5 Questions with: The Tisburys
The Philly band stops by to talk about their latest release.
Good morning!
Today we’re talking with The Tisburys about their latest record, Exile On Main Street.
In Wisconsin, rooting for the Packers is basically codified into law.
This is a state where you can be in line at the bank, and instead of saying goodbye or “have a nice day,” you get a “go Packers!” from the teller. A place where on game day, companies trick employees into thinking they’re family by letting them wear jerseys.
Really, it’s just a good way to make sure they show up for their shift.
I imagine a few other cities are like this. Not NYC. Not LA. Places like Philly. Where sports are religion the way they are here. Where people live and die by their quarterback’s health. And where everyone has an opinion on how good (or bad), the team is doing.
The difference between Green Bay and Philly is that the bank teller won’t whip a battery at you for saying the wrong thing.
Frontman Tyler Asay might be a diehard Birds fan, but there’s no sign of the infamous “Philly attitude” as he shares the band’s story over a series of emails.
First formed when he and guitarist John Domenico were in high school, The Tisburys’ lineup has shifted over the years before settling on the current one of Asay on Guitar/vocals, Domenico on guitar, Dan Nazario on drums, Doug Keller on bass, and Jason McGovern playing Keyboards. The chemistry between the five is readily apparent, and the sound is tight on the band’s latest LP, Exile On Main Street.
About that title…
It’s a nod to both The Replacements naming their record Let It Be and to Main Street Music, the record store where Asay works.
It was the only logical choice for what to call this record,” says Asay. “It’s a reflection of the music we’ve made so far along with the music we love that has come before us.”
The addition of McGovern gave the music what Asay calls a “bigger and better” sound and pushed Exile On Main Street’s sound more toward the electronic. That influence is clear as you listen to the record, but this is very much a power pop record in the same vein as The Replacements, The Gin Blossoms, and even Counting Crows (to my ear, Exile favorite “Garden” sounds like an homage to the band’s “Rain King” ).
A handful of local musicians from other bands (McGovern himself fronts The Describers) contribute to that bigger sound, including Katie Hackett of The Lunar New Year, Mike Brenner, and more.
It’s a scene Asay describes as “pretty amazing” and one in which “everyone knows each other and plays in each other's bands and supports each other.”
I used to call The Tisburys “Record Store Pop” because I am influenced by beloved but “underappreciated” songwriters, I’m always just searching for an amazingly crafted song that I can latch onto and relisten to over and over again.
~Tyler Asay
Exile On Main Street might have been named with a wink and a nod, but it is an album with a seriously well-put-together sound. The tracks are well-balanced, blending Americana, Power Pop, and just the right amount of jangle.
It’s meant as a love letter to Philly, but it feels like it could mean just as much to anyone, anywhere.
It’s cold as I hammer out the first draft of this newsletter. Like, really f’ing cold—dangerously cold. But the music on Exile is warm. Sunny even. The oozin’ aahs bring heat to a bleak December day.
Eagles fans might whip a battery at you, but Exile is all sweetness and light.
Click on the record to listen on your platform of choice.
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5 Questions:
1. Describe your style in one sentence
John: Wannabe jazz musician but not interested in Charlie Parker enough /// Comfort>Style
Jason: Musically - Folk rocker who somehow started learning guitar to Talking Heads, then got lost in the recording & keyboard section of Guitar Center and never left. Dress - Short sleeve button down with a shacket, jeans, and sneakers (and sometimes a dad hat)
Tyler: Front porch dirtbag classic, your friendly neighborhood Philly record store guy
Dan: Playing for the song but with a punk touch and musical intention. Or Dresses in all black but is friendly, say hi!
Doug: Post-Alt Rock
2. What music played in your house(s) growing up?
John: Beatles, Queen, Rachmaninov, James Bond Theme Music
Jason: Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, some Bonnie Raitt, whatever was playing on 93.5 WTPA in Harrisburg, PA., in the early 90s
Tyler: Lots of Beatles, Jimmy Buffett, Jackson Browne, and The Eagles.
Dan: The Replacements, Elvis Costello, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Sabbath, and Zeppelin.
Doug: REM and classic rock.
3. What are you listening to these days?
John: Donald Fagen (The Nightfly), Kurt Rosenwinkle, Julian Lage, Glen Miller.
Jason: Wilco’s Cruel Country album, John Carpenter soundtracks, Jerry Goldsmith scores, some Mike Viola stuff, got strangely obsessed w/ Robert Palmer’s Clues album & Daryl Hall’s Sacred Songs album not too long ago, whatever Tyler throws my way.
Tyler: Mid-2000s indie rock, R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant, & Lame-O Records’ 2022 output (Mo Troper’s MTV, Day’s OUTOFBODY, Shannen Moser’s The Sun Still Seems To Move).
Dan: Pile, Andy Shauf, Cult Leader, Louis Cole, Madison Cunningham, Gretchen Parlato, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross movie scores.
Doug: Bandit and whatever Tyler (The Tisburys), Jason (The Describers), August (Riverby), or Andrew Huston (Andrew Huston) throw my way for upcoming shows.
4. What are your 5 Desert Island Discs?
John: Led Zeppelin IV, Abbey Road, Bon Iver Self-Titled, Phosphorescent Blues, Aja.
Jason: Tusk - Fleetwood Mac, Peter Gabriel III (Melt) - Peter Gabriel, Duke - Genesis, More Songs About Buildings and Food - Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense - also Talking Heads.
Tyler: Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires Of The City, Gin Blossoms’ New Miserable Experience, The Walkmen’s You & Me, Hop Along’s Painted Shut.
Dan: The Fragile-Nine Inch Nails. Ágætis byrjun-Sigur Ros. Atlas Vending-Metz. Gently Disturbed-Avishai Cohen. No Heros-Converge.
Doug: Frizzle Fry - Primus, Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd, Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads, Doolittle - Pixies, Duke Maroon - A Duke Reunion.
5. If you could collaborate with any artist/band, who would it be?
John: Jacob Collier, Donald Fagan, does Rick Beato count?
Jason: Locally, see Dan’s answer. Wilco would be fun.
Tyler: Jenny Lewis and/or Pat Finnerty.
Dan: Locally, it would be sweet to collaborate with Dr. Dog, and that would make the dudes super happy. Personally, it would be such a great experience to track a tune for either Pile or Metz.
Doug: Primus or Ween
To connect with the band and buy their music, please go to the following:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | Bandcamp | YouTube
Thank you for being here,
Kevin—
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Alright, between "Garden" and each member's amazing influences/current listens I'm way in on this record and can't wait to dig into the rest!
A note on Philly. I think it's the most underrated and unfairly maligned American city I've been to. Sure, there's the sports fans, but there's bleacher creatures in every city. First time I visited, I thought it was hot garbage. The second time, I left curious. Third time was the charm and I didn't want to leave. Great neighborhoods, great food, and the music scene is nothing short of phenomenal. I've got the Brotherly Love for that place.