Tiny Fireflies

Chicago-based band Tiny Fireflies have been one of the most criminally underrated acts of the 2010s. The duo — composed of singer Kristine Capua and multi-instrumentalist Lisle Mitnik — has carefully trickled out beautifully crafted dream-pop tracks over the past six years that have always just skimmed the radar of most music outlets. One of their first singles, 2011's 'Your Love,' was a revelation and is a mainstay on mixtapes I give to friends. Now, in 2017, Tiny Fireflies has offered a new mixtape-worthy single in the form of 'Nothing.'

'Nothing' uses a punchy arrangement and lithe bass part to propel itself forward, while Capua's vocals aim the song for the stars. As compared to a song like 'Your Love,' 'Nothing' is positively raucous. But the track, which is taken from Tiny Fireflies' forthcoming 7" Nothing/2040, due out in 2018, is a real beauty. Just like most other Tiny Fireflies tracks, there is a deft blend of melody, intimacy and vulnerability.

You can stream 'Nothing' below and be sure to pick up Nothing/2040 from Tiny Fireflies when it drops next year. - The405

Electronic dream pop band Tiny Fireflies released The Space Between–their debut album–last November. And now we finally have a gorgeous music video to accompany one of our favorite tracks, “Ghost”. (It’s sad, but doesn’t everyone identify with it to an extent?)

The video is better than we could have imagined, presented in black and white to emphasize the emotion in the song. Imagery of vocalist Kristine Capua singing alone are layered with black silhouettes in frames, shadows dancing behind screens, flowers blooming in fast-motion, and many others. Arms crossed, Kristine insinuates that the emotions she is experiencing are leading her to shelter herself from the world, and from heartbreak. Later in the video, each of the aforementioned silhouettes become her, singing different lines from “Ghost”. She is joined by her bandmates at the end of the song, staring straight ahead as she reiterates the poignant lyrics, “You were a ghost in a bad dream.”

The song–and now the video–make you realize that time and memories are transient, and everything is up for interpretation in the flashing moments before us. - Impose

It's not surprising that Tiny Fireflies' debut album The Space Between is a hook-filled, sticky-sweet pop delight considering that Kristine Capua and Lisle Mitnik, the duo behind the band, were responsible for some similarly nice sounds with their Very Truly Yours and Fireflies projects. For anyone familiar with those bands, the surprise here is that they are making icy-cold synth pop with a warm heart, instead of jangling indie pop or fragile chamber pop. With the help of Saint Etienne and Field Mice producer Ian Catt, the duo has crafted a sound that's rooted in the Factory sound of New Order and the Wake, with billowing synth pads and jagged guitar lines predominating and subtly propulsive beats underneath moving the uptempo songs along nicely. These are balanced by swooning ballads that really show off Capua's vocals, which are much more assured and emotionally rich here than in Very Truly Yours. The duo and Catt get a great sound throughout and the songs hold up their end too, with the bulk of them hitting hard, digging in deep, and sticking around for a while. Whether they are of a gently melancholy nature, like the glittering "Brightest Star," or even more impressively melancholy, like the rest of the album basically, the songs are some of the best retro synth pop around in 2015. Played with restrained passion, recorded and produced with a light touch, and sung with a tenderness that is sure to melt even the coldest of hearts, The Space Between is a small-scale delight that deserves attention from anyone who loves indie pop with synths. - All Music

strong remix is, in itself, something of a sporadic victory and it’s even more rare an occasion when such a thing gets its own, equally compelling, video. Fighting the norm on both counts comes The Bilinda Butchers’ beautiful reworking of Tiny Fireflies suitably dreamy track ‘Melody‘. Released earlier this month, the enchanting, dream-pop soundscape now has its own accompanying film – and we’re very pleased to share that with you today. Drenched in vivid colours of the night, the new video was crafted by The Bilinda Butchers themselves; the San Fran trio making the new film clip using found-footage to create an immersive, nocturnal treat. The subtle sway of the remix, which features as a bonus tracks on the Japanese release of Tiny Fireflies The Space Between LP, is equally captivating, melding subtle percussive beats with Kristine Capua’s breathy, evocative lead vocal which stretches out across six glorious minutes. ‘The Space Between‘ is out now, and available via Bandcamp, so check out the new video bel - Gold Flake Paint

Chicago-based Tiny Fireflies has been making sweet shimmery beautifully layered indie pop for some time now. Under the quiet bedroom recordings of Lisle Mitnik and Kristine Capua, the duo had eventually grown out of those covers and have recorded some of the most exquisite indie pop gems on this side of the Western Hemisphere.

Their newest track “Youth” is so sultry that it whisks you away up into a dreamy heaven. Capua’s vocals whisper throughout the tracks’ airy affair. The low key percussion is joined by an army of melody created by guitars and keys that has you yearning a lazy Sunday laying underneath the clouds all the way up until the stars appear.

Expect to hear the song on their upcoming album The Space Between which you can get o November 11, 2015. - Indie Shuffle

Bilinda Butcher is the vocalist and guitarist for legendary shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine, but that’s not who we’re talking about here. The Bilinda Butchers named themselves after their alternative rock hero, and their atmospheric sounds owe at least a partial debt to Butcher’s band. Most importantly for our immediate purposes, The Bilinda Butchers remixed “Melody” by Chicago dream pop group Tiny Fireflies, and the gorgeous track is premiering today, exclusively on Nerdist.

While the original version of “Melody” is more in the vein of Beach House with a hint of ’80s movie soundtrack, The Bilinda Butchers’ remix takes the track in a more ambient direction that’s closer to The xx, pouring on layers of synths and reverb that play harmoniously with a throbbing bass line and Tiny Fireflies vocalist Kristine Capua’s airy vocals. It’s not so much that the new interpretation of the track is an improvement, it’s more like they’re two utterances in the same conversation. They’re similar, but entirely distinct and insular.

The track originally appeared on the duo’s debut studio album, The Space Between, which was released on November 11, 2015. This remix isn’t the first time these two groups have worked together: Capua provided vocals on The Bilinda Butchers’ track “hai bby,” from their 2012 EP goodbyes.

Listen to The Space Between via Tiny Fireflies’ Bandcamp, find the Bilinda Butchers’ 2014 debut album Heaven here, and stream “Melody (The Bilinda Butchers Remix)” below. - The Nerdist

Tiny Fireflies is a Chicago band that succeeds outside of Chicago. To find its niche, the group ventured outside of the city's limiting competitive scene-drive music industry to find a label. Chicago can be the right fit as long as you have the community that can help you pursue your goals. Consider the many genres — everything from house and juke to footwork and drill — that were born and have grown here throughout the last 30 years. Those genres would not have found national and international footing without the strength of the Chicago community.

But what happens when you make music that's outside of the current trends of the city? When you're a group like Tiny Fireflies, it means finding alternative methods of releasing music and reaching audiences.

The group first formed as a fluke. Band members Lisle Mitnik and Kristine Capua were in other local groups and had their own solo projects (Fireflies for Mitnik and Tiny Microphone for Capua). Mitnik previously released a single for a compilation on Eardrum Pop, a digital-only label in Norway. The label approached him again for a new compilation titled "Between Two Waves," featuring collaborations among 20 bands. Mitnik and Capua were in the band Very Truly Yours, and they found the collaboration process a natural one. The finished song, "Don't Wait Until I Fall Sleep," was their first work together.

Later, they were asked to create a three-song EP featuring two originals and a cover. After the success of that EP, they went forward with the Tiny Fireflies project, and left their band. "It wasn't a conscious decision. It was more organic, but I felt like my heart was in this project," said Capua.

Although there are a handful of groups still making shoegaze and dream pop, two genres that come to mind when listening to the band, for the most part Tiny Fireflies' music is something of an anomaly. In Chicago, the biggest rock genres include noise pop and garage rock, so it makes sense that the group would find difficulty in getting traction in the community.

Still, the band has been able to slowly collect fans. The sound — a mix of soft, lulling melodies and a wall of sound — is potent. "I have a special place in my heart for the extremes," Capua said. "I love the Wall of Sound of the '60s, and I love the post-punk sound of the '80s." Mitnik added that their original goal was to expand on the aesthetics of Joy Division. "What if Ian Curtis hadn't died and they made another Joy Division album, because they were going in that atmosphere," he said.
Eleventh Dream Day is spoiling for a fight on latest album
Eleventh Dream Day is spoiling for a fight on latest album

Thus far, the group has released three EPs and a single. Since that first single, Tiny Fireflies' sound has expanded beyond the early '80s into the latter half of that decade as well as the early '90s. Tracks like "Your Love" and "So Sad to Say Goodbye" from the "Change" EP have a winsome, lo-fi quality that feels at home with the likes of Belle & Sebastian or Blonde Redhead.

The band's latest efforts are its biggest yet, though neither member will give very many details. They are at work on a new project with a well-known and respected figure in their genre. Although they are hesitant to reveal the person's name, they say they feel more inspired and motivated than ever before. Capua says her vocals are less passive and more confident.

However, the music was more challenging to write. Previous songs came from their interpretations of outside experiences. The new music is a way of processing things Capua was not comfortable talking about to others. "To be vulnerable with the sounds helps the message in the songs come to life."

Capua is taking her time with the songwriting, letting the new work take time to develop, and creating what the tandem considers to be its best work yet. "With this project," Capua said, "we've been very careful to make sure every piece of the puzzle makes sense." - Chicago Tribune

Previously known as Fireflies and Tiny Microphone, Chicagoans Lisle and Kristine (respectively) combined their talents to create an elegant and dreamy sound with Tiny Fireflies. Their first collaboration won them fan-favorite awards and led to their 3-song single, Snow. They then went on to tour Europe and the Midwest in support of their first EP, Change, in 2011 — which sold out in 2 weeks. Since their last single in 2012, these two have been busy working on their first full-length album, due out on November 11. The Space Between offers electro-pop lovers 9 tracks of fresh tunes and chill melodies. Today we’re so excited to premiere the first released track, “Taken”. Listen above and get ready for the release next month. - The Wild Honey Pie