Father John Misty

Before his rise to fame as Father John Misty, the singer-songwriter and musician Josh Tillman released five albums of what he calls “wound-licking music” under the name J. Tillman.

∙ Tillman learned to play drums as a kid after his devoutly religious parents thought it would help him channel his hyperactivity toward God.
∙ In 2008, he joined Fleet Foxes and appeared on their Grammy-nominated album Helplessness Blues.
∙ Father John Misty’s 2015 breakthrough album, I Love You, Honeybear, debuted in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart and made several year-end best-album lists.
∙ The “4” in “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins),” which is about dating his now-wife, references how many times he reworked the song to ensure it that wasn’t overly sentimental.
∙ “Hold Up,” from Beyoncé’s smash hit Lemonade, includes a verse and refrain written by Tillman.
∙ His many pop star fans include Lady Gaga, who asked him to write a pair of songs for Joanne, and Lana Del Rey, who tapped him to appear in the video for “Freak.”
∙ Elton John praised his talents, saying during a radio interview, “He reminds me a little bit of me, the way he writes songs.”