Tomberlin

The sparse, intimate songs of singer/songwriter Tomberlin first appeared in 2017 on an early version of her debut album. With simple arrangements consisting only of acoustic guitar, keyboards, and light strings, At Weddings drew the focus to her fragile vocals and melodies and introspective lyrics. She maintained an intimate approach after signing with Saddle Creek and releasing her second LP, i dont know who needs to hear this..., in 2022.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Sarah Beth Tomberlin moved a lot as a child as a result of her father’s work as a pastor. As a youngster, she had a few piano lessons and taught herself to play the guitar, a gift from her parents. The devout Baptist family eventually laid down roots in rural Southern Illinois. Tomberlin’s exposure to secular music growing up was limited but included American Idol episodes full of songs she didn’t recognize, and when she eventually bought a few CDs, she hid them from her parents.
Homeschooled, she finished her high school equivalency degree at 16, and went on to work full-time while attending college. It was then that Tomberlin began writing the songs that would become her first album. Exploring themes of isolation and young adulthood, the Owen Pallett-produced At Weddings received a limited-edition vinyl release from Joyful Noise Recordings in late 2017. That year, Tomberlin also finished her associate degree and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. She soon signed with Saddle Creek Records, which reissued her debut in 2018 with three additional songs. Within a year of performing her first live show, she made her national TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live and relocated to Los Angeles. Recorded in Philadelphia with Alex G producing, the L.A.-penned Projections EP saw release in 2020.
A transient period followed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which found the songwriter back in Illinois, Los Angeles, and Louisville, in turn, before settling in Brooklyn. It was there that she recorded her second full-length, 2022′s i dont know who needs to hear this..., at Figure 8 studios with producer/engineer Phil Weinrobe (Adrianne Lenker, Kings of Convenience). While it remained hushed and intimate in nature, the album included performance contributions from Weinrobe, Cass McCombs, Stuart Bogie (Superhuman Happiness), and Gyða Valtýsdóttir (Múm), among others. She followed it with an international headlining tour including dates in North America with a full band. ~ Marcy Donelson