Tilly and the Wall sprang out of Omaha in 2001 - a Midwestern band of like-minded friends with pockets full of melodies, and a lot of pockets. The serendipitous result of five Omaha residents with a penchant for the same classic '60s pop, boy/girl harmonies and Americana folk records, Tilly and the Wall celebrates the petulant, determined, feisty nature of youth. They rejoice in tales of dreams followed, mistakes made, and hearts broken.
Tilly and the Wall 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: without a doubt, the Tillys were born. 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, exciting 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. In front of a backdrop of sunshine, rain and snow, Tilly and the Wall sang songs about loving and kissing, dancing and drinking, staying and leaving, driving and talking, sleeping and dreaming, all set to the tap-tap-tapping of Jamie's toes. The press from sea to shining sea fell in love instantly.
And so, the Tillys went to meet their adoring fans, playing shows throughout America with the likes of Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, The Go! Team, Pedro the Lion, Of Montreal and more. When not on the road, the band began working on the follow-up to Wild Like Children, simply titled Bottoms of Barrels. Recorded over three weeks in October and November 2005, the album was recorded by AJ Mogis, brother and mixed by studio co-hort to Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis. Bottoms of Barrels sees the Tillys taking their signature sound to the next level. The choruses are more rousing, the tapping more intense, the instrumentation fuller, each sound painting broad brush strokes across your speakers. Longtime friend Nate Walcott contributes a bit of trumpet, while other friends have added drums, accordion and cello. A couple of tracks even feature the vocal styling of University of Nebraska's own choir Trip the Light Fantastic, bolstering Neely and Kianna's dulcet harmonies. 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, they 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 2008 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.
Their album Heavy Mood was released in 2012. They broke up soon after that. Vocalist Kianna Alarid joined the Kansas City band Yes You Are. A retrospective album I Want to F*ck It Up (Tilly and the Wall 2002-2013) is planned for 2020 on the Team Love label.
Pot Kettle Black
Tilly and the Wall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn?t even see the tides change
But it?s a small, small world, girl
Getting even smaller every day
I bet you think we didn?t know
Didn?t even see the tides change
But it?s a small, small world, girl
You can fake that smile
For a hollow while
But the kids all learn
Once those bridges burn
Ssssssssssssss
The trash washes up to shore
Even in this landlocked place
The shit gets thicker
It?s toxic
Get it out my face
The trash washes up to shore
Even in this landlocked place
The shit gets thicker
It?s toxic
Get it out my face
And don?t be surprised
If they don?t buy your lies
Some of us can see through
Your stained glass eyes
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Talk that, talk that smack
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Watch your, watch your back
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Talk that, talk that smack
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Watch your, watch your back
Oh my god
Did you hear (yeah)
About that bitch
And what she did?
I don?t believe it
Aw, aw
What a ho
What a tramp
What a slut
(pause)
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Talk that, talk that smack
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Watch your, watch your back
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Talk that, talk that smack
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
Watch your, watch your back
The lyrics of Tilly and the Wall's song "Pot Kettle Black" touch on themes of gossip, hypocrisy, and the consequences of burning bridges. The song starts with the notion that someone thinks they can get away with something without others noticing, but in a small world, people are bound to catch on to the changes in the tides. The chorus of the song has the lines "Pot kettle, pot kettle black/Talk that, talk that smack/Watch your, watch your back" which implies that the person being spoken to should be wary of the consequences of their actions and the way they talk about others. Additionally, the lyrics mention that the trash in the ocean ends up on the shore, even in landlocked places, and the toxicity of it gets thicker with time. The message of the song seems to be a call for accountability and honesty in behavior and speech towards others.
Furthermore, the lines "You can fake that smile/For a hollow while/But the kids all learn/Once those bridges burn" speaks to the fact that people may pretend to be pleasant and friendly, but eventually, their true colors will show, and people will not easily forget what they have done or said. In the last part of the song, there is a spoken word section where someone is gossiping, and the lyrics simplify the hypocrisy of the situation by demonstrating that the person doing the gossiping is no better than the person they are gossiping about. Overall, the song seems to be urging people to be honest with themselves and others and to think about the consequences of their words and actions.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you think we didn?t know
You thought we wouldn't notice
Didn?t even see the tides change
You didn't realize things were shifting
But it?s a small, small world, girl
The world is shrinking
Getting even smaller every day
It's becoming more connected
You can fake that smile
You pretend to be happy
For a hollow while
It's a short-lived facade
But the kids all learn
Eventually people find out the truth
Once those bridges burn
When trust is broken, it's hard to fix
The trash washes up to shore
Bad things have a way of coming back
Even in this landlocked place
It can happen anywhere
The shit gets thicker
Problems can get worse over time
It?s toxic
It's harmful
Get it out my face
I don't want to deal with it
And don?t be surprised
You shouldn't be shocked
If they don?t buy your lies
People won't believe your story
Some of us can see through
Some people can tell what's really going on
Your stained glass eyes
Your dishonesty is transparent
Pot kettle, pot kettle black
You're a hypocrite
Talk that, talk that smack
You're saying bad things
Watch your, watch your back
Be careful
Oh my god
Expressing surprise
Did you hear (yeah)
Have you been told
About that bitch
That unpleasant woman
And what she did?
What wrong thing she did
I don?t believe it
It's hard to accept
Aw, aw
Expressing disgust
What a ho
What a promiscuous person
What a tramp
What a person with low morals
What a slut
What a sexually immoral person
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Derek Pressnall, Jamie L Williams, Kianna Alarid, Neely Jenkins, Nicholas White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
alexandermichaelgray
I've been a fan of this band since their first album. And their sound has changed so much since then. And it's funny—no matter what they go for, they are consistently awesome. This song is great. Beat Control is brilliant. Their first two albums are amazing. I've never seen an indie band go through so much musical transformation from first album to last and do it so well than these guys. I'm wondering what they'll come up with next.
Brent Willett
love this song. not usually a huge fan of this kind of music but i have to say this song rocks
TheyLuvJb
dude u prolly have a family now hows life
Alfa Nafla
Ke sini setelah liat trailernya Virgo & The Sparklings.. Keren
koceng oyen
Ternyata bukan gua doang
Alif Nurrahman
@koceng oyen 2in wkwk
Thais Mello
essa musica é simplesmente sensacional, adoro !!!
Rhea Franco
This was so fun to watch being made... I think it's funny how my brother's shoes made it in and my mom and I are standing across the street... Hahaha. Fun stuff!
Edmundas Giknius
this song is superb
goldfishinaglass
I love it when they all start doing the clappy knee dance! Awesome song! Love the tillies! x