Father John Misty

Father John Misty is a stage name adopted by American singer and songwriter Joshua Michael Tillman, whose music paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with the moody depth of Nick Drake and the country-influenced textures of Will Oldham. Tillman adds a touch of dark humor to his Father John Misty persona, especially in his observations of his characters, though it tends to flow with the contemplative, world-weary tone of his songs rather than disturbing it. He also favors rich, expansive arrangements that complement the sweep of his melodies and the expressive reach of his voice. The second FJM album, 2015′s I Love You, Honeybear, was a landmark effort with its carefully crafted sound and arch lyrics, 2017′s Pure Comedy favored a cooler, more elegant approach, and 2022′s Chloë and the Next 20th Century and 2024′s Mahashmashana set Misty’s sardonic and existentialist lyricism against cinematic orchestral arrangements and ’70s-styled AM radio singer/songwriter instrumentals. Joshua Michael Tillman first made a name for himself playing drums in a pair of indie rock bands, Saxon Shore and Stately, while attending college in New York City. In his spare time, however, he began writing material of his own, citing the music of Nick Drake and Pete Seeger, and the writings of Flannery O'Connor, as key influences. Some of Tillman’s demos found their way to Damien Jurado, who invited Tillman to join his band for a tour. Tillman played solo sets during several dates on the tour and began distributing CD-R copies of an early collection of tunes called I Will Return (attributed to J. Tillman). During the tour, he also struck up a friendship with Eric Fisher, who produced another CD-R album, Long May You Run, again attributed to J. Tillman. Both Tillman and Jurado later signed on for a U.S. tour with Richard Buckner, where Tillman once again found a ready audience for home-burned copies of his disc. In 2006, the independent Fargo Records label released Tillman’s first properly distributed solo album, Minor Works, and Keep Records reissued I Will Return/Long May You Run as a two-disc set the same year. In 2007, Yer Bird Records released Tillman’s fourth, more elaborately arranged album, Cancer and Delirium. Although his solo work continued to garner critical acclaim, he briefly shifted focus in 2008 by joining Fleet Foxes. The group toured heavily in support of its debut album; meanwhile, Tillman continued working on his own material, releasing Year in the Kingdom in 2009. In 2011, he left Fleet Foxes to concentrate on his many solo projects, adopting the pseudonym Father John Misty for 2012′s Fear Fun, a 12-track collection of new material that infused the harmony-laden hymns of his former band with a patina of Gram Parsons- and Harry Nilsson-informed, Laurel Canyon-inspired neo-psychedelia. In 2015 Tillman issued a second studio album under the moniker, the caustically funny and surprisingly sweet I Love You, Honeybear. The album received widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike, and was particularly lauded for its bold use of strong melodies, ironic and ornately romantic lyrics, and stellar arrangements. In May 2016, it became apparent that Tillman had also begun working on further material after he uploaded a new song to SoundCloud titled “Real Love Baby.” He made headlines that summer when he cut his performance short at the XPoneNtial Festival in New Jersey after replacing his planned set list with a tirade about the empty values of entertainment and the rise of stupidity in popular culture and its effect on society. He then performed a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire” before abruptly leaving the stage. Later that year, he uploaded another new song to SoundCloud, “Holy Hell,” and in late January 2017, announced his third album, Pure Comedy. Lyrically, the record touched on themes such as politics, social media, the environment, technology, and celebrity culture. Ahead of the album’s release, Tillman promoted the effort with the title track and “Ballad of a Dying Man,” along with an 1,800-word essay released to his online fan club about the symbolism involved in the record. Pure Comedy was released in early April 2017. The prolific artist returned in early 2018 with the singles “Mr. Tillman,” “Just Dumb Enough to Try,” and “Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All” ahead of the release of a new studio LP. Written during a six-week period when Tillman was living in a hotel, the resulting God's Favorite Customer was released later that June. Tillman toured Europe in 2019, and an appearance with the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie was given release as a digital album, 2020′s Off-Key in Hamburg. 2020 also saw the release of a 7” for the Sub Pop Singles club and a four-song EP, Anthem +3, featuring impassioned performances of songs by Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf), and Link Wray. Tillman spent much of August through December 2020 in the studio, working on the next Father John Misty project. Released in April 2022, Chloë and the Next 20th Century was co-produced by Tillman and Jonathan Wilson, with orchestral arrangements by Drew Erickson. In addition to the cinematic arrangements, the album also dabbled in bossa nova, Nilsson-esque singer/songwriter fare, and moments of jazzy ambience underscoring Father John Misty’s sharp storytelling. A deluxe edition of the set included bonus 7” vinyl singles featuring interpretations of songs from the album by Lana Del Rey and Jack Cruz. Live at Electric Lady, a concert EP that included a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever),” appeared later that year. In 2023, Tillman was featured on Lana Del Ray’s “Let the Light In” and contributed a version of “Musical Ladders” to the Adam Green tribute album Moping in Style. In July 2024, a best-of package entitled Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl was released, containing songs from across FJM’s discography, as well as one previously unreleased tune, “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All.” The track also appeared on 2024′s Mahashmashana, Tillman’s sixth full-length effort under the FJM moniker. Produced by Tillman, Drew Erickson, and Jonathan Wilson, the LP, which takes its name from a Sanskrit term meaning “great cremation ground,” is rooted in themes of existentialism, mental health, and the passage of time. ~ Mark Deming & Rob Wacey