TV Girl

Biography

TV Girl is an American indie pop band from San Diego, California, consisting of lead vocalist Brad Petering, drummer Jason Wyman, and keyboardist Wyatt Harmon.
The band released three EPs with one being made in 2010, one in 2011, and another in 2013 (TV Girl EP, Benny and the Jetts×Benny and the Jetts25 July 2011 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Benny and the Jetts2:502Baby you were there1:393Lizzy Come Back to Life2:434Your Own Religion2:45, and Lonely Women×Lonely Women18 June 2013 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1She Smokes in Bed3:242Laura3:353My Girlfriend4:084Easier to Cry3:155Melanie4:38) and a mixtape in 2012. Their self-released debut album, French Exit×French Exit5 June 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pantyhose2:562Birds Don't Sing3:293Louise3:144Hate Yourself3:345The Getaway3:436Talk to Strangers2:577The Blonde3:478Daughter of a Cop2:339Lovers Rock3:3310Her and Her Friend3:2911Come When You Call3:3812Anjela3:44, was released in 2014. In 2016, the band released their second album, Who Really Cares×Who Really Cares26 February 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Taking What’s Not Yours3:262Song About Me4:043Cigarettes Out the Window3:194Till You Tell Me to Leave3:275Not Allowed2:486(Do the) Act Like You Never Met Me4:147Safe Word3:378For You3:359Loving Machine3:4710Heaven Is a Bedroom4:39. The album was released on Bandcamp and other platforms on February 26, 2016. Further albums followed in 2018 (Death of a Party Girl×Death of a Party Girl8 May 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Pretty Boys2:4627 Days Til Sunday3:353Blue Hair3:374Lonely Girls2:565Drift Down3:136Cynical One3:237King of Echo Park4:068Legendary Lovers3:359Stupid Actress5:4610Death of a Party Girl5:18) and 2023 (Grapes Upon the Vine×Grapes Upon the Vine30 June 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1I’ll Be Faithful3:562All The Way Through2:563Hang On3:304Higher Ground3:065Shame4:076One of These Mornings3:037The Night Time2:578Big Black Void3:019Fire4:221099.52:5511Grapes Upon the Vine3:0812Heaven Over our Heads4:07), alongside three collaboration albums: Maddie Acid's Purple Hearts Club Band×Maddie Acid's Purple Hearts Club Band27 February 2018 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Cut Chop Break Burn2:082Kamikazee2:563Make It Pop3:134I Thought You Were Cool2:405Speak French1:526Chocolate Ice Cream Land2:447Electric Kool Aid4:068Pocketful of Posies2:399Fallout2:5510Maddie in Heaven4:10, Summer's Over×Summer's Over13 October 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Summer's Over2:532Lo on the Hi Way2:223Jump the Turnstile3:434Sweet to Dream2:555Ordinary Day3:026Better in the Dark2:367The Party's Not Over3:59, and Fauxllennium×Fauxllennium2 December 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Summer 2000 Baby4:022Everything Blue3:423Fauxllennium3:084Butterflies4:105Take a Trip3:596The Sweet Life4:117Yesterday's World4:06.
Beginning in 2022, TV Girl experienced a resurgence in popularity on TikTok, leading several previously released songs, most notably "Lovers Rock", "Not Allowed", "Cigarettes out the Window", and "Taking What's Not Yours", to enter the charts in multiple countries throughout 2023, years after their initial release.

History

TV Girl was formed in San Diego in 2010, by friends Trung Ngo and Brad Petering as a leisure activity with no particular ambition beyond experimenting and hanging out. The two had previously been in several bands together, including the Movers and the Shakers. The name of the band is taken from a song by Beat Happening. That same year, the band released their self-titled debut EP, which attracted attention when they sampled Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo version of "Hello It's Me" on their song "If You Want It" from the EP, leading to a takedown notice on the band, issued by Rhino Entertainment, who owns full rights to the Rundgren song.
In 2011, the band released their second EP, Benny and the Jetts×Benny and the Jetts25 July 2011 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Benny and the Jetts2:502Baby you were there1:393Lizzy Come Back to Life2:434Your Own Religion2:45, along with a music video for "Baby You Were There". The band began their first live performances that year, recruiting multi-instrumentalist Joel Williams and live drummer Jason Wyman.
In April 2012, TV Girl released the single "I Wonder Who She's Kissing Now", which would be part of their first mixtape The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle×The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle4 May 2012 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Keep Me Distracted2:042I Wonder Who She's Kissing Now2:463Misery2:384It Evaporates3:285Mirror Mirror3:476Loneliness Can Be Demanding1:347Flip the Record!0:178Loud and Clear3:439TV in the Bedroom2:2910On the Fence2:0011Sweaters1:2512Jane's Critique0:2813The Artist2:5014Keep Me Distracted Part. II2:1615All a Dream3:11, released a month later. The mixtape was given away for free with an accompanying downloadable coloring book. The release would have constituted their debut album, but according to Petering and Ngo the work was more appropriately defined as a mixtape.
In 2013, they released the single "She Smokes in Bed", which would be part of TV Girl's third EP Lonely Women×Lonely Women18 June 2013 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1She Smokes in Bed3:242Laura3:353My Girlfriend4:084Easier to Cry3:155Melanie4:38. That same year, TV Girl underwent a significant change when Ngo and Williams left the band, leaving Petering as its sole founding member. Petering, formerly focused on beats, became the primary vocalist following Ngo's departure, promoting Wyman to a full member and recruiting Wyatt Harmon and Dan Komin soon thereafter (although Komin would leave the following year).
In 2014, TV Girl released their debut album, French Exit×French Exit5 June 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pantyhose2:562Birds Don't Sing3:293Louise3:144Hate Yourself3:345The Getaway3:436Talk to Strangers2:577The Blonde3:478Daughter of a Cop2:339Lovers Rock3:3310Her and Her Friend3:2911Come When You Call3:3812Anjela3:44, which was called "remarkably solid" by Bandwagon Magazine. The album consists of twelve songs exploring themes of loss, lust, love, and relationships. One of the most popular songs from the album is "Lovers Rock," which gained significant attention on the music distribution platform Bandcamp. Additional tracks were recorded for the album but were not included; some of these outtakes were later released on their 2020 EP The Night in Question: French Exit Outtakes×The Night in Question: French Exit Outtakes1 May 2020 · Studio album · DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1The Night in Question2:552Valerie4:423Lines to a Different Play2:564It Almost Worked2:325The Desolation Tango3:016Sleeping With the Enemy2:147Your Friends Are Calling Your Name3:028Stay Away (It's Like That)4:40.
TV Girl's second studio album, Who Really Cares×Who Really Cares26 February 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Taking What’s Not Yours3:262Song About Me4:043Cigarettes Out the Window3:194Till You Tell Me to Leave3:275Not Allowed2:486(Do the) Act Like You Never Met Me4:147Safe Word3:378For You3:359Loving Machine3:4710Heaven Is a Bedroom4:39, was released on February 26, 2016. The title of the album is derived from the second track, "Song About Me". One of the most popular songs from the album is "Not Allowed", which contains samples from the Yeastie Girlz.
In 2018, TV Girl released their third studio album, Death of a Party Girl×Death of a Party Girl8 May 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Pretty Boys2:4627 Days Til Sunday3:353Blue Hair3:374Lonely Girls2:565Drift Down3:136Cynical One3:237King of Echo Park4:068Legendary Lovers3:359Stupid Actress5:4610Death of a Party Girl5:18, which continued their use of sampling and lo-fi production styles. This was followed by 2023's Grapes Upon the Vine, an album influenced by gospel and soul music, with lyrical themes related to mortality, religion, and consequences.
In addition to their studio albums, the band has released several collaborative projects, including Maddie Acid's Purple Hearts Club Band, which contains samples from 1980s and 1990s hip-hop, Summer's Over with singer Jordana, and Fauxllenium, a collaboration with George Clanton.

Influences

TV Girl frequently samples 1950s and 1960s songs and media in their music. An example of this is seen in the song "Lovers Rock", where the backing track is created from a looped sample of the intro to the Shirelles' 1960 single "The Dance Is Over". In a post on Reddit, Petering wrote that he "never gets tired of seeking out old and obscure music. I listen to lots of music and I find my loops and sounds that way."

Musical style and songwriting

The band employs a genre not easily defined, with major inspiration from sampledelia, indie pop, lo-fi and electronic music found in most of their works (apparent in albums French Exit×French Exit5 June 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pantyhose2:562Birds Don't Sing3:293Louise3:144Hate Yourself3:345The Getaway3:436Talk to Strangers2:577The Blonde3:478Daughter of a Cop2:339Lovers Rock3:3310Her and Her Friend3:2911Come When You Call3:3812Anjela3:44, Who Really Cares×Who Really Cares26 February 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Taking What’s Not Yours3:262Song About Me4:043Cigarettes Out the Window3:194Till You Tell Me to Leave3:275Not Allowed2:486(Do the) Act Like You Never Met Me4:147Safe Word3:378For You3:359Loving Machine3:4710Heaven Is a Bedroom4:39, Death of a Party Girl×Death of a Party Girl8 May 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Pretty Boys2:4627 Days Til Sunday3:353Blue Hair3:374Lonely Girls2:565Drift Down3:136Cynical One3:237King of Echo Park4:068Legendary Lovers3:359Stupid Actress5:4610Death of a Party Girl5:18 and Summer's Over×Summer's Over13 October 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Summer's Over2:532Lo on the Hi Way2:223Jump the Turnstile3:434Sweet to Dream2:555Ordinary Day3:026Better in the Dark2:367The Party's Not Over3:59), while taking on more trip-hop-like elements in other works (found especially within Who Really Cares and Maddie Acid's Purple Hearts Club Band), and in some cases, more mainstream characteristics related to gospel, garage house, funk and even jazz (specific to Grapes Upon the Vine). Altogether, the band proclaims themself as a "hypnotic pop" group, due to their use of sampling, keyboards, and reverb effects. The band was upset when their music was labeled "sun-drenched California pop", pointing out that there are no lyrical allusions in their music that warrant the title.
Lyrically, a majority of TV Girl's discography revolves around love and relationships. One example of this tendency is the song "Lovers Rock", a love ballad named after the reggae sub-genre of lovers' rock. The subject matter of TV Girl's songs is generally melancholic and sad, but simultaneously sarcastic and humorous. Some motifs in the band's lyrics include heartbreak, cynicism, memories, cigarettes, hair, sex, women's first names, suicide, and loneliness.

Branding

TV Girl's album art incorporates color-blocking of images from the 1960s and 70s (such as "The Classic Nude" by George Hester for Who Really Cares). The use of vibrant coloring has become a key part of TV Girl's identity.

Current members

Brad Petering – lead vocals, samples, production, occasional guitar (2010–present), bass (2010–2014)
Jason Wyman – drums (2013–present; touring member 2011–2013)
Wyatt Harmon – keyboards (2013–present)

Former members

Trung Ngo – vocals, keyboards, guitar (2010–2013)
Joel Williams – keyboards, guitar, vocals (2011–2013)
Dan Komin – bass, guitars (2013–2014)

Touring members

Jordana Nye – bass, backing vocals (2021–2022)
Zoe Zeeman – bass (2022–present)

Produced albums

Posthumous Release (2013) (by Coma Cinema)
Ace of Tre (2023) (by Varial Heel)