Sister Castle Theater's whimsical, elegant tenderness of "Rome" feels like love (Official Video)

Photograph by Alex Johnson

Rome is the debut single from Sister Castle Theater, the musical project of singer-songwriter, producer Tyler Tholl. For years he was part of the Minneapolis collective, Maple & Beech, making lush art pop. Within Si Sister Castle Theater ster Castle Theater, Tholl creates simple beautiful songs on the old family piano that he used as a kid. The Official Video for Rome is imbued with the songs whimsical and tender nature. It made me think, in some ways, of Harry Nilsson, John Lennon, Brian Wilson and Gumby (and Pokey). Rome with it's elegant and ultimately classic presence infused with 60's Brit Pop and American Chamber pop tones feels like love. The lyrics with the ups and downs of romance, of how the brilliance of one person can absolutely change the other into a better person, resonate deeply.

"I was a good-guy huckster stuck without a con
A tenor in the choir that couldn’t sing out loud
A two-faced liar seeking honest love"

and later:

"You turned me around, now we’re building a home 
And filling it up with stills from long ago
Growing a garden of nights and of mornings
And it goes on
And it goes on
On and on"

The Sister Castle Theater EP, "Piano Songs", which will be released later this year and I look forward to owning it. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

https://sistercastletheater.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sistercastl... 

https://www.facebook.com/sistercastle...

Sister Castle Theater is the moniker of producer Tyler Tholl. In late 2019, after years of making maximalist artpop with Minneapolis collective Maple & Beech, Tholl began writing simple songs on his old family piano, the same instrument he used as a kid. The music was similar in spirit to that which he wrote in junior high - easy melodies, direct lyrics, unadorned arrangements - but informed by the 33-year-old’s life experience. Those songs make up the debut Sister Castle Theater EP, Piano Songs, which will be released later this year.

ROME:

PERSONNEL

All music written, performed, recorded, and mixed by Tyler Tholl except:

Pedal steel by Zack Warpinski

LYRICS

I was a backseat driver scared to steer my head clean

Like a state speech champ too afraid to speak

I didn’t know who I was or where to be

And it went on

And it went on

On and on

I was a good-guy huckster stuck without a con

A tenor in the choir that couldn’t sing out loud

A two-faced liar seeking honest love

And it went on

And it went on

On and on




You turned me around, now we’re building a home

And filling it up with stills from long ago

Growing a garden of nights and of mornings

And it goes on

And it goes on

On and on

Wherever else we go

We’ll still be running around Rome

Wherever else we go

We’ll still be running together

Throughout every iteration

Despite every dumb point of view

Even though my lacking conversation

Embarrassess me and you

We’re building up our house of past lives

I hold each one a little too tight

And it goes on

And it goes on

On and on