Tilly and the Wall | |
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Tilly and the Wall live at Debaser, , Sweden
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Background information | |
Origin | Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
Genres | Indie pop, indie rock |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Team Love, Dew Process, Moshi Moshi |
Associated acts | Park Ave., Bright Eyes, Coyote Bones, Flowers Forever, ChildBEING, The Young Veins, Icky Blossoms, Yes You Are |
Website | www |
Members |
Kianna Alarid Neely Jenkins Derek Pressnall Jamie Pressnall Nick White |
Tilly and the Wall is an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called Tillie and the Wall, written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, instead of a drummer.
The group formed in 2001 after the demise of several Omaha groups, including Conor Oberst's Park Ave., of which Neely Jenkins and Jamie Pressnall (then Jamie Williams) were members. Jamie brought along Kianna Alarid from another band that broke up called Magic Kiss. Derek Pressnall and Nick White, natives of Dunwoody, Georgia were drawn to the music scene in Omaha, Nebraska and moved. Nick White was also one of the few constants for Bright Eyes in 2005, appearing on I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, as well as touring worldwide with the band.
Their first show was an open-mic night at the now defunct Ranch Bowl. Their first release, Woo!, was recorded in Conor Oberst's garage, self-published, and distributed at shows around the Omaha area. The group released a limited-pressing eponymous 7" on Rue Royale Records, followed by their debut LP, Wild Like Children in 2004. It was the flagship release on Oberst's Team Love label and made with the help of Presto studios. Wild Like Children garnered the band a substantial amount of critical acclaim and propelled them to national tours with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, and Of Montreal. In early 2005, Tilly and the Wall became the first "band in residence" at Omaha's Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, using the Bemis Underground's Studio T to develop their follow-up album to Wild Like Children.