TILLI

TILLI Explosive Music from the Sun of Los Angeles ! Rock, Punk, Alt, Poetic fire. Original songs recorded around the world featuring many great musicians , including Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters and Alain Johannes from Them Crooked Vultures, Queen of The Stone Age, the bodacious Kenny Lyon of The Lemonheads, Junior Rodriguez the Parisian hothead and many more … Her band is called ⚡️TILLI and the Titans ⚡️

Interview by Tim Brown

When and why did you start playing? I started singing in the choir when I was in grade school .And I had a deep love for Elvis and Beethoven when I was young … there was music everywhere because I had a crazy teenage aunt… playing records and all these feelings and emotions would come pouring out through sound and vibrations . Almost too much to bear … I saw a band of teenage boys rehearsing down the street from my grandmother’s house and ran over there barefoot . I was about 6 and I invited myself in … it was electrifying . It was always there . I still feel all wild inside …

Which famous musicians do you admire? Why? Little Richard drives me crazy . He’s the original punk . I met him and Chuck Berry once and Little Richard had diamonds all over his shoes … swoon . Beethoven, Elvis , Mozart for being so mod , The Cramps , Prince, this kid, Teezo Touchdown, Amy Winehouse, Iggy Pop, Bowie, Lightnin’ Hopkins The Cramps. Drake. I really love the energy of punk rock and what it stands for …to me it is a statement for freedom within oneself .

Do you perform in public? Describe those occasions? Concerts, radio, TV. Tilli and the Titans were playing all the hot local music venues such as the Kibitz Room in Canter‘s and the Redwood Bar in DTLA , Maui Sugar Mill Saloon in Encino to name a few. The music is on the radio right now and it’s going around the world … so great ! And there is some TV coverage of a wonderful show I did in Paris, France and The Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Blvd.

What makes this kind of music “good” to you? Music is like sex . There’s good sex and bad sex. You either get with it or you don’t right ? . It’s the energy because I listen to all kinds of music so it’s literally the energy and the intention of this kind of music … it is fiery and I really like music that makes me wanna move my body or shiver. Little Richard and Screaming Jay make me shiver .

Why did you choose to play this kind of music? Well, I would say what would be more true is that this music chose me… And I felt the surge of it.

Let’s Talk about your music and your last work… yeah so the most recent work …“ Do I Have To Spell It Out For You “ is a song that I wrote with Junior Rodriguez a very talented musician that lives in Paris . The gist of it is every once in a while you meet someone you would happily go criminal with . That’s why I love The Cramps so much . They had that element together . We made the video here in Hollywood with young film director Antonio Bourge , Karan Singh , Bailey Coppola as my partner in crime and June Li Borgese styled it . The next upcoming songs are in collaboration with Karan Singh and we’re in the studio now

How do you feel about the internet in the music business? The Internet is like a double edged sword. It brings a lot and it takes a lot . While it’s giving people more access to create and distribute music and listen to it , there then comes the overwhelming part of how much music there is out there now and how to get through and reach people . It’s a great tool and I am deeply thrilled when I hear that someone in a faraway part of the world is vibing with the music I’m making . Use responsibly.

What are the plans for the future? To keep going and get through all of this with a sense of being intact with joy and creativity. And also I’m in the middle of recording my next song … it’s a Jailbreak song. It feels like to me that people have cabin fever of the mind … so I’m addressing those feelings right now of wanting to run away ( no place to go ) and how to break out ! Transformation . We are in a time of big change .

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music? When I first started my music was more loose and I had less of a form . I used the world of drone tones and different kinds of beats and did some early death rock with these profoundly good musicians in Paris . I am using a more classic form now so that I can reach more people… It’s about the vibrations right …so let’s have some!

Could you briefly describe the music-making process? process … Music comes through me and it’s my work to sit and listen and make myself available so that it can manifest in the world of form .It’s like pulling something out of the air. For me it’s alchemy. Sometimes I hear it inside myself … sometimes it’s sparked by something outside … the process is always changing with us as we change . I think the most important thing is to be moved …