can't decide if they're . . .

"indie-pop"? "power-pop"? "sixties-pop"? "punk-pop"? "surf-pop"? "twee-pop"? "lounge-pop"? "psych-pop"?

it's pillow-pop!

1986 Home-recording punk/psychedelic/experimental songwriter Jonathan Caws-Elwitt upgrades to 4-track and shifts to a more melodic, '60s-influenced style of concise bedroom PILLOW-pop, with an emphasis on layered guitars and keyboards and vocal harmonies. His wife Hilary Caws-Elwitt joins in on some of the vocals, and The Silly Pillows are born.

1988 The Silly Pillows send a selection of their many home recordings of the past two years to Option magazine and get their first review. Jonathan begins to package the songs for public release on his PILLOW Image Ltd. cassette label, and the tapes begin to sell through mailorder, and gain airplay and more reviews.

1992 After struggling with her ambivalent feelings about singing, Hilary finally hangs up her PILLOWcase. Meanwhile, the Silly Pillows, who have gained a small international following of listeners, DJs, and fanzine writers through their now-numerous cassette releases, are approached by Germany's Hoppel di Hoy records, who wish to release an EP of the band's home recordings.

1993 After the first Silly Pillows record comes out on Hoppel di Hoy/Little Teddy, a more fleshed-out version of the band (including Jonathan's brother Sam Elwitt) switches to full-studio recordings, which see release over the next couple of years (along with further reissues of old home recordings) on various vinyl and digital PILLOWs from Little Teddy Recordings, Perfect Pop Records, and Rover Records.

1996 The band makes Elisabeth Vincentelli's Top Ten list in the Village Voice "Paz and Jop" supplement, and a Silly Pillows/Citrus split single climbs to #3 on the Japanese domestic singles chart. Meanwhile, with their second full-length studio release in progress, The Silly Pillows begin to rehearse a live act, which debuts in Sept. '96 at New York's Mercury Lounge. The band is joined onstage by a life-size, smiling PILLOW.

1997 A major label in PILLOW-friendly Japan releases a CD "best of" Silly Pillows retrospective. Back home, live appearances continue and the Pillows complete a third studio album. The band now includes Jonathan Caws-Elwitt and Belinda Miller on lead vocals; Sam Elwitt on guitar; Charlie Zayleskie on keyboards; Michael E. Fiato on bass; and Dave Joachim on drums.

1998 The new album, New Affections, is added at over 100 U.S. college radio stations (charting at 10% of those) and earns a moment of attention on MTV -- all in spite of being an "import-only" release. The CD is followed up with continuing New York club dates and a fun-filled Silly Pillows video!

Back to: Silly Pillows home page or Hilary & Jonathan's home page

---

Copyright © 1997. J & H Caws-Elwitt. Revised -- January 10, 1999.