ARTIST HIGHLIGHT - FATHER JOHN MISTY
Kenzie Gay - @kenzwrites
May 2nd, 2023. A seemingly normal Tuesday night in the busy streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The locals are getting ready for summer, which is only mere weeks away, and I am standing in a seemingly empty line for a concert I bought tickets to on an impulsive whim. Post-high school graduation boredom does that to the best of us or at least those of us who thrive off of live music, sticky floors and all.
I’m roughly the 15th person in line and though Ticketmaster told us that the doors would open at 7:00 P.M., those of us in line realize very quickly that that was an error because in fact, they remain closed until just after 8:00 P.M. This mistake would end up being a blessing, however, because that night would be one of the best shows of my life and the first time I ever got barricade.
Father John Misty. At the time when I saw him last May, he was on the up and up but still certainly an underdog (he still is, depending on who you ask). He was touring to promote his 2022 album Chloë and the Next 20th Century, a record I knew nothing about (I’m a Fear Fun loyalist, sorry!), but by the time he closed with Holy Shit, I knew my life would forever be different.
Who is Father John Misty?
Father John Misty, unbeknownst to many, is a moniker. An alias. A stage name. However you want to explain it. His real name is Joshua Tillman and boy, does this guy have a history!
Beginning his career in the early 2000s, Tillman first started out making demos from his home in Seattle until one of them luckily fell into the lap of singer/songwriter Damien Jurado. From that point moving forward, his career went from 0 to 100. He opened for Jurado in 2003 at the age of 22 and began officially releasing music under the name J. Tillman. He even was a member of Fleet Foxes in 2008, drumming for them on their first tour and on their album Helplessness Blues. After that record, however, he would soon leave and launch his solo project where he finally went under the title Father John Misty, beginning a journey of experimental music that would gain him millions of listeners, several credible albums, and a collaboration with pop sensation Lana Del Ray.
Father John Misty - The Music
Father John Misty’s musical style is unique and the purest sense of the word. He blends elements of jazz, folk, and indie into one genre with a satirical and romantic lyrical punch.
Fear Fun, which I mentioned earlier, is not only his debut from 2012 but also a collection of innovation that perfectly shows his range as a creative.
There’s Nancy From Now On, a piece of beautiful vocals and a glimpse of his future, more cinematic works.
There’s also I’m Writing A Novel, my personal favorite but also a song that spotlights his ironic songwriting that never fails to make people laugh.
And, of course, there’s Only Son of the Ladiesman, a work of upbringing, mystery, and the most warming vocals I’ve ever heard from a man.
Moving on from Fear Fun, Father John Misty also has I Love You, Honeybear, a concept album he made to honor his and his wife’s relationship throughout the years. That record, hence its title and theme, is extremely raunchy but also intimate in its own way, possessing more jazzy instrumentals and piano-driven songs.
Then, there is 2017’s Pure Comedy: an amalgamation of politics and society in the form of sarcasm disguised by melancholy and picturesque sound.
2018 came in with God’s Favorite Customer, which was essentially Tillman’s way of dipping his toes into elements found in softer rock artists such as Modest Mouse or Grizzly Bear. Again, it holds that satirical writing style just as its following album, Chloë and the Next 20th Century, does.
Probably the most popular work of Tillman’s, though, is his 2016 single titled Real Love Baby. Just as I consider Father John Misty to be as an artist, this song was an underdog up until last summer. Out of seemingly nowhere after being available for listen for around seven years, the song went viral on Tiktok and pretty much every other social media app. Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, the list goes on and on but Real Love Baby was suddenly popping up everywhere on the internet. This kickstarted a movement that ultimately gained Tillman a decent chunk of his current audience and it spurred on a music video for the song seven years late.
Father John Misty - Down The Road
Father John Misty is, with no doubt in my mind, a trailblazer. His genre doesn’t fit in one perfect category because I genuinely think he could’ve crafted his own with the way things are shaping up. His music is classic but modern and his artistic integrity is admirable on its own. He’s been teasing the possibility of new music on his socials for quite some time but as of publishing, nothing has been made official (one can hope, though!). This fall, he will be kicking off on tour supporting Kacey Musgraves on her Deeper Well Tour for its second US leg in cities such as Boston, Rosemont, and even Grand Rapids.
