Photo Credits to Rocketeerboyy
Few bands encapsulate the raw, genre-blurring energy of modern Thai indie-pop quite like Tilly Birds. With their soul-stirring melodies, introspective lyrics, and a sound that oscillates between dreamy acoustics and electrifying alt-rock, the trio—Third, Milo, and Billy
From viral hits like Just Being Friendly to their deeply personal album It’s Gonna Be OK, Tilly Birds have become synonymous with vulnerability, growth, and the universal language of emotion.
In this exclusive interview, with the band to unravel their creative process, the stories behind their most iconic tracks, and how they’re staying true to their roots. Plus, a heartfelt message to their devoted Philippine fanbase, who’ve turned their music into a cross-cultural bridge.
Stay tuned as we dive into their world, one chord and confession at a time.
How did the three of you meet, and what inspired you to form Tilly Birds?
Billy: So, Third and I, we met in middle school. It was more than 10 years ago. We were 13 back then, but our musical fusion thingy didn’t take off until we were like 15. And then fast forward to when we were 18. Third went to college and met Milo and two other members. And then I think that at that point is when the Tilly bird was formed.
The name “Tilly Birds” feels playful yet meaningful. What’s the story behind it?
Third: So, we were struggling with names Billy and I, and Billy’s sister Sandy, suggested Tilly Birds is just switching the letters between the names “Billy and Third”, that’s all and Milo and other members agreed. Luckily
How do your individual musical backgrounds (Billy, Third, Milo) influence the band’s sound?
Billy: That’s a very tough question to answer, because this has so many details, but for me, personally, I would say, I like lately, in the our second album, like the music composition and the mix seems to be tighter and like more groovy and more like danceable.
Milo: yeah, every song is just like us combined. Everyone is combined in any kind of process.
Your songs blend all rock energy with pop hooks. How do you balance these game genres while staying authentic?
Billy: I think that’s two different questions for us. I would say like combining rock, just putting raw energy and just like, some rebellious energy into it, which I think we always do from time to time. But staying authentic is more like we are enjoying ourselves. We like what we do.
Third: Yeah, it’s, that feeling okay, we got it, but if it’s not that, then we just keep trying, or we just keep changing things, or we just keep adjusting the songs until we feel that we like it..
Many of your lyrics explore themes of love, longing and self reflection. What inspires your songwriting?
Third: So, most of the songs are based on true stories or the stories that I actually face or hear from others that inspire me, inspire the band to write.
It’s not exactly all of my stories but
Billy would pop up his computer and just let his imagination flow, and then we got the music for the lyrics to write. So we have many processes when the lyrics come in.
How do you approach writing songs in Thai versus English? Do you feel language shapes the emotion of a track?
Billy: Definitely, In English, the bar has been raised countless times, making it challenging to discern a clear trajectory. Thai, on the other hand, offers a wealth of unexplored potential. But the challenge there is the opposite: how do we ensure these explorations sound natural and authentic? Thai can feel like a ‘closed game’ with stricter linguistic boundaries, while English operates more like an ‘open game’—flexible and ever-evolving.
Third:
To finish within the deadline. It was a bit rushed, but due to covid, we had more time to finish the album.
Billy: I would say that covid itself was a struggle, like it was really hard to, like, get together sometimes and just, and even more so in just get to the studio and record songs. Other than that, it’s not that hard. I would say, like, even like follow up, like a first album, immediately worse than that hard, in my opinion.
Milo: At first, we were a bit nervous, but once we started working on the songs, things began to click. We discovered some great material along the way, and now it feels like everything’s coming together naturally.
“ล้ม แชมป์ (only you can)” became a massive hit. Did you anticipate its success, and how did it impact the band?
Third: We didn’t quite anticipate the success, but it was a long it took a long time to finish the song, because both holy cat and our band were really busy, but I think the main anticipation was just to finish it and to release it, but for the success it was, it was both unexpected and refreshing.
How has the Thai indie/alt-rock scene shaped your journey? Are there local artists you admire or collaborate with?
Billy: We’re still figuring it out, honestly. Personally, I draw a lot of inspiration from artists outside Thailand, but—without wanting to sound arrogant—I think we’ve played a role in shaping the local music scene. After our first album, and even more so with the second, you could hear a shift in Thai pop.
We pushed boundaries sonically, almost like we “won” the loudness trend, and now others are following our lead in terms of sound.
How do you stay rooted in your culture while appealing to international listeners?
Third: I mean, like just doing nothing is also your thing, staying just keep doing our thing that’s staying that’s just the route.
Billy: It comes naturally to us as Thai artists, but catering to international fans is a different challenge altogether. Honestly, it’s something we’re still navigating and learning about ourselves. For now, we’re focusing on moving forward and releasing this album—it’s part of the journey.
You recently visited, performed in the Philippines. What surprised you the most about the Filipino fan response to your music
Third: You guys are such great singers. That was my surprise. Probably the crowd that sings the best is the Filipino ones, I think, yeah, sure. And we were surprised you could sing along to our music in Thai. That was very impressive.
How does performing in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines compare to shows in Thailand? Any memorable interactions with Filipino fans?
Billy: I would say not just the Philippines, but like all these countries that we’ve been touring, we are surprised that, most of them can sing Thai.
And that is just mesmerizing, because like Thai is not in any means. They are like second or third languages at all. And they learn Thai, to come to our shows, and they sing back beautifully. That’s just very impressive.
Third:
And we actually picked one of the audience to sing with us in one of our songs in the show in the Philippines, and she sang beautifully. But I’m sure that if we had picked other audience, they would have still sung very beautifully.
Filipino audiences love emotional and anthemic rock. Do you feel your music resonates with this cultural preference?.
We’ve seen and heard fans singing along to our songs, and honestly, it’s such a beautiful thing. Our music isn’t tied to any specific genre, but we believe it still finds a way to speak to them—like an invisible thread connecting emotions and experiences.
Any Filipino artists or bands you admire or would love to collaborate with?
Third: I would say Ben&
Ben, Sarah Geronimo,Kyla, Lea Salonga, Jake Cyrus
Milo: IV of Spades that’s third’s favorite
Billy: They’re a great band. Yep, Ben
& Ben is definitely on the list. Or would be like, Cup of Joe, they’re nice
What message would you like to share with your Filipino fans who’ve passionately supported Tilly birds, even from afar?
Billy: Thank you. Thank you, and thank you. I don’t know if it’s destiny or what, but like so I’m so glad that you discovered us, and stay tuned for what’s coming. Yeah, I hope we perform for you as long as we can.
Third: Maraming Salamat!
How does it feel knowing your music resonates deeply with listeners in the Philippines, despite language or cultural differences?
Third: It feels surreal to be honest, to really see and feel the love that you guys have for our band, for our music. We really appreciate that.
Billy: It’s always wonderful to connect with new fans who genuinely enjoy our music—no matter where they’re from, their gender, or age. It’s truly inspiring to see how they experience and live through our music.
Milo: What makes music so special is its power to bring us together. This connection we share—it’s all thanks to music. Thank you, music!
Tilly Birds x Ben&Ben ‘Heaven’
on 09.25 – 6PM (🇹🇭) | 7PM (🇵🇭)
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https://drop.cobrand.com/d/TillyBirds/HeavenPresave
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