Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
‘'TILT’ is the brand spankin’ new sophomore album from Jen Mize & the Rough N’ Tumble - out, August 7th via Pathfinder Music.
Jen Mize has always embraced collaboration, but on her outstanding new album Tilt, she and her band The Rough and Tumble have taken that philosophy further than ever. Speaking with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips, Mize explains that while she remains the principal songwriter, Tilt is very much the sound of a genuine band, with every member contributing ideas, arrangements and, in some cases, songwriting credits.
The album's intriguing title has an equally colourful backstory. Although there isn't a song called Tilt, the name perfectly captures the spirit of both the recording sessions and the band itself. Recorded at Brisbane's Record Works studio with engineer Jason Millhouse, the sessions were punctuated by regular breaks playing vintage pinball machines. After seeing videos of the band's competitive pinball sessions online, Kevin Bennett suggested they call the album Tilt. The idea immediately resonated, not just because of the pinball connection, but because it reflected the band's willingness to approach music from unexpected angles rather than conforming to genre expectations.
That freewheeling attitude extends to the music itself. Mize says the first album saw the band gradually evolve as additional musicians-including keyboards and horns-were brought into the fold to serve the songs. By the time work began on Tilt, however, The Rough and Tumble had become an established unit, allowing the writing process to become far more collaborative. Song ideas were shared through a communal Dropbox folder, with band members jumping in to co-write as inspiration struck. The result is an album that Mize feels truly belongs to the band rather than simply being her songs performed by backing musicians.
#australianmusician #jenmize&theroughntumble
‘'TILT’ is the brand spankin’ new sophomore album from Jen Mize & the Rough N’ Tumble - out, August 7th via Pathfinder Music.
Jen Mize has always embraced collaboration, but on her outstanding new album Tilt, she and her band The Rough and Tumble have taken that philosophy further than ever. Speaking with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips, Mize explains that while she remains the principal songwriter, Tilt is very much the sound of a genuine band, with every member contributing ideas, arrangements and, in some cases, songwriting credits.
The album's intriguing title has an equally colourful backstory. Although there isn't a song called Tilt, the name perfectly captures the spirit of both the recording sessions and the band itself. Recorded at Brisbane's Record Works studio with engineer Jason Millhouse, the sessions were punctuated by regular breaks playing vintage pinball machines. After seeing videos of the band's competitive pinball sessions online, Kevin Bennett suggested they call the album Tilt. The idea immediately resonated, not just because of the pinball connection, but because it reflected the band's willingness to approach music from unexpected angles rather than conforming to genre expectations.
That freewheeling attitude extends to the music itself. Mize says the first album saw the band gradually evolve as additional musicians-including keyboards and horns-were brought into the fold to serve the songs. By the time work began on Tilt, however, The Rough and Tumble had become an established unit, allowing the writing process to become far more collaborative. Song ideas were shared through a communal Dropbox folder, with band members jumping in to co-write as inspiration struck. The result is an album that Mize feels truly belongs to the band rather than simply being her songs performed by backing musicians.
#australianmusician #jenmize&theroughntumble
