Father John Misty Premieres Pure Comedy on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters

Tomorrow, April 7th, acclaimed singer/songwriter Father John Misty will premiere his new album, Pure Comedy, (Sub Pop) on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. During the show, KEXP will also air an exclusive conversation between the artist and Waters. Between noon and 2PM PST, listeners will get a glimpse into Father John Misty’s creative process and experience Pure Comedy in its entirety for the first time.

Waters chalks Friday’s unique opportunity up to the longstanding goodwill that exists between KEXP and the singer. “I think the real key to it is the genuine friendship and care that we feel for him,” she explains. “We are in his corner, and he feels and appreciates that. We’ve been there from the beginning.” Indeed, Father John Misty’s relationship with KEXP dates to his J. Tillman days. In 2007, Tillman performed live for the first time at the station and KEXP has championed the prolific artist for even longer.

Father John Misty’s onstage charisma, enigmatic persona, and observational and melodic gifts have earned him a passionate fan base. Consequence of Sound describes Pure Comedy as “a beautiful album about how mankind doomed itself,” and MOJO declares the anticipated release is “quite some trip and one that lifts Father John Misty to another level altogether.”

At 21, Josh Tillman left New York City for Seattle where his songwriting caught the ear of Damien Jurado, who eventually took him on tour. Following a string of solo records, Tillman debuted his new persona Father John Misty with the 2012 release Fear Fun (Sub Pop).

Waters remembers speaking with the singer around that time: “I did one of Josh’s first –it might have been the first– radio interviews as Father John Misty and it was really memorable. People tell me all the time that they go back and re-watch the video of that KEXP session.” Since then, Father John Misty’s profile has continued to grow. He has received accolades from venerable sources like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone and his upcoming North American tour dates include an appearance at the Coachella Festival.

Cheryl Waters has been a DJ at KEXP since 1994. As the On-Air Events Coordinator at the station, Waters also books the artists that perform at the KEXP live in-studio performances, live remote broadcasts, and KEXP events. Her knowledge of and passion for music, both cutting edge and classic, is evident in her diverse shows. Waters was the music critic for Seattle NPR station KUOW for over 10 years.

With a willingness to challenge his growing audience and uncompromising approach to both music and media, Tillman has cemented himself as a cultural provocateur. KEXP is pleased to present this exclusive block of programming devoted to Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy.