GUITAR POP JOURNAL x GONZO! 10.10.24
In Collaboration with Guitar Pop Journal Vol.4:
Star Power with Pop Sensibility: Billy Tibbals
By Justin Murphy
Star power is rarely witnessed nowadays. The dominance of corporate-controlled radio and pop culture’s inescapable addiction to social media has turned what once was unpredictable and thrilling into a safer pop-centric sound with not much to offer. Where frontman-driven acts have become a thing of the past, Billy Tibbals is the exception. As many artists shy away from flamboyancy, Tibbals embraces it, keeping the spirit of rock and roll alive.
Tibbals, a shy kid growing up with a broad interest in the arts, found his first inspiration in Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He would come to play various instruments but he started on the trumpet obsessing over Louis Armstrong. As he grew older, he was drawn to the ‘60s British Invasion, specifically the Beatles and the Beach Boys. At the same time, he became fascinated with underground music icons, such as Genesis P-Orridge of Psychic TV.
In 2014 he moved from England to the U.S. with his family at 12 years old. This mix of English and American sensibility would be helpful to his songwriting and artistic development. Around high school, he began vinyl hunting more consistently. As he collected more records, he became acquainted with many like-minded people sharing a love for music.
Once in Hollywood, he began to write and record music with the intent to start the rock and roll scene he always dreamt of. Tibbals began a DIY approach to recording songs with GarageBand on his mom’s computer. This is where he learned the basics of recording, mixing, and editing. After a while, he moved on to various cassette multitracks and reel-to-reel tapes.
Now accustomed to life in the States, he would come to know avant-garde luminaries and music industry veterans. Brent Rademaker of Curation Records first met Tibbals hanging around Uni Boys. They were raving about an acoustic set he performed at a park. After hearing some demos and being impressed with his songs, Rademaker went to watch Tibbals’ first concert and afterward invited him for a release with Curation.
Tibbals recorded and released the 7” debut single, “Onwards and Upwards,” in December of 2022. The A-Side is a solid foundation for his music career, an upbeat and punchy tune with the guitar recalling the Records’ “Starry Eyes” accompanied by Tibbals’ youthful and charming vocal. "Lucy," the B-side, is exceptionally creative in its composition and narrative. At the time, the 4-piece was reminiscent of a glamorous ‘70s proto-punk band with an androgynous frontman. The Berlin Brats is a group that comes to mind when thinking of the band’s initial lineup as Tibbals notes, “I think in the beginning the live band had a real rough around the edges, rowdy charm to it.”
When he introduced himself to the Los Angeles crowd, he was well received. It’s important to note the fine line between bands inspired by the rock acts of the '60s and '70s and those shaping the future of rock and roll. For example, while Greta Van Fleet is often criticized for leaning too heavily on a single band’s influence, other groups manage to draw from an entire era, crafting an original sound that pays homage to a decade without simply copying one band’s style. This approach shows respect for the music of the past without becoming overly fixated on a particular sound or image. Though opinions may vary, discerning between bands that are genuinely inspired and those that are merely derivative is essential. Bands like the Lemon Twigs and Foxygen exemplify how to do this right.
Chris Robinson, the renowned singer of the Black Crowes, also runs his very own record label called Silver Arrow Records. Tibbals and Robinson met at Gold Diggers Bar in Los Angeles and Tibbals ended up sending a couple of demos he’d been working on. Robinson quickly identified his talent and took over management, sending Tibbals on an enormous two-month national tour in early 2023. This helped build his fandom from LA to all parts of the United States as the Billy Tibbals Band dressed fabulously performing nightly. It took no time to see that there would be a future for him on the stage as much as the studio.
After the successful run of his first big tour, his first EP Stay Teenage was released in April 2023. With this, you could start to appreciate the top-tier conceptuality, songwriting skills, and strong visual identity—Alain Kan meets Milk ‘N’ Cookies or Brett Smiley meets the Quick. At this point, the various influences are impressively esoteric. The confidence, image, and sound are interlaced with the elements of an artist with the pursuit of expression and a coming-of-age narrative. It’s fascinating to hear the British accent sporadically. (Sometime during the 1950s, a trend emerged among British pop singers emulating the singing styles of popular American singers. Tibbals takes no part in this fetishization of wanting to “sound American.”)
Following the release of Stay Teenage, he took time to further strengthen his sound and image playing a multitude of shows with other intriguing LA acts and its environs sharing a common interest in musical outlook. He would go on to host a residency at Monty Bar in LA playing weekly and making further acquaintance with the in-crowd (or generating the latest in-crowd).
His big moment came when he went on tour with the Black Crowes in April of 2024, playing five massive concerts across America— the biggest shows he’s played thus far. The Greek Theatre in LA is a 5,900 capacity venue and it sold out, delivering a climactic moment when Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones came out to join the Black Crowes.
Nightlife Stories is the subsequent EP released in April 2024 again under Silver Arrow Records. This time, Tibbals showcases a distinctively wide-ranging vocal and the group’s overall dynamic has become even tighter producing an aggressive yet appealing collection. Five of the six songs are propulsive with raw power and conclude with an epic harmonious ballad. When listening to this EP, pay special attention to “I’ll Die.” It encompasses everything you’d want in a song and I believe it to be one of the best of the modern rock and roll age.
Two great music videos were created to accompany the EP. “Dream Away,” directed by Fred Joseph, is outstanding. Fred used a vintage broadcast tube camera with an aesthetic inspired by classical musical performance television like Musikladen or Top of the Pops. He is currently one of LA’s most sought-after video producers and the video is an achievement of ethereal nostalgia. Additionally, “Burn Out!,” directed by Redamo Rosa, contrasts the former and heightens the song to a new level with a dynamic and gripping action-packed visual. The music videos are a plus and I hope that continues as it brings a different aspect for fans to enjoy.
Tibbals has plenty to offer as he is only 22 years old. His first full-length LP is in the works and he believes it to be the best thing yet. Currently, the ‘live’ Billy Tibbals Band consists of Noah Nash (guitar, backing vocals), Michael Cipoletti (bass), Arthur Fitch (drums), and Aden Capps (guitar, keys)—Nash, Cipoletti and Fitch are also members of Uni Boys. The Billy Tibbals Band are getting ready to hit the big-time playing Evolution Festival in St. Louis with the Killers and Beck headlining. Also, over in Spain, the group is scheduled to play Funtastic Dracula Carnival which is one of the hotter festivals among rock and roll enthusiasts.
Billy Tibbals’ strongest suit is his ability to tell a story through his music and perform theatrically to the audience, a lost art. I believe his music is likely to transcend to future generations as the best forms of art are always timeless. It’s important that a current and younger musician is in support of quality and attention to details to the standards of the past. Rock and roll needs to push back out from a legacy genre and become a force to be reckoned with in the now. Tibbals may be the catalyst to that and create a domino effect for real rock and roll music.