| Joshua Tillman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joshua Tillman |
| Also known as | Joshua Tillman |
| Born | May 3, 1981 |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Folk |
| Instruments | Drums Guitar Vocals |
| Labels | Yer Bird Western Vinyl Bella Union Autumn Tone Keep Recordings |
| Associated acts | Fleet Foxes, Saxon Shore |
Joshua Tillman (born May 3, 1981) is an American folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is also the current drummer for the Seattle-based band Fleet Foxes.[1][2] He has maintained a steady output of recordings since 2004[3][4] and has toured the US and Europe extensively with Pacific Northwest artists such as Damien Jurado, Jesse Sykes, and David Bazan.[5][6]
Western Vinyl writes about Joshua's career: "J. Tillman moved to Seattle in 2004 after dropping out college where he was studying god-knows-what. Upon moving there he found a job working at a bakery, where he was allowed to record at night before his 4:30AM shift began. This led to a cassette that maybe 20 people heard, one of whom was Seattle legend Damien Jurado. Damien brought Tillman on tour about a year later, where every night he wowed audiences into exclaiming things like, 'Who is this weird mumbly kid' and/or 'Get off the stage.' Tillman would continue to tour through the US and Europe regardless of 'audiences', 'interest' and 'total lack of promotion or booking agencies'."[7]
When asked about the beginning of his musical journey back in March 2009, Tillman said: "I started playing music with my brother when I was about 12 and he was 11. I was obsessed with music but the idea of becoming good at the guitar bored me to tears, I’m not really technically proficient on any instrument. I just learnt enough chords so I could write songs, although I have accidentally improved over the years. ... I was much more interested in song writing, I probably fancied myself as a person who really had something to say. I think it is just a bad habit I have stuck with really, as a way to identify myself. I don’t know why but every body seems to need a way to identify themselves, be it like “I’m Funny” or “I’m smart” or “I’m a songwriter” or “I’m a drummer”, I think we just cling on to that thing for dear life because if we don’t have it we’re lost. So I guess my musical journey has been all about figuring out who I am through the process of making records. I think I am now coming to the other side of that where I can just view myself as myself, and not get on stage and feel I have to present some false, disingenuous version of myself."[8]
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