Doo) *"Defenders" (2012, Directed by Ben Fee)


Longform

*''Tilly and the Wall's First Trip to Europe'' (2006, directed by Rob Walters for
Current TV Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a smalle ...
) *''Tilly and the Wall'' (2007, directed by Rob Walters)


Cultural references

*Their song "Black and Blue", on the 2006 album, '' Bottoms of Barrels'' refers to the famous snowflakeologist
Wilson Bentley Wilson Alwyn Bentley (February 9, 1865 – December 23, 1931), also known as Snowflake Bentley, was an American meteorologist and photographer, who was the first known person to take detailed photographs of snowflakes and record their featu ...
. *The character of Tilly Green from ''
Big City Greens ''Big City Greens'' is an American animated comedy adventure television series created by The Houghton Brothers that premiered on Disney Channel on June 18, 2018. The series features the voices of Chris Houghton, Marieve Herington, Bob Joles, and ...
'' is named after the band due to the character's habit of "march ngto the beat of her own drum" in reference to tap dancer Jamie Pressnall.


See also

*
Park Ave. Park Ave. was an indie pop band which started in January 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska. The band lasted only two and a half years, but still retains a substantial fanbase. During their short time together, Park Ave. (named after an actual street in ...
*
Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...


References


External links


Tilly and the Wall official websiteTeam Love RecordsTeam Love Records: Tilly and the WallMoshi Moshi Records
*
Allmusic entry for Tilly and the Wall AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
br>Omaha City Weekly article about Tilly's residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary ArtsBottoms of Barrels Review on UpBeetMusic.com


Interviews



with Nick White
Soundcrank Podcast Hosted by Tilly and the WallGod Is In The TV Zine Interview September 2008
{{Authority control Musical groups from Omaha, Nebraska Musical groups established in 2001 Team Love Records artists Indie pop groups from Nebraska Indie rock musical groups from Nebraska Moshi Moshi Records artists Dew Process artists