Tune-Yards (stylized as tUnE-yArDs) is the

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

–based music project of Merrill Garbus (vocals, various instruments) and Nate Brenner (bass, various instruments). Garbus's music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and uses elements such as

loop pedal Live looping is the recording and playback of a piece of music in real-time using either dedicated hardware devices, called loopers or phrase samplers, or software running on a computer with an audio interface. Musicians can loop with either loop ...

s, ukulele, vocals, and lo-fi percussion. Tune-Yards’ 2011 album ''

Whokill ''Whokill'' (stylized as ''w h o k i l l'') is the second full-length release by Merrill Garbus' project Tune-Yards. It was released on 4AD Records on April 19, 2011. It was the number one album of 2011 on '' The Village Voice's'' annual Pazz ...

'' was ranked the number one album of that year in ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

's'' annual Pazz and Jop critics’ poll. The album ''

Nikki Nack ''Nikki Nack'' is the third album by American band Tune-Yards, released by 4AD in May 2014. On March 3, 2014, singer Merril Garbus posted a two-and-a-half-minute megamix of tracks from the album on her website, thanking fans for "your suppor ...

'' was released in 2014, with its first single, "Water Fountain", being picked up by

Google Pixel Google Pixel is a brand of portable Consumer electronics, consumer electronic devices developed by Google that run either ChromeOS or the Pixel version of the Android (operating system), Android operating system. The main line of Pixel products ...

in 2016 for an advertising campaign. The album '' I Can Feel You Creep into My Private Life'' was released in January 2018. At the same time, Tune-Yards provided an atmospheric score for the sci-fi film '' Sorry to Bother You''. The duo released their fifth studio album, '' Sketchy'', in 2021 and their sixth studio album, ''Better Dreaming'', in 2025.

History and work

Born in 1979, Garbus was raised in New York City and in

New Canaan, Connecticut New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. About an hour from New York City by train, the town ...

.Mark Richardson
"Interviews: tUnE-yArDs"
''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'', April 25, 2011. She attended

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

. She was a

puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object called a puppet to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the ...

for the Sandglass Theater in VermontByard Duncan
"Merrill Garbus' Road to Fame"
, ''

The Bay Citizen The Bay Citizen was a non-profit news organization covering the San Francisco Bay Area. It was founded as the Bay Area News Project in January 2010 with money provided by Warren Hellman's Hellman Family Foundation. On May 26, 2010 the organizati ...

'', April 20, 2012. and lived in Montreal where she played ukulele in the band Sister Suvi with guitarist Patrick Gregoire and drummer Nico Dann. Merrill's sister Ruth Garbus is also a musician who has played solo and in the band Happy Birthday. After releasing her first Tune-Yards album in 2008, she moved to Oakland, where her partner in Tune-Yards, Nate Brenner, also lives. The first Tune-Yards album, '' Bird-Brains'' (stylized as ''BiRd-BrAiNs'') was originally self-released by Garbus on recycled cassette tape. It was recorded using only a handheld voice recorder. A limited edition vinyl was released in June 2009, via the

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

-based imprint Marriage Records. In July 2009, it was announced that Tune-Yards had signed to 4AD, and a limited edition pressing of ''Bird-Brains'' was released on August 17, 2009. A full worldwide release followed on November 16, 2009 (and November 17 in North America). The autumn 2009 pressing was remastered at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

by Christian Wright, and includes two new bonus tracks: "Want Me To" and "Real Live Flesh." A second album, ''

'' (stylized as ''w h o k i l l''), was released on April 19, 2011. A single from it, "Bizness", came out in February 2011. It was produced by Garbus and engineered by Eli Crews at New, Improved Studios in Oakland. Applying the live approach to Garbus' studio work for the first time, Garbus works with bass player Nate Brenner, who co-wrote some of the album's songs. Comparing the act to

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

, Frontier Psychiatrist said, "if Bird-Brains was Garbus' '' Evol'', a record bursting with musical ideas that attempted to subvert the notion of song, ''who kill'' is Garbus' ''

Sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to ref ...

'', a record that embraces the traditional pop song as a vehicle to convey those ideas." The album as well as singles "Bizness" and "Gangsta" received mention on many top 2011 album and song lists, including ''Time'', ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', ''Spin'', and ''

the New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. In early 2012, the Village Voice's annual " Pazz and Jop" poll of critics named

the No. 1 album of 2011. The song "Fiya" is featured on a 2010 commercial for the Blackberry Torch, while the song "Gangsta" has been used in the television shows ''

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'', ''

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'', ''

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'' and ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...

'' and the song "Bizness" was used in Season 3 of '' Transparent''. Garbus started recording material for her third LP during the latter half of 2013, with a working title of ''Sink-o''. A May 6, 2014 release date was later announced with the title ''

''. The album spawned three singles, including "Water Fountain", which was featured in the soundtrack for

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...

video game

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as well as in a 2016 commercial for the

. A fourth album was released on January 19, 2018, called '' I Can Feel You Creep into My Private Life''. The album showed more of an electronic influence. The single "Look at Your Hands" was released earlier, in October 2017, followed by "Heart Attack" in January. The Tune-Yards scored the satiric science fiction film '' Sorry to Bother You'' (2018). The film was shown at Sundance in January, then began a theatrical run in July. Its soundtrack songs are performed by

the Coup The Coup is an American hip hop band from Oakland, California. Their music is an amalgamation of influences, including funk, punk, hip hop, and soul. Frontman Boots Riley's revolutionarily-charged lyrics rank The Coup as a renowned politica ...

, fronted by the film's director,

Boots Riley Raymond Lawrence "Boots" Riley (born April 1, 1971) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, rapper, and communist activist. He is the lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. He made his feature-film directorial ...

. Riley said he started working with Tune-Yards in "early 2015" to create the film's score, with demo tracks already available before the script was complete, and before the start of principal photography. Riley said he was attracted to Garbus's voice, and to the band's "unorthodox use of percussion and vocal layering." Garbus also composed the theme music for ''

The New Yorker Radio Hour ''The New Yorker Radio Hour'' is a radio show and podcast produced by ''The New Yorker'' and WNYC Studios. It is hosted by David Remnick, who has been editor of ''The New Yorker'' since 1998. The first episode of ''The New Yorker Radio Hour'' ...

''. In 2021, Tune-Yards appeared as the opening performance for

Google I/O Google I/O, or simply I/O, is an annual developer conference held by Google in Mountain View, California. The name "I/O" is taken from the number googol, with the "I" representing the first digit "1" in a googol and the "O" representing the s ...

with Artificial Intelligence powered vocal accompaniment.

Members

*Merrill Garbus – vocals,

ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...

, percussion (2006–present) *Nate Brenner – bass guitar (2009–present) ;Touring members *Hamir Atwal – percussion (I can feel you creep into my private life tour, Sketchy tour) *Noah Bernstein – saxophone (whokill tour) *Haley Dekle - percussion, vocals (Nikki Nack tour) *Kasey Knudsen – saxophone (whokill tour) *Jo Lampert – vocals (Nikki Nack tour) *Dani Markham – percussion, vocals (Nikki Nack tour) *Matt Nelson – saxophone (whokill tour) *Abigail Nessen-Bengson – vocals (Nikki Nack tour) * Moira Smiley – vocals (Nikki Nack tour)

Discography

Studio albums

Soundtracks

EPs

*''Bird-Droppings'' (November 3, 2009, 4AD, EAD2938) US-only download EP *''...creep... Remixes'' (October 31, 2018, 4AD, 4AD0127DS) Download-only EP

Singles

Guest appearances

Citay Citay is an American, San Francisco-based band currently released on Dead Oceans. The band was formed in 2004 by Ezra Feinberg as a studio project with Tim Green from The Fucking Champs, and some help from others. There is now a live band inclu ...

– "Mirror Kisses" from ''Dream Get Together'' (January 26, 2010,

Dead Oceans Dead Oceans, Inc., is an American independent record label founded in 2006 and based in Bloomington, Indiana. History On June 30, 2006, Phil Waldorf founded Dead Oceans with Chris Swanson. Swanson suggested the name Dead Oceans, which came fro ...

) * Afuche – "Danice Marino" from '' Highly Publicized Digital Boxing Match'' (May 21, 2011,

Cuneiform Records Cuneiform Records is a record label in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded in 1984, the label releases a mixture of musical styles, all with a Rock in Opposition aesthetic, including progressive jazz, jazz fusion, the Canterbury scene, and electron ...

) *Elephant & Castle – "En Memoria" from ''Transitions'' (March 27, 2012, Plug Research) *

Preservation Hall Jazz Band The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a New Orleans jazz band founded in New Orleans by tuba player Allan Jaffe in the early 1960s. The band derives its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. In 2005, the Hall's doors were closed for a ...

– "Careless Love" from ''St. Peter & 57th St.'' (September 25, 2012,

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts, by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by A ...

) * The Blind Boys of Alabama – "I've Been Searching" from ''I'll Find a Way'' (October 1, 2013, Sony Masterworks) *

Battles (band) Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City by Ian Williams (musician), Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress). The current line-up is a duo, composed of guitarist/keyboardist Williams ...

– "Last Supper On Shasta Pt 1 / Pt 2" from '' Juice B Crypts'' (October 16, 2019,

Warp (record label) Warp Records is a British independent record label that specialises in Electronic music, electronic, indie rock and experimental music. It was founded in Sheffield in 1989 by Steve Beckett, Robert Mitchell and Robert Gordon. It has released recor ...

)

Productions

* Thao &

Mirah Mirah (born Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn) is an American musician and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. After getting her start in the music scene of Olympia, Washington, in the late 1990s, she released a number of well-received solo albums on ...

– '' Thao + Mirah'' (April 26, 2011,

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...

) *

Latyrx Latyrx ( ) is an American alternative hip-hop duo composed of Lateef and Lyrics Born. The duo originated from the Solesides collective at the University of California, Davis. History The founding members of SoleSides, including DJ Shadow and ...

– "Deliberate Jibberish" and "Watershed Moment" from '' The Second Album'' (November 5, 2013, Latyramid) * Thao & the Get Down Stay Down – '' A Man Alive'' (March 4, 2016, Ribbon Music) *Sonny & the Sunsets – Moods Baby Moods (May 27, 2016,

Polyvinyl In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Examples Vinyl polymers are ...

)

Compilation appearances

*"Powa" from ''4AD Sessions 2008–2011'' (September 20, 2011,

4AD 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of th ...

) *"Bizness" from ''Modern Songbirds: The Most Incredible Female Singers'' (April 20, 2012,

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

) *"Bizness" from ''Studio Brussel Selected Live Sessions'' (April 21, 2012,

Studio Brussel Studio Brussel is a Dutch-speaking radio station in Belgium, owned by the VRT. The music played is considered more alternative than the other big radio stations, and is aimed mainly at a youth audience. The channel is an initiative of the Fle ...

) *"Lady" from ''Red Hot + Fela'' (June 1, 2012,

Knitting Factory Records Knitting Factory Records is an indie music, independent American music label that is notable for promoting a variety of artists, including the music of deceased Nigerian political activist Fela Kuti. The label promotes a variety of music artist ...

) *"Riotriot" from ''Rough Trade Shops: Green Man '12'' (July 30, 2012,

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...

)

Notes

References

External links

Tune-Yards' official website
*
Tune-Yards' profile on 4AD's website
{{Authority control 4AD artists Lo-fi music groups Afrobeat musical groups One-man bands American feminist musicians American experimental musical groups Musical groups established in 2006 American rhythm and blues musical groups Art pop musicians