Grant Tilly is a singer/songwriter, actor and composer originally from Calgary now making his home in Toronto. His music is a blend of acoustic-driven folk and roots music that unites disarmingly honest lyrics with razor-sharp wit. Tilly’s unique background of storytelling through both theatre and music has drawn attention from coast to coast, with performances on stages from Victoria to Halifax.
Some highlights of Tilly’s music and performance resume include having his darkly comic folk/pop song “My God’s Better than Your God,” from his debut album Before My Eyes, aired on CBC Alberta’s In The Key of A. “My God’s Better than Your God” has subsequently received national airplay on various CBC programs and campus radio. Tilly has performed the poignant and comedic material of Before My Eyes at such notable Canadian venues as the Cameron House (Toronto), the Opera House (Toronto), the Engineered Air Theatre (Calgary), and the Beat Niq Jazz and Social Club (Calgary). His musical style has been described by The Toronto Star as, “Grant Tilly knows how to write country rock, not cheap parody.”
As an actor, Tilly recently performed in the national premiere production of Jersey Boys, which included a televised New Years Eve performance as a lead singer to a live crowd of thousands at Nathan Phillips Square. Tilly’s extensive resume as a musical theatre actor includes West Side Story (Arts Club, Vancouver), Damn Yankees (Stage West Calgary), Footloose (Broadway North, Prince Albert), the national Premier of Bat Boy (Bathurst Street Theatre, Toronto) and the leading role in Somewhere in the World (Charlottetown Festival). As a writer, Tilly’s country/rock fringe show, The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee, for which he wrote music and lyrics, was voted “The Best of Fringe” in 2008 and was remounted in 2010 at Talk is Free Theatre. NOW magazine said this show was “inspired songwriting” and The Globe and Mail said this show was “a crowd-pleasing country rock musical.”
Tilly’s newest project is the recording of his second CD, World Keeps Passing By. This album is a departure from his debut CD that reflects his growth as an artist and a performer. Elements of this include delving into a more roots-based, bluegrass style, laying bare Tilly’s more authentic and connected lyrical journey. As well, his use of tongue-in-cheek lyrics combined with melancholy and traditional folk/roots instrumental choices serve to reveal a wiser, more mature sound while maintaining a “twinkle in the eye” signature of Tilly’s style.