Artist Spotlight: TILT, Hardcore’s Newest Hard Hitter, Unleashes “Bleeder”

With performances at just about every local hotspot, TILT stands firm as a next hardcore ‘one-to-watch.’ The group’s newest single, “Bleeder,” coincides with the band’s move toward perpetuity.

Written by Rachel Joy Thomas

Design by Fiona Randazzo

TILT, one of Austin’s newest punk outfits, has catapulted itself to the forefront of scene kids’ minds within a matter of months. The emotive band’s discography, with only one EP alongside both old and new singles, almost trademarks itself in its distinction. Each track juxtaposes frontman Josh Pelletier’s unique, recognizable wail with his bandmates’ heavier musings, underpinned by a crackly backline.

During a particularly high-caliber performance at Chess Club’s Oct. 22 Halloween Spectacular, the hardcore quartet leaned into its loop pedals, riffing, and fuzzed, amped-up delivery. TILT approached the venue’s narrow stage at 9:06 p.m. for a brief but kaleidoscopic 47-minute set, breaking many audience members away from idle Twisted Tea sips and into sonic release.

Mason Buchanan, the band’s drummer, slammed his drumsticks into the kit while smiling in full zombie makeup, fitted with sunken painted eye-sockets. The band’s bassist, Will Chassaing, thundered through no-nonsense basslines for tracks like “Right Man.”

Lead singer and born-again maverick Pelletier tuned his guitar while singing the beginning notes to the slumbering “Hey There,” introducing the intimate crowd to the band’s more hypnotic side. A mellow reprieve lasted for its three-minute runtime before going full throttle again. Buchanan added more and more dynamism with each passing stroke on his drum kit, letting every other band member follow his lead.

Guitarist-turned-cowboy Carson Caldwell gravitated toward the band’s chaotic rumblings, plucking his guitar’s strings against Chess Club’s ceiling, riding out his loop pedals' regurgitated reverb while canoodling his instrument against hard concrete. Dissonant waves crashed against ears, mightily bouncing across the small venue’s walls. Each sound packed a unique and frazzled punch, especially during tracks like “While We’re On It.”

The band’s forte for live showmanship comes from its easy synchronicity and stage presence. Every member held a certain visceral intensity. Pelletier appeared periodically enraged, forcefully projecting poisonous refrains into the microphone in one moment before switching to a softer melodic tone. At the same time, Caldwell physically reeled his body forward and backward from the force of invisible waves. Meanwhile, Buchanan smiled for a few moments before returning to his inner jam session, and Chaissang remained fixated on his bass strings. In total, every band member’s intensity heightened against the stage’s blue strobe lights, only turning off after their performance.

When discussing their origins at Red River’s Side Bar, the group came across as extremely easy-going — amiable, sincere, and willing to crack occasional jokes about their music tastes.

At first, Pelletier shared the group’s not-so-mysterious origin story, but other bandmates quipped and added to the conversation over time. After moving to Austin from Nashville, TILT’s now-lead vocalist met fellow band member Caldwell during a Nominee show at Sunny’s Backyard. The former English teacher had been looking for a new band since his move, so he asked people around the scene whether they played music. During that fateful night, Pelletier’s musical litmus test finally clicked in place with a candidate.

“I asked him if he played guitar, and he said yes,” Pelletier simply expressed. The two talked for a while, connecting instantly.

A week later, he asked Chassaing the exact same question at a Giant Dog show, where Caldwell happened to work a merch table. After adding Chassaing to the mix, the rock outfit realized it needed a fourth member. The initial members posted Craigslist ads in an attempt to find suitable drummers but found their first stroke of bad luck.

They ran into a plethora of nice people who didn’t quite fit. They struggled to find a drummer who followed the post-hardcore sound they were going for, and ultimately had difficulty spotting someone who synergized with the band. A similar conundrum to that of Nirvana, every single person from online ads turned into Chad Channings. It ultimately took an in-person connection for the band to find its ‘goldilocks’ drummer. Caldwell had previously made random music with Buchanan, a coworker from his day job at a local tattoo shop. That familiarity led to Buchanan’s addition, finally locking TILT — a former name Pelletier had used in Nashville for his music — into place.

Some listeners may wonder why the foursome chose  Pelletier’s first band name pick, but for the other band members, it was a natural choice. “TILT” stood out still despite being a more popular band name across the U.S — Nostalgic, classic, upper-cased, and punk — it came with a plethora of pre-existing material and back catalogs of Pelletier’s work. The emotive shrieker’s tracks could easily end up on setlists, giving the band an edge away from creating new content or relegating to covers.

Despite throwing around a few more ideas, TILT stuck more than anything else. So, the band forayed into live performance at venues like The Rio Market, Sunny’s Backyard, and of course, Chess Club.

The punk drummer’s introduction brought forth a positive momentum, immediately changing the tone of jam sessions. His hard-hitting rhythms perfectly matched Pelletier’s emphatic vocals, taking songs like “Right Man” and evolving them further with dynamism and “oomph.”

Live performances denoted heavy practice sessions, which helped develop the group’s next phase. Pelletier initially took on most production and technical duties, but as the band jammed together more , it became apparent that every member had a knack for different elements of songwriting.

Caldwell easily writes riffs, and Chassaing’s groove lies in clever chord progressions. Buchanan lays out steady beats to help transform improvised jam sessions into fully thought-out ideas. The Austin quartet doesn’t have a set songwriter or even a “Lennon-McCartney.” Instead, all members add a different element that cooks together, formulating one big idea. Each band member brings their artistic inspirations to the songwriting table, with their varying tastes culminating in more well-rounded singles.

Buchanan, who’s slightly older than his bandmates, benefits through his understanding of emo’s origins. His sonic influences, mainly from ’90s bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Creed, help draw out classic fills and punkish flams. Caldwell and Pelletier grew up on somewhat similar music diets, enjoying Title Fight and Tiger’s Jaw. Caldwell, however, adds a plethora of “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” soundtrack artists to his music profile, along with records from Agent Orange and The Misfits. In a similar vein, Will also had an affinity for the Tony Hawk Skater soundtrack, with an ever increasing lean into punk. “I don't know how old I was, but that stuff was in my DNA,” he added. His musical appetite broadened with age but always included the classic punk buffet, along with the varying genres encompassing the different acts he joined.

The group’s varying but overlapping taste means they can suggest listening to each other's influences, eventually leading to subtle hints of inspiration. Pelletier, when discussing influences, footnoted the conversations that start from sharing new music: “I think one of the most fun things about this group is [the recommendations] we give each other. There are bands I never would have come across if Will hadn't recommended this band or, like, Mason hadn't recommended something from his corner of the universe or Carson [from his]. I feel like that’s been influencing our songwriting and how we’re gelling as musicians.”

Those influences, though a small cog in TILT’s songwriting process, played a role in recent single “Bleeder,” which reflects the band’s future in every riff and bite. Caldwell’s Touché Amoré phase heavily influenced the track’s overarching tenderness, and Pelletier and Chassaing eventually created the song’s outro. Its release on Nov. 23 this year also marked the first time each band member had songwriting credits on Spotify.

With the addition of four minds interlaced on upcoming tracks, the songs evolve the band’s vision just a bit more. Its heavier hardcore sound melds contemporary rock with a classic 2000s emo edge in a beautiful harmony. The song’s post-hardcore overlay and concurrent mixing feel sharp and focused. Featuring twinkling slams into the hit-hat with a throaty snare, it crisply matches Pelletier’s vocals with equal rhythmic fanfare.

“[The new songs are darker] melodically, but also lyrically. The atmosphere of the songs is heavier.” Pelletier added, referring to an additional unannounced single. “Even with both of the new songs, I feel like they have chunks and sections that are really pretty, and that prettiness is heavy.”

The band’s tour with Mt. Grey cemented TILT’s first step toward future music domination. Playing as the opening act alongside Ritual, Tied Up, and the titular headliner, the lineup attracted a sizable Parish crowd. As the first tour date since “Bleeder” debuted on streaming services, TILT presented the oozing track on a silver platter. Enthusiasm held high as Pelletier graveled through lower sections and raised his voice for impressive peaks. He moved around the stage while strumming away at his guitar, barrelling near Caldwell as Chaissang, ever focused, continued plucking away at his bass strings. The group finished off its shimmering indoor set at Parish with fortuity, smiling at the concert’s solid end.

The future isn’t fully defined for TILT yet, but for the most part, the four-piece enjoys performing together more than anything else. The band’s current goals — to figure out its songwriting strategy and continue making music together — look bright.

“It's kind of self fulfilling. We know it's gonna be fun. We know it's gonna put us in front of cool people. At the end of the day, we're getting a band with our boys, and that's the success you can control.” Caldwell said.

With its evergreen, punk-adjacent sound and increasingly hardcore influence, TILT continues to impress those who catch its local shows. Completing its first Texas tour with more concerts soon to be announced, the quartet has hit the nail of scene music on its head. Subtle strides turn into homeruns as more and more people “tilt what they feel.”