The family band model is one that’s proven success time and time again. Think the Carpenters, the Bee Gees, and more modern examples like Kings of Leon and HAIM. There’s something about music from a family unit that listeners just love. One band harnessing the power of their family link is Tillerman, a four-piece from Leeds featuring two brothers joined by close, longtime friends.
March saw Tillerman release their latest single, Room to Breathe. It’s a delicate coming-of-age track charting the journey from childhood to adulthood. Drenched in nostalgia, the single is accompanied by a vintage-style video dotted with home videos and throwbacks from the musicians’ formative years.
Following an excerpt of children singing, a guitar fades in backed by wholesomely optimistic strings that set Room to Breathe’s feeling in motion. There’s an air of contentment and tranquillity as they share their childhood with us. This kind of vulnerability from a band never goes amiss.
Lead vocalist Jon Tillerman’s voice is soothing, as he wraps his words in sweet tones. You don’t want to turn away from this track, you want to listen with intent; time is on our side/there’s still so much that we don’t know/the mistakes I make/they won’t break me.
While the song develops steadily, with appropriately gentle drums and melodic basslines, it’s not until the last minute that things take off. The guitar from the introduction makes a comeback with a jolly solo, again reinforcing that optimism. There’s a rhythmic change which is welcome to interrupt the track’s cyclic structure. Overall, a very strong ending.
Admittedly, Room to Breathe isn’t revolutionary. It’s made up of familiar instrumentals and words we can all relate to. However, Tillerman has nailed the nostalgic appeal, and that’s what makes this tune meaningful.
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