Tullycraft. The best little band you’ve never heard of. It’s hard to not be in a good mood listening to their music. Twee. Music for the tween’ers. Halfway between the teen years and adulthood, or is it halfway between childhood and the teen years? What does the Urban Dictionary say? If you don’t like to click on links and just read, it’s for girls aged 9-14, that demographic. So I see what music appeals to me a 51 year old ‘burb dad. Yeah, that’s right. I like the music tween girls like, like Billie Ellish, Tullycraft. It’s okay, I own it.
Tullycraft checks all my boxes. Clever witty obscure pop reference lyrics. Songwriting that is sing-a-along goodness. Backing (and sometimes in the front) female vocals. Harmonies, overlaid vocals like old school R.E.M. or the Beach Boys with singing almost in rounds. Catchy choruses, clever stanzas, underground cred….it seems no one else knows of them or listens to them outisde of my boys and I. That alone, should never be the appeal if you like music or not, but for me, it helps. It’s like your own little private discovery you hesitate to share with the world because they may just become….egads, popular. Upbeat fun, poppy but with a punk undertone. Portland cool band. Love it.
Why does this band and their music make me happy? I think I’ve shared how music has this power to take you back to a place and time. Tullycraft puts my family squarely in a rental car on the Greece Isle of Santorini, driving across the island from just visiting the highest point mountain where there is some type of governmental station on top with a weather station, attenaes, and of course a monastary of the Prophet Elias.
As we drove across the island, everyone seemed happy. We listened to Tullycraft’s Lost in Light Rotation. Not even halfway through the song the whole family was shouting, “Ray Gun, Ray Gun!” I tried to sing backing vocals, not well, but I loved it. And we listened to that Tullycraft Twee, song after song until we arrived at our next destination. That was a great vacation where we all connected. It reminded me of times on our 2-3 week car trip vacations across America, Mexico, Canada, 6 people in a car with nothing to do but drive, talk, read historical signs, buy and eat peaches, and sleep in Motel 6’s or out in the open over the North San Fran bay.
There is no substitute for family. Fight for it. Those people are with you throughout life. It’s worth the time to love…even if it’s tough at times. And always, always, always, listen to Twee.
ZandMe's 999 Good Things 