After releasing five albums and playing the drums with a little band called Fleet Foxes, a man known as J. Tillman is set to release Year in the Kingdom on September 22nd (via Western Vinyl). This is a man who writes and plays unbelievably gorgeous music, yet is not safe from obscurity. However, the growing anticipation for this new effort of soft, aching beauty represents the songwriter’s accelerated transition to a much-deserved level of recognition.

Moving his way around the country and approaching the Bay Area, J. (Joshua) Tillman carved out a little time to answer some questions from Stranger Dance. Consider this an official preview for his show on Sunday, August 23rd at Cafe du Nord (with the Moore Brothers and Pearly Gate Music, 8:00 p.m., $11/advance, $13/door) – do not miss this event, and keep an eye out for subsequent photos and review.

Stranger Dance: First of all, how long is your beard these days? When we saw you at SxSW, it was getting pretty long.
J. Tillman: I haven’t measured it, but I can tell you I haven’t touched it since SXSW.

SD: Beard lengths seem to correlate with long tours. How has touring been in general, especially in lieu of the new album and all the spots at SxSW?
JT: I can’t really speak to the touring / beard correlation, but touring is fun. Right now I’m driving down to San Luis Obispo with some friends for 5 or 6 shows in California.

SD: Have you always enjoyed touring and/or playing live in general? Or has this been a more recent development with Vacilando Territory Blues and Year in the Kingdom, as well as your involvement with Fleet Foxes?
JT: I’ve toured a lot over the last five years, but playing live hasn’t really been something I’ve figured out how to have fun doing until the last year or so. It’s been a slow process of figuring out the right way to deconstruct my ideas about what a live show should be, and making the songs thrive in a live setting. Subverting expectations in the right way.

SD: You released five albums before Year in the Kingdom — what helped to shape your songs and bring them together on the new album versus, say, the songs that make up Vacilando Territory Blues or Cancer & Delirium?
JT: The songs all came in generally the same way, I didn’t change my process in any marked way.

SD: Does anything feel different this time around as you get closer to the release date for Year in the Kingdom?
JT: No. I’m looking forward to the tours, because I’m excited about the live versions, but my albums all tend to perform in pretty much the same way.

SD: What’s your take on playing or recording solo as opposed to as a member of a group? Is either more rewarding, enjoyable, challenging?
JT: They’re both all the things you listed in very different capacities. Obviously I have a very different role in both.

SD: What are you listening to these days?
JT: Kinks, John Coltrane Africa/Brass, King Tuff Was Dead.

MP3s:

From Year in the Kingdom:

From Vacilando Territory Blues:

From Tillman’s SXSW Daytrotter session:

Other: