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.
The Ice Storm Big Gust and You
Tilly and the Wall Lyrics
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That had frozen somewhere along it's way
Through the evening sky so the trees got tired and laid on the ground
Well I swear that you marched in like a big gust of wind
All cutting through our clothes, such an easy attempt
To convince us there's no reason we should be outside
All the smoke seeps from your mouth
And all your talk, of such burdens
No it won't bring me and all my friends down
Well I swear that you spilled into my room last night
All cuddling me in sheets so tight
That I didn't move I just laid around until the early afternoon
So now we're at the bars with guitars and trying hard
Oh to keep the conversation going, trying to ignore the silence growing
(And I know it is true) so we better get runnin'
C'MON!
And all your thoughts, they're so tired
All your bullets won't take aim
And, oh, your face, it's so stern now
No, we won't be scared, no, we won't back down
We will sing (we will sing)
Pretty songs about love
And we will fight (we will fight)
Cause that's what it takes
And we won't back down
No, we won't shut our eyes and go to sleep
And we will write (we will write)
All over your walls
And we won't dance (we won't dance)
To your music at all
And we'll do what it takes
Oh, to get through to you
And we will sing (we will sing)
Pretty songs about love
And we will fight (we will fight)
Cause that's what it takes
And we won't back down
No, we won't shut our eyes and go to sleep
The lyrics to Tilly and the Wall's song "The Ice Storm Big Gust and You" describe a dramatic and powerful force that enters the singer's world. The metaphorical language used throughout the song speaks to the impact that this force has on the singer's emotions and the physical world around them. The first verse describes this force as coming in the form of rain that has frozen as it falls, causing trees to droop and the ground to be covered with ice. The second verse shifts to describe the force as a big gust of wind that cuts through clothes and discourages people from being outside. The singer is drawn to this force, but also feels its weight as it speaks of heavy burdens.
Despite the weight of the force, the chorus speaks of resilience and determination. The singer and their friends will not be brought down by the force, but will instead fight against it with pretty songs about love and whatever else it takes to get through. The final verse speaks of writing on walls and refusing to dance to the force's music. Overall, the song is a powerful message about standing strong in the face of difficult and overwhelming situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I swear that you came in the form of rain
You appeared to me like rain that had turned into ice while falling down from the sky.
That had frozen somewhere along its way
The rain had stopped being fluid and became frozen during its journey to me.
Through the evening sky so the trees got tired and laid on the ground
It was evening, and the frozen rain was heavy enough to make the trees bend and lay on the ground.
Well I swear that you marched in like a big gust of wind
You entered my life forcefully and suddenly, like a strong wind blowing everything away.
All cutting through our clothes, such an easy attempt
The impact of your arrival was so strong that it felt like you cut through our clothes effortlessly.
To convince us there's no reason we should be outside
You wanted us to believe that there was no reason to be outside and that we should stay indoors.
And when you speak, it's like fire
Your words have a strong impact, like the heat of a fire burning everything in its path.
All the smoke seeps from your mouth
Your words seem heavy and are like smoke that comes out of your mouth.
And all your talk of such burdens
You talk about heavy topics and burdensome issues.
No, it won't bring me and all my friends down
Despite your heavy talk, we will not let it bring us or our friends down.
Well I swear that you spilled into my room last night
Last night you entered my room without warning, like a sudden spill of liquid.
All cuddling me in sheets so tight
You wrapped yourself around me tightly, like the sheets that I was sleeping in.
That I didn't move I just laid around until the early afternoon
The experience was so overwhelming that it left me motionless until the next day, well into the afternoon.
So now we're at the bars with guitars and trying hard
We are at the bar, with our guitars, attempting to have a good time and ignore what happened.
Oh to keep the conversation going, trying to ignore the silence growing
We are making every effort to keep the conversation alive, as the silence around us grows louder.
(And I know it is true) so we better get running
I know that it's time to leave and move forward from what happened to us.
And all your thoughts, they're so tired
You seem to be exhausted and drained of energy both mentally and emotionally.
All your bullets won't take aim
Your words and actions do not have an impact, as they do not hit any target or take aim properly.
And, oh, your face, it's so stern now
Your appearance is now hardened and serious, with your face showing no smile or soft look now.
No, we won't be scared, no, we won't back down
We won't let your stern face or harsh words scare or intimidate us, nor will we step back from our path.
We will sing (we will sing) pretty songs about love
We will express our emotions through beautiful love songs.
And we will fight (we will fight) cause that's what it takes
We will fight for what we believe in, as that is what is necessary to achieve our goals.
And we won't back down, no we won't shut our eyes and go to sleep
We won't give up or turn a blind eye to the challenges we face, as we won't stop fighting until we achieve our objectives.
And we will write (we will write) all over your walls
We will write messages on your walls to bring attention to our cause and our fight.
And we won't dance (we won't dance) to your music at all
We won't follow the path you've laid down for us, and we won't listen to your suggestions or ideas.
And we'll do what it takes, oh, to get through to you
We will do anything necessary to make you understand our perspective and see things in a new light.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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