Tilly And The Wall

Tilly and the Wall are five people from Omaha, NE who became friends exploring music. The band operates as a collective with five songwriters, each with their own distinct musical voice, whose talents come together to form something extraordinary. The band is made up of Jamie (tap dancer/percussionist), Kianna (vocals), Nick (keyboards), Neely (vocals) and Derek (guitar/vocals). They released their debut album, Wild Like Children, in June 2004 on Conor Oberst’s label, Team Love. Neely and Jamie were once in a band with Conor before he became known worldwide as Bright Eyes. Derek and Nick moved to Omaha from Atlanta, Georgia. Upon meeting, it was as if long-lost friends had found each other. Once the songs were written, Conor agreed to helm the production duties, and hence, Wild Like Children was unleashed on the world. As one of the first albums released on Team Love, Tilly and the Wall set a precedent for the label’s identity: original, smart, exuberant and, above all, easy to sing along to. The record consisted of 11 perfectly formed songs bursting with enthusiastic hyperactivity, while emanating a bitter sweet melancholy of long lost summers and misguided first loves. The press from sea to shining sea fell in love instantly.

After shows with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, The Go! Team, Of Montreal and more, Tilly and the Wall went back to Omaha and worked steadily on their second album, Bottoms of Barrels. Recorded towards the end of 2005, and subsequently released in the spring of 2006, Bottoms of Barrels saw the band taking their signature sound to the next level. The choruses were more rousing, the tapping more intense, the instrumentation fuller. Roping in the talents of a local choir, Bottoms of Barrels fully demonstrated the importance of Tilly’s “we” perspective – with a gang full of voices, the band made strong declarations about love, freedom and their own place in the world. The album took the band on travels they had only dreamt about, resulting in extensive tours throughout Europe, Australia, Japan and even Iceland. They also played their first-ever sets at major music festivals, including the Reading/Leeds Festival, Coachella and Japan’s Summer Sonic. By the middle of 2007, the returned home to Omaha to begin work on their next long-playing record, having amassed legions of fans, as well as frequent flyer miles, across the entire globe.

Their new record, which has no title but is represented by the shape o (the cut-out shape framing the handmade cover artwork for the record), was produced by acclaimed producer Mike Mogis through the harsh Nebraska winter of 2007. o sees Tilly and the Wall redefining their sound, taking bigger, bolder steps towards experimentation while maintaining the elements that have always made them who they are. o draws on everything from nature to magic, from sex to astrology, with a larger focus on percussion, rhythm, harmonies and kaleidoscopic melodies, yet ultimately still sounds like our five musical friends from Omaha. In the songs found on o, there is something for everyone, which is very much a Tilly and the Wall virtue: the ability to appeal so easily to so many. It is an album the band is excited to share with the world, and, from a band as special and enthralling as Tilly and the Wall, we have no doubt in our mind the world is more than excited to hear it.