Tim Kinsella

Tim Kinsella is an American musician, author, and film director from Chicago, Illinois.

Known for his eccentric singing voice, he first rose to prominence as lead singer and lyricist of the emo band Cap'n Jazz which he co-founded with his brother Mike in 1989.

Tim Kinsella got his start musically around 1989 when he, his brother, Mike Kinsella, met Sam Zurick, and Victor Villarreal to form Cap'n Jazz.

They were all in school at the time, and it took them a while to get serious about playing music.

After going through several name changes, and adding guitarist Davey von Bohlen, the group decided to make music seriously, ultimately garnering a cult following, and fame in the independent music scene of Chicago and the midwest.

The band was formed by the original lineup of seminal experimental indie rock band Cap'n Jazz soon after its second breakup (the first came in 1994); Cap'n Jazz guitarist Davey von Bohlen, who played in the band's second incarnation, had gone on to found, and was now playing in The Promise Ring.

The band's lineup consisted of brothers Tim Kinsella and Mike Kinsella (on vocals and drums, respectively), along with guitarist Victor Villareal and bassist Sam Zurick.

Tim Kinsella and Zurick have also played together in Joan of Arc and Make Believe, and Villareal and Zurick have played together in the instrumental-rock Ghosts and Vodka.

Following its dissolution in 1995, he formed Joan of Arc the same year and served as its lead singer, primary songwriter, and only continuous member until their breakup in 2020.

Following the release of Cap'n Jazz's first and only album, Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards In The Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over (also known as Shmap'n Shmazz), and their last show on July 14, 1995, they disbanded, and member Davey von Bohlen left Chicago to focus on his side project The Promise Ring.

In 2001, Kinsella participated in Owls which included all members of Cap'n jazz except for guitarist Davey von Bohlen.

The band released an album, Owls, in 2001.

Unfortunately, the band dissolved after one tour.

Rumours circulated that this was largely due to the complications arising from guitarist Victor Villareal's heroin dependency.

When Mike Kinsella left to continue his solo project Owen and to play guitar for Maritime, he was replaced for a few live shows by Ryan Rapsys.

Friend/Enemy was formed in 2001 as the next in a series of projects fronted by Kinsella.

The band's core members include Kinsella, Todd Mattei (also of Joan of Arc), and Jim Becker (Califone).

Friend/Enemy can best be described as a loose folk-punk somewhere between T.V. Smith and Captain Beefheart.

Kinsella's trademark postmodern beat poet routine takes a sharper, more adult turn and Becker adds a host of incidental noises including banjo, pedal steel, and percussion.

The first release, 10 Songs, was recorded at the Slabb in Chicago and had a handful of the city's musical intelligentsia adding sounds.

These included vocals by Caryn Culp (Plastic Crime Wave), keyboards by Andy Lansagan (the 90 Day Men), bass by Nick Macri (Euphone, Sunny Day Real Estate), piano by Azita Youssefi (Bride of No No), drums by Zach Hill (Hella), and bass by Sam Zurick (Joan of Arc, Owls).

Kinsella has participated in Everyoned, a supergroup which also includes members from Pigface, TV Pow, Joan of Arc, Town & Country, Revolting Cocks, and Central Falls.

From 2003 to 2008, Kinsella also founded and toured with Make Believe which included his cousin Nate and former Cap'n Jazz member Sam Zurick alongside bassist Bobby Burg.

He has also released early solo material under the alias Tim Kinsella(s) in addition to participating Friend/Enemy and Everyoned.

Kinsella is the writer-director of the feature film Orchard Vale, which opened at the Chicago Underground Film Festival on August 15, 2007.

Kinsella directed the film Orchard Vale, which was released on DVD through I Had an Accident Records in April 2009.

Three years after the breakup, in 1998, Jade Tree Records put out a double disc compilation, called Analphabetapolothology, which included all the songs from Shmap'n Shmazz, as well as songs from various 7", singles, demos and outtakes. Victor Villareal went home, and after a year of playing music independently, Tim, Mike, and Sam recruited Erik Bocek and Jeremy Boyle for what would eventually be called Joan of Arc. On January 22, 2010, Cap'n Jazz played their first reunion show since the split in 1995 at the Empty Bottle in their hometown of Chicago. They have performed various other shows since and played their final show on November 8, 2017, at the Electric Ballroom.

After the demise of Cap'n Jazz, Kinsella began writing new material with keyboardist Jeremy Boyle.

At this point, he was learning a new instrument (the guitar), and his songwriting began to take an abstract/experimental turn.

Simultaneously, Sam Zurick was learning the drums, and playing in a band with Erik Bocek (a high school friend and former Cap'n Jazz roadie).

The two were joined, and after the addition of Mike Kinsella, Red Blue Yellow was born.

After difficulties, and a breakup after their first show, they threw away all of their old material, and started afresh, with a new name, and new songs.

Three months later, Joan of Arc had their first show at Autonomous Zone in Chicago.

After two promising 7" singles the band recorded their debut album A Portable Model of... for Jade Tree. The album introduced JOA's signature sound - a fondness for stark acoustic songs then altered with subtle electronics.

His first novel, entitled The Karaoke Singer's Guide to Self-Defense, was published by Featherproof Books in September 2011.

The band did eventually get back together in 2012, and went on to tour and release a new album in 2014.

His second book, Let Go and Go On and On (Curbside Splendor Publishing), takes its inspiration from the late actress Laurie Bird's brief film career in the '70s, and was published in April 2014.

He currently performs, tours, and writes music with his wife Jenny Pulse under the name "Tim Kinsella & Jenny Pulse."

The 2017 Noisey documentary Your War (I'm One of You): 20 Years of Joan of Arc focuses heavily on Kinsella's biography and personal experiences.

Owls is an indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois.