Beauty is often born from chaos, and TMFT is nothing if not chaotic. From the clashing visual styles of the band members to their varying musical inspirations, this Sonoma County based indie garage rock band creates harmony by embracing their discordant tendencies.

TMFT got its start when band members El and Jonny J met at a party. Jon, a mustache-sporting multi-instrumentalist with the fashion sense of a late 90’s sitcom dad, was looking for a vocalist for his band. El, a classically trained cellist with gothic flair, was looking to branch out and try something new in her musical career at the same time. Despite their drastically different backgrounds (and aesthetics), the two found they shared a large portion of their creative vision and formally joined forces. The band found it’s third member in Jon’s long time friend and fellow instrumentalist Anthony, whose laid-back nature added a grounding presence to hold the otherwise cluttered group together.

With the core of the band established, the group quickly found their sound. A potent blend of 90’s alternative nostalgia and lyrics about the struggles of life and love in a modern world made their debut single, Pink Flamingos, a modest success. The accompanying music video leaned heavily on the group’s fondness for the absurd and surreal, featuring Jon and El enjoying a picnic and playing tennis before being murdered by plastic lawn flamingos. TMFT’s chaotic nature is also apparent during performances where they often use props such as beach balls and a full-sized barbecue on stage.

With their first single out and the group eager for success, Jon left his job to “manage” the band full time and El dedicated more time to the band while attending school full time. Despite the passion and dedication of each of the band members, things didn’t always go as smoothly as they hoped. Conflicting schedules and the responsibilities of life often got in the way of finding time to practice or perform, leaving TMFT struggling to find a rhythm to fall into.

In late 2023, the band signed with DFMR. With this last missing puzzle piece in place, TMFT was able to finally see their creative vision realized and began working on their first release since Pink Flamingos. Real Talk with TMFT, the band’s first full EP, is a small but personal window into the lives of the band’s members. The band describes the sound as “raw, hot garbage that we stew into a lovely jambalaya”, an apt comparison for a band so devoted to chaos and whimsy.