Joshua Michael Tillman, performing under the stage name Father John Misty, is an artist whose music paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with moody depth and country-influenced textures. He favors rich, expansive arrangements that complement the sweep of his melodies and the expressive reach of his voice. Tillman also adds a touch of dark humor to his Father John Misty persona, especially in his observations of his characters, flowing seamlessly with the contemplative, world-weary tone of his songs rather than disturbing it. “There’s something innately false about performance,” he says. “I want to be authentically bogus rather than bogusly authentic.”

Tillman has been recording/releasing solo albums since 2003. He also played drums for Seattle’s Fleet Foxes from 2008-2011. His latest album under the Father John Misty moniker, 2024’s Mahashmashana, takes its name from a Sanskrit term meaning “great cremation ground,” exploring themes of existentialism, mental health, and the passage of time.