Caught on the Mike...
Caught on the Mike is a podcast where music, pop culture, and authentic conversations come together.
Hosted by Michael Clark, each episode features musicians, entertainers, athletes, comedians, and creators sharing the stories behind their careers, creative journeys, and life beyond the spotlight. From rock and reggae to comedy, MMA, and everything in between, every conversation is relaxed, insightful, and unscripted.
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Caught on the Mike...
Alt-pop artist- tiLLie
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We get into the meaning behind “earn a living,” the emotion and intention driving this latest project, and how she’s carved out a genre-bending sound that refuses to sit in one lane. tiLLie also breaks down her songwriting process, working with collaborators, and what it looks like to turn chaos into something both powerful and honest. The conversation also taps into her upcoming 2026 run, including Warped Tour stops in Washington D.C., Long Beach, and Orlando, and how her live shows have become a full-on cathartic experience for fans.
If you’re into alt-pop, dark pop, and emotionally driven music, or artists pushing boundaries like mgk and Bishop Briggs, this episode dives deep into the mindset, music, and momentum behind one of the most compelling voices in the space right now. From mental health conversations to new music and what’s next, this is tiLLie at her most real.
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Disclaimer, the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent. Listener discretion is advised. Some artists make music you listen to, others make music you feel in your chest. Today's guest lives in that second category. Billy has built a sound that's unpredictable in the best way, collecting all top melodies with great distortion and lyrics that don't hold anything back. The latest 15 I missed when monsters were only shadowed, pulls you into a world that's equal parts vulnerable and explosive. From warp tour stages to pack crowds across the US and Europe, she's turning every performance into something unforgettable. Today we get to know where that energy comes from, the stories behind the music, and what's pushing her into the next chapter. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mike. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Caught on the Mic. And today's guest is Tilly, an alt-pop disruptor whose sound lives somewhere between glittery hooks, grungy guitars, and full-on emotional chaos. She's been called a maverick artist born from the gates of hell. And if you've heard her music, it checks out. Her new EP, I miss when monsters were only shadows, is raw, unfiltered, and brutally honest. And today we're getting into the stories, the evolution, and everything behind it. Tilly, welcome to Caught on the Mic.
SPEAKER_02What's up? Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for doing it. I was so stoked. Your publicist sent me a pitch email, and I'm like, yeah, yeah, hell yeah. Let's make this happen. I think we've been like talking about making this happen for well over a month now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah. It's been a minute. I'm glad we're finally doing it.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. So take me back. Who were who was Tilly before you were Tilly?
SPEAKER_02Wow. I was just we old Grace. That's my real name. And yeah, I started writing songs when I was honestly like like 11. Like they were kind of jokey at that point. But then started taking it more seriously when I was probably like 13, 14 when I learned how to play guitar. And I started playing shows as soon as I could drive. I grew up in Atlanta. So I would drive down to some small, kind of like cafe type places that would do open mics for songwriters. And yeah, I played songs on guitar and I was very I don't know what was up with me for a kid. I was fucking weird. And like my songs were so weird. Like literally, my parents were like, what if you just like wrote a love song? Would you consider that? And I was like, nah, dude. This is like it's about like ego death and philosophy and how I felt when I looked into the stranger's eyes and pictured what his life was like. Just fucking weird shit for like a 14-year-old to be writing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. How does a deep how does a soul find something that deep in the beds of Hot Lana? I mean in the in the deep trenches of this weird brain.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't know, man. I don't know. I think I think I have an old soul. I think I've been around for a minute. And in a way, I almost feel like Yeah, I had to refine my writing to make it a little bit more um tangible for people because I started really esoteric. So yeah, I started doing that. And then I I played bass in a punk band and was a lead singer. And uh in Atlanta, we opened for I don't know if you know who Tidal Fight are.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Like so sick. We played two shows ever and both were opening for them. They had heard our music online. Amazing. And yeah, asked us to open it um both times that you came through Atlanta, and then we never played a show again.
SPEAKER_01They probably heard it and they're like, oh, I bet the I bet this band draws like none other. And you probably did. You probably brought everybody you knew to those shows, right?
SPEAKER_02I mean, yeah, for sure. I think they had a decent Atlanta is actually, you know, it's known for hip hop and rap, but it actually also has a really sick punk scene. At least it did when I was growing up there. I can't say for certain now. Although I did see a clip on TikTok recently of this fucking, oh my god, dude. It was like this metal group with a female singer doing a cover of a Kesha song at a church in Georgia. And I was like, that's exactly it. That is exactly it. And Georgia has some shit like that. So I think it maybe it's still going, but yeah, really strong punk scene, a lot of cool DIY warehouse shows, basement shows, people drinking like these in someone's basement and East Atlanta. And so yeah, like I it was a great scene during that time for that kind of music. So there were good turnouts at those shows for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's weird how different cities kind of get categorized a certain way and then break their own molds and break their own stereotypes. When I was singing in rock bands, I was in Omaha, Nebraska, and everybody thinks of the Saddle Creek scene. They think of Bright Eyes, the Faint, Cursive, and bands like that. But we had an amazing metal scene, we had an amazing hip-hop scene, like an amazing mainstream rock scene. And then, you know, in recent years, there's been a really cool alt country scene. So it's like we've got a little bit of something for everybody. Cool. Where I'm at. What were you listening to growing up that kind of helped shape your current sound?
SPEAKER_02Oh wow. I mean, I definitely had my my scene kid phase for sure. I was a little emo girly, but I was more on the fueled by ramen side of things than like heavier stuff. I always loved melody. But then also when I was God, I don't know how old I was. My older brother gave me an iPod and he had torrented literally like all the music online, like every single piece of music online. And he was like, here's your birthday gift, and it literally had over 10,000 songs on it.
SPEAKER_01Awesome.
SPEAKER_02And it was incredible, and that really shaped my entire relationship to music because there was, you know, people like Julie London and jazz artists and the entire Beatles anthology and stuff that I just would not have sought out as a kid and a teenager that I mean I would put on that iPod and just put on Shuffle and just it felt like I was going through a museum of music. And you know, sometimes when I think about my sound now and how comments that people make, it's like very eclectic, and they're like, oh, it kind of reminds me of this and this genre, and like two things I would never think of putting together. And I think that really stems from from that and having such a broad introduction into all of music and ingesting all of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a good call out because your music doesn't just sit in one lane. When or what was that deciding moment where you kind of just said, I'm not gonna try and fit into a genre. I'm just gonna lean into all of this chaos.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if I ever made a conscious decision of that. I think I just lead from my heart or my passion in that moment. It's kind of the only way that I know how to operate anytime I feel any sort of box around me. I it's like my creativity just shuts off. I can't really navigate that well in a box. I mean, sometimes I do stuff for like sync or I've done things with riot games. And if it's like a gentle box, I can find my way around it. But a tight box, I'm like, uh-uh. So yeah, it wasn't ever really a conscious decision. It was just sort of something I did and continue to do. And every time I just I hope my fans are gonna be down for it.
SPEAKER_01Well, let's let's be honest. Like, I've brought this up a million times on multiple episodes of the show, but that is the silver lining of the streaming world that we live in now is people aren't painted into genres, and genres don't define personalities like they used to.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, totally. I think maybe where that matters that I do sometimes feel a little ambiguous is touring. But in in, I mean, I see it as a positive because I think I can tour with like I can tour with heavier acts because I have elements of that, but then I can also tour with more like indie pop acts. And I have done a pretty like wide range of tours with people, but yeah, it's so true nowadays. People don't really know. I mean, so many people know your song, they don't know the artist. I have people that come up to me on like support tours and they're like, oh my god, I didn't know who you were, but I know this song, this song, and this song. They're on all my playlists. So it's kind of a weird world with that, but also I think it's liberating, like you said, that you can kind of reinvent yourself with each release and not necessarily like maybe freak out your hardcore fans, but I I would like to hope that my perspective is consistent enough that in my voice that that's what people are connected to, and the rest of it's just like putting on different outfits.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that makes perfect sense. You know, we're living in an algorithm world and we're all just algorithm girls anymore. Do you ever feel the pressure to be more marketable or more defined in a certain lane?
SPEAKER_02Sure, yeah, definitely. Social media is a bitch. I fucking hate it.
SPEAKER_01You and me both! I hate it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, like, fuck it. And I really try to not hate it. And I do, I actually quite enjoy TikTok. I love the kind of all the different sub- niches of stuff on there, and I love people just telling stories and like the raw element of it. So that's fun as a like consumer, but it just it cringes me out so much, and I and I try to avoid the word cringe because I kind of think cringe is bullshit, and I think it's a word that people say when they see someone else just like being themselves and they couldn't imagine doing that, and it freaks them out, you know, and it makes them uncomfortable, so it's easier to call the other person, Oh, you're cringe, and it's like, no, babe, you just you need to get good within yourself, and just because you wouldn't do that, don't hate on someone else's light and then putting themselves out there.
SPEAKER_01Right. No, I totally agree with that. And there's almost like an old sect of older musicians, more established touring artists that kind of say, Oh man, I just can't do the TikTok shit. I can't do the TikTok shit. But the thing is, it's like you don't understand. TikTok is the most freeform algorithm of all the social media platforms right now. So if you want to expand your reach, you almost either have to like embrace it or be abandoned by it.
SPEAKER_02You know? Yeah, totally. Totally. And I think it has gotten harder and even like during the pandemic, TikTok was great for music promotion. But now I think a lot of people, and I've seen it in comments, like not on my stuff, but on other people's posts I come across, but like kind of this fatigue that I think people have of being promoted anything, like music. I mean, so much of TikTok now is like ads, ads, ads. And in the format of, hey, I'm in my room and I'm like, oh my God, look at this pimple. And then suddenly you're being sold a beauty product, and you're like, wait, I thought you were just a girl in your room and this is commercial. So that's kind of made it tricky because I think, yeah, the average person is just sick of being sold shit. So that's made it harder and made me feel a bit frustrated as an artist trying to incorporate social media into what I do because it's essential. But it's it's soul draining sometimes. But I just have to think too, I think that the greatest thing any artist can be, the most powerful thing is authentic more than anything. And and at the end of the day, I like to think that that's my brand is that I am just authentic to who I am in that moment, and I will always be that way rather than fitting into this idea of me. And everything has to be in align with this and that and appear a certain way. It's like, no, I'm just gonna come on here and be real, and that that's the brand.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, and you that another great call out there because so many of the social media platforms have turned into nothing but ad sales. Like in the early phases, like right now, big marketing experts are saying that YouTube Shorts is actually the future of like short form content to, you know, drive people to music sites and such, but it also is going to have influence on how people are creating music moving forward. A guy that I follow, and I've had him on the show, a gentleman by the name of Dave Rose talks about how the length of songs is getting shorter and shorter and shorter and shorter because of that attention span window. So it's it's really interesting to get different perspectives on some of these things.
SPEAKER_02Totally. See, I feel though, like I'm like, I'm definitely on the side of, and it's more so for me, for my own mental health, that I have to be like, fuck that. And there's gonna be the antithesis of that. You know, I think the greatest strength you can have now as an artist, especially in the world of AI and AI music taking over everywhere, is like the less polished you can sound, the more human you can sound, maybe the longer, the more weird formed your song is is actually gonna stick out more as we continue in this fucking weird landscape of AI music and this like clawing for your attention. Like, I think real art is gonna come back. I think people are gonna be like desperate for it for the more than they've been in a long time. I agree as a revolution.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I wholeheartedly agree. And I think that's what's going to drive people back into music in the live format as well, is because they're gonna be tired of consuming it digitally. Like that excites me, like just being at shows shoulder to shoulder with people again.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And like me personally too, I fucking love a bridge in a song. I love a bridge, and there was like a long time that I feel like songwriters, I'd be in sessions, and they'd be like, cool, two verses, chorus, done. You know, we're not why would we do a bridge that's so stupid? But I feel like now, like Chapel also brought bridges back, I would say. Fucking beautiful bridges. And I think those are starting to come back. And I do think, you know, if you look at the people that are at the top, like Rosalia and Chapel, and you are seeing real art kind of come through again. And I think that's a little bit harder for people starting out because they do feel like there's so much noise, and you're just trying to do anything to get attention on your project. That a lot of people feel like they can't do that. But the people that are able to do that because maybe they already are at the top and they have a fan base, like, look how their fans are responding. Like, people are really hyped on that and seeing that. So let's lean into it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. So applying that to yourself, do you feel like you've fully found your sound or are you still discovering it?
SPEAKER_02Discovering it always, indefinitely. Yeah. So I've been working on some new material. Um, and honestly, it's pretty different. Like for me, it feels really different. It's a little bit softer, it's a little bit more uh like kind of like witchy and esoteric and whimsical, not as like, yeah, aggressive and intense. And when I first started making this batch of songs, I was like, damn, like this might need to be a new project. And yeah, I think doing that really helped me creatively because I I was just like put again putting myself in a box about feeling like what is Tilly? And Tilly's kind of known for this like angry girl power, like fuck the system energy, and I'm don't really feel like that at this point in my life. I mean, in my heart, I always will because fuck the system, fuck the man, like always. But you know, we're I think we're at this point too. Sorry, I'm not going on a tangent right now.
SPEAKER_01I love it.
SPEAKER_02Okay, we're at this point in culture with the state of the world politics and everything, where we're seeing a huge resurgence in punk music and people calling out all this shit because we need it. But I also think on the other side of the coin, we're seeing a resurgence of like a little bit of like bubblegum pop, you know, Sabrina Carpenter, who I fucking love, like Zar Larson. This, and there's these two extremes of almost like going so deep in the trenches of shit and getting all your rage out, and then escapism. And in a way, I think my whole career has been like deep in the trenches, call it out, but I'm kind of leaning more towards escapism or like bigger picture, like how do we still find like hope and a reason to keep going in this fuckery? Because I personally have been feeling defeated a little bit, you know, Trump being in office again and going through all this again. And I'm just like, I don't I almost don't want to give that shit my energy. So yeah, this new project's kind of going over to that side, but I do think it could work as Tilly. I mean, I've I've evolved a million times if you've been on this journey with me, and I think it could happen again. So yeah, it's ever, ever evolving.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think all good art does go through that though. And you can look at the history of music and even some legacy acts, and as cheesy as it sounds, I could use like Metallica as an example, as crazy as it sounds, because all the early stuff, very aggressive, like nothing like it, nothing came before it that was like it, right? And then they became more and more polished over time. And sure, the critics and some fans are like, oh man, that's selling out, but really it's just evolution and it's just songwriting. And that's and that's what it really boils down to.
SPEAKER_02A hundred percent. And I think there's something too with when you start again, it comes back to the kind of I want to cut through the noise, so I'm gonna even subconsciously be a bit over the top and you know, really show this is who I am, this is my voice, this is my perspective. And I think as you get more confident in your artistry, you start to see the power in choosing in what moments you actually want to utilize that, but also in softer sides of your voices, in lower places in your voice, in deeper corners, you just start to feel more confident expressing in a it's just a little bit more like effortless. And so it comes out as more polished, but really it's it's like a deeper knowing of your artistry, I think.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, absolutely. I cannot talk like count the number of bands that I have seen live early in their career, and then I see them later on, and it it does, it just looks like second nature by a certain point in time, you know? I remember seeing Mike Hem in a club, my chemical romance in a club of a hundred people when Three Cheers first came out.
SPEAKER_02That's so sick.
SPEAKER_01And then seeing them right before they went away, before they took their hiatus, and it was like almost like two different bands, but in a good way, you know?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, totally. And and what a beautiful thing to witness, too. Just the whole journey of it is, I think, fun for a fan. I mean, certainly been fun for me with artists that I love and seeing how people progress. I think it's way more fun than you don't want a band that makes the same record every time. That sucks.
SPEAKER_01Right, right. Let's get let's get to the live show part of it. You've played the warp tour and built a reputation as a wildlife performer. What did those early shows teach you?
SPEAKER_02Ooh, I think uh from what I remember when I began, there There was a lot of like concern about things being perfect and being really anxious about if I were to fuck up or play a wrong chord or sing something wrong. And I I really think the true mark of a great performer is someone that can bounce back when because that's just gonna happen. You can't avoid it from happening. And it's more about how you lean into it and play off of it and come back from it. That's like a whole sport in itself within performers, I think. And so that was something I definitely was able to start embracing. And then from there, you can almost even like build on it and have interesting moments with your fans or make it a part of the show and sort of let people into imperfect moments and just yeah, relieve yourself of that anxiety to try to perform it perfectly and to this unrealistic ideal.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. In all areas of life, did performing on stage give you confidence that you didn't have off stage?
SPEAKER_02Oh my god, yeah. Yeah. I mean, people that know me in real life as Grace, and they just have never seen me perform if I'm like hanging out with people. I'm pretty, I wouldn't say soft spoken, but I'm just like calm and chill, and I'm like, hey guys, what's up? And then they come to my show and I'm like, fuck you, what the fuck? You know, and they're like, What? Like, who is that? Like, who the fuck is that? And and then it's like the same thing too, where I I went on live stream the other day and I was doing witchcraft, and one of my fans was like, Don't put a curse on me. And I was like, Oh, I wouldn't, I've never do that. It's like against my type of witchcraft, and it's bad juju. And they're like, Oh, okay, well, based on your songs, I thought like for sure you were hexing people. And I'm like, yeah, that sums it up. You know, it's it's just a totally different side of me. It's kind of a place where I feel like all the sides of me that people told me were like I'm too much. People, my family or people's parents growing up, like, you're too loud, you're too aggressive, you're intense. You boss people or you're bossy or whatever. I'm a woman with ideas. It was like all those things that people said were bad about me, I can go on stage and be celebrated for.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02And that was profoundly transformative for me as a human being.
SPEAKER_01Yes. I love hearing that as somebody that used to jump on stage as myself, share a very similar kinship in that exact regard. It's like there's onstage mic and there's off-stage mic. You have to delineate the two personalities. They kind of reveal themselves to each other in different ways, but it's like two different types of people, and it's great. It's great, it's a great foundation for your day-to-day decision making and how you interact in your relationships and such, just finding that confidence on stage for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I feel so much more confident on stage than I do in my daily life. It's so weird. Like in my daily life, I'm just kind of like, like, I don't know, man. I'm just not, it's not the same. Like when I go up there, it's like, this is my fucking purpose. I'm gonna lock the fuck in. You know what I mean? And I wish I could have that energy all the time, but it's different. It's just totally different.
SPEAKER_01Was there a specific moment where you realized that performing was your thing?
SPEAKER_02I think I was like pretty young, honestly. But per I would perform in I think of this one example where my mom, my parents tried so hard to get me into sports, which was just bizarre. I was like, guys, it's not, it's not gonna happen. I'm not an athlete. And uh, I was at a tennis match that my mom made me do, and I remember I fucking sucked. It was like so bad. Because of that, I remember I did this shot where I like I knew I wasn't gonna make it, but I did it, and I did this like funny like jump and like twist, and was like, and everyone just started laughing, and I was like, I like that. I'm gonna entertain people. You know what I mean? Like more so than being good at it. It's like I got a laugh out of people and I I made people have fun. And I think that was sort of the moment where I realized I liked performing before even I played on the stage, you know? That was just the natural evolution.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And and it again, it's one of those things that just revealed itself in a part of life that was completely unrelated to what you do now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01So let's talk about your most recent EP. I miss when monsters were only shadows. What was the emotional starting point for that project?
SPEAKER_02It was more so okay, so a lot of these songs I had actually had written I'd had for the last like couple years. Because there was a period of like two or three years there where I was in so many sessions. Yeah, I was writing so, so, so much. And there was just a group of the songs that I I kept coming back to and wanted them to see the light of day. And also, I think for the first time too, it was like I selected the songs based on what I felt I needed to hear. And I think a lot of my music, in a way, has been for younger me or for people in my family that are in like abusive situations, or here's how I want to like help people. And this project, I was like, I'm gonna like help, I'm gonna do myself a solid and choose the songs that I feel like I need to sing, that I want to sing live and play on tour. So I think the title kind of sums up the general feeling of like I wanted to get back to a childlike state of one, I wish my problems were that fucking simple as Monsters Under My Bed. And also, I just want to get back into that headspace of like creating art for me as a way of like therapy for myself, because that's how I started, rather than trying to necessarily write something that I thought was gonna be like commercially successful, you know, have some sort of like this is how this is gonna move this puzzle piece, you know. It's like, you know, I just want to get back to what feels feels good for me.
SPEAKER_01So I'm gonna play armchair quarterback therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist here for a moment because you kind of went back seven, eight minutes ago, you were talking about the new music that you're writing now and having a little bit more of a polished flair, and you're kind of trying to decide whether this is a Tilly project or it might be something else. Do you think that this recent EP was a purge of a side of your personality that maybe paved the way for this new era that's coming forward?
SPEAKER_02Definitely. Yeah. Uh damn, dude, you are a therapist.
SPEAKER_01I'm not intentionally, I'm not licensed.
SPEAKER_02That was like a really good correlation. Yeah, I think so. It was like, here's these songs that I've made over the last few years, kind of in that headspace, that um feel like wrapping some of that era up, but also teasing. Like, I think superhero is a lot a softer side of me that no one's really ever heard. And I think that's sort of like teasing a little bit of where it's going. So yeah, I would I would call this EP a bridge for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and you love bridges, you've already declared that. Yeah, you see how well I listened.
SPEAKER_02I damn I'm impressed.
SPEAKER_01So let's let's talk a little bit about your writing process. What comes first? Is it the lyrics? Is it the production, or is it the emotion?
SPEAKER_02Honestly, man, it it varies. Like lyrics are very important to me. I would say a lot of the times in the past, that's been the driving factor, and I'm always shotting down thoughts or like topics or things I want to unpack. But lately, with these new songs, again, it's like I've been approaching this like I'm a beginner. Like I've never released music before. Almost like I've never even written music. Like in the past, I would go into sessions with a collaborator, like super prepared, and maybe I have a half-written song, or this is the song, we're gonna be this. And I've written this chorus, or these are the lyrics. And lately I've been like, here is the music I've been listening to that's inspiring me. Let's start a track in that direction. And really trying to let the music guide the song rather than my words in a way. Yeah, I'm really trying to lean more into the musicality of it. So much of Tilly has felt like very word-based, very lyric-based, lyrically driven. And I want to be more expressive through music. And then obviously the words are important, but I want the music to be the driving force in the entire creative process. So that's that's where I've been at lately in it.
SPEAKER_01So, you know, you talked about collaboration. So, how do you collaborate without losing that voice and without losing that control?
SPEAKER_02It's it's definitely about finding the right people. I mean, usually it's just me and a producer. So that it's pretty easy to not lose control when it's just like two people. The only time that I feel sometimes in the past where that can get testy is when another top liner comes in, which is someone who writes like melody and lyrics. And, you know, we're all human. We're all operate from a place of ego. And sometimes people come in really hot, and I think they want to prove that they deserve to be there. And, you know, they're a worthwhile collaborator. So they'll come in really hot with melodies. And I fucking hate that so much. I'm like, I'm suffocating. I cannot work with top liners who do that, like respectfully. I just that's not gonna work for me. I need someone that is more so like a springboard, and I'm kind of the leader, and maybe they help me massage something out or evolve it. But again, it comes down to I think the most important thing in my artistry being my perspective and my voice and my melodic sense. So that always has to be driving it and then maybe refined with the collaborators. So I I try to look for those qualities. If anyone's too like domineering, I'm just like, we've lost it. No faults on them, but it's it's not gonna be it's not gonna be it. I won't feel connected.
SPEAKER_01It's at the end of the day, it's your name on the on the project, right?
SPEAKER_02I mean, so yeah, and it's like it's not gonna feel authentic to me. So that's again, like it all comes back to how authentic it feels. So yeah, I luckily I don't I don't really work with people like that anymore. And I don't work with a ton of top liners anymore, uh, especially on these new songs. It's another big part of like really wanting to lean into a new side of me and like here, here is me. And maybe I'm not so focused on it being catchy or rhyming or a lot like syllabic. How do you say that? Syllabically? Syllab?
SPEAKER_01Syllabically or something like that?
SPEAKER_02Something like that. Some shit like that. You know, like counting syllables and being like, oh, it's perfect pop song, you know, like it's just more stream of consciousness, like free-flowing type shit.
SPEAKER_01Do you feel like right now in this very moment, like while we're having this conversation, that you're kind of functioning artistically on a different plane of existence that you've never functioned on before?
SPEAKER_02I feel so. I definitely do. I feel like I'm in a new era of my life personally and artistically.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yeah. And kind of looking at the depth of your catalog, is there something that you haven't said yet that you're really building towards? Like this pinnacle artistically that you're building towards.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, I've never made an album, and I that's what I like to do now. Um, full-length album. I think a lot of my career thus far has been kind of flying by the seat of my pants because of financial reasons, because of just the kind of hustle, like, oh, feed the algorithm, get the songs out, keep releasing, keep the momentum going. And my goal for this next project, which I would like to be a full-length album, money considered, that's the biggest hurdle, is I want to really take my time with it. And I want to be precious with it, and I want to be extremely intentional, however long that takes. And I don't think I've ever given myself that grace. And that is, it's like what's what's there to be said is is that what happens when I really go in the trenches and give it time to breathe and let the songs grow at a natural pace. Um, and and spend time on them. Like most of my music that's come out in the more recent years is like maybe we spent two days on the songs. Two days. Which is fucking crazy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. I totally get all of that. So hard. It's so crazy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01If you were to look long term, what do you want Tilly to represent?
SPEAKER_02I think I do think something that's really consistent that I do think is my theme is like not being afraid to look at the ugly, but finding the means of moving through it and transcending through it. You know, and I I I feel like that's kind of my MO as a as a soul in this on this earth is to kind of like I've been I've had a lot of crazy trauma like early in my life, and a lot of like unnatural loss and death and family members and sexual assault, and like just a fucking so much intense shit for a young person. And I think the silver lining though of it all is like me being able to talk about it and giving other people permission to talk about it because of that and holding space for it, but then also like look, we're not defined by that, we don't live in that. We're like, fuck you, I'm gonna survive and be better for it. And I think that will always be the heart of Tilly and all the music I make.
SPEAKER_01I love that. I love that that empowering confidence. That is amazing. Thank you. What are the big plans for summer 2026 and beyond?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I've I've got warp tour coming up, which I'm really excited about. My very first tour as Tilly was the last warp tour. I did two weeks on it. So it feels very full circle that it's back and I'm gonna be on it. Um, Kevin Lyman gave me one of my first opportunities. So I'm so grateful to him to be able to do it again. So yeah, it's I'm kind of just doing one-offs because I toured a lot over the last two years. Um, and my priority right now is being precious and really getting into the thick of the creation of this next project, which is kind of crazy. Like I've been going at it so, so hard, but I I am taking a little bit of a step back, doing these few one-off shows, maybe a tour in in the fall, but primarily just kind of like hibernating and and putting my head down and doing the creative work.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I love that. You know, take your time with it, make it right, you know? Just don't make it your Chinese democracy and make it take 13 years to record.
SPEAKER_02No, that's too far, man. That's too far.
SPEAKER_01Well, my closing question for every single guest that does my show, it's my favorite question to ask. I love everybody's answer. Given your experience, everything you've gone through with this project and musically, what's your advice for making the world a better place tomorrow than what it is today through your eyes?
SPEAKER_02I think you never know what other people are going through. And for your own sake and your own well-being. So uh you should always try to meet people with that in mind, with compassion and empathy rather than even if someone's rude to you, you know, don't take that personally. Like what, hmm, they must be really going through that in order to be acting that way. Um, and I think, you know, just right now we're really lacking a lot of empathy. And I think we all feel so different from each other when really we're so similar. And uh we need we need to stay connected to that because we're all we have and we're weaker divided.
SPEAKER_01I tell you what, you know, I make the joke about the armchair psychiatrist thing, but you just described the theorem that I threw on the table when I started this podcast five years ago. Like I said, it was my goal to prove that we had more in common than we do different in a world that is constantly trying to divide us.
SPEAKER_02Yes!
SPEAKER_01So tell everybody that's watching this or listening to this, where they can find you online.
SPEAKER_02You can find me on TikTok and Instagram at who is Tilly, and I am streaming on all platforms. I'm on YouTube, um, and it's Tilly, T-I-L-L-I-E.
SPEAKER_01I love it. And I I tell you what, I really enjoyed a nice sunny drive today listening to all of your music. It was awesome. And I really enjoyed this conversation and getting to know you.
SPEAKER_02I did too. I really had a good time. You had great questions. I will present you with your therapist degree after this call.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much for doing the show, Tilly. The world's a much better place if you in it. Thanks so much. Once again, I want to thank my friend Tilly for doing the podcast today. That was a lot of fun, great conversation. Make sure you check out her music on the streaming platform as soon as you possibly can. T-I-L-L-I-E. Follow her on Instagram at WhoIstilly. And give a follow to Speaker Music Group as well. While you're being generous with follows, make sure you are following at Caught on the Mike on all social media platforms. And give me a subscribe on my YouTube channel. Make sure you share one of your favorite episodes with a friend. We're trying to grow this audience as much as we possibly can. You can learn more about me, www.cotonTheMic.com. And for all booking inquiries, caught on the mic at gmail.com. This has been Caught on the Mike with Michael Clark. I'm Michael Clark. Until next time, thank you.