Thai alt-pop band Tilly Birds is back with a new single 'Retro-39' an upbeat and easygoing that evokes late-90s and 2000s nostalgia. This marks the band's second English-language track, following the success the heavy rock anthem 'White Pills'. 

Regarding its direction, Third (vocals) said the band felt that after ‘White Pills’, they needed something lighter for a change. Milo (drums) further explained that since they had been playing the song for 2 years now and were gearing up for their next album, it made sense to come up something completely new – “Songs are like people; they age. This song made us realize that we’re growing up, and that we needed to make music that matches where we are in our lives right now.”

Apparently, the title 'Retro-39' wasn't their original intention. “Back then, what we had was ‘double speakers’,” Third shared with a laugh. “I forgot about that,” Billy also cracked up in response. The trio later dug online and landed on this funky name for a tape recorder. “I feel like people will be disappointed to know that that’s how the song was made,” Billy (guitar) quipped. “Like, it’s cool, but also it was Google.” 

The creative process reflected the carefree fun and joyous thrill that the single evoked. By the 5th demo, the band had the song ready, and Billy bought a Retro-39 himself. It arrived just as they were about to record Third’s vocals – “This thing gave me power.”

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s with the same suddenness and conviction that Third came to be in charge of the music video. Billy shared that it got pretty tense between the 3 of them as they tried to figure out a director, until Third jumped in to say he’d do it. “We just landed back from Japan, and while we were waiting for our luggage, he was like, ‘I got it!’ Then he sent us the notes.”

Third noted how working on the plane was great, because the absence of connectivity meant you were essentially unstoppable. Enlisting the help of Cehadoo as co-director, what came about was a visual love letter to rom-coms, incorporating nods to films like (500) Days of Summer, About Time, There’s Something About Mary, and Love Actually - packing the video with pop culture references nostalgic to their generation. 

“My love for romantic comedies is immeasurable. It forms my childhood and my filmography,” declared Third. “I thought these movies, they’re old enough for us to go back to now. When we finished the music video, I was blown away. It’s exactly as we thought before we decided to make it. We made this with love for the retro era. It’s maybe something our generation would want the next generation to look back to.” 

'Retro-39' is designed to be both a sentimental throwback and a fresh experience for listeners, and the band is not shy about what they hope the song will achieve. “This is probably the brightest song we've ever made, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it. We’re gonna lure them in with this. This is the bait,” says Billy. 

“We want this to become the first door that you can open to enjoy Tilly Birds,” adds Milo. “It’s a timeless jam of pop music and it makes us very proud to share it with you guys.”