It's Only Tuesday: The Heartening Story of Two Best Friends from Atlanta

When Abby Phillips and Tyler Mabry met in middle school, they didn’t think much of it. In fact, they didn’t really like each other at first. “There was nothing there,” Abby commented of the relationship between the two “obviously very attractive” sixth graders. But, as it often does, music brought them together. Their mutual friend David* suggested that they do the middle school talent show, where they played Twenty One Pilot’s “House of Gold” together.

*Abby has a stellar sense of humor, as does Tyler. 

* “Shout out David!”

Since then, they have become almost inseparable: “It’s crazy that we’re not in the same room now… we do everything together,” Tyler said. Their friendship is obviously effortless and unmistakably strong. Speaking with the two teens from Atlanta is like talking to two parts of the same whole. “

Yeah, no. Our brains are pretty much exactly the same. Every single time we hang out, we’ll say the exact same things at the exact same time… That happens way more than it should.”

Tyler Mabry didn’t want to start a band at first. He said that he “couldn’t sing at all” but wanted to be a frontman or leader of a band. Despite those concerns, he recruited Abby Phillips, Isabella, and a drummer who’s no longer with the band. Since then, It’s Only Tuesday* has evolved: Tyler is the frontman, who plays guitar and sings very well, especially on their new single “Red Velvet.”  Abby sings and plays drums; she was the lead vocalist on the entirety of their first album. Isabella, though not as active in the writing or producing processes, is the integral bassist. 

*A brief summary of the origin of the band name from Tyler: “One day, I was in the 8th grade,  I slammed my head against the table and I said ‘It’s only Tuesday,’ probably followed by some swear words, and then it hit me; I was just like ‘Oh, that’s a great band name.’ Later in that day, I went and told Abby and she was like ‘Yeah!’”

There are a few musicians that aided Tyler and Abby in their quest to create their own music. For Tyler, it was Twenty One Pilots. “When I was in middle school I was a big fan of Twenty One Pilots. And they were the first band that made me realize I wanted to do music for a living. So definitely, definitely Twenty-One Pilots. And then Modern Baseball, Mom Jeans, and the Front Bottoms definitely pushed it even further.” 

Album cover for “Dude, That’s Retro!” released in 2019 featuring Abby, Abby’s dog, and Tyler

Abby’s answers are more “cliché,” as she put it.

“The first person my age who was doing music without a doubt in their mind was Grace Vanderwaal, so [she was] definitely the first introduction I had to doing music at such a young age and being good at it. So, I have weird influence from that but also when it became more of a reality I was listening to more… to different things, to say the least. I wasn’t listening to pop music…”

At this point, Tyler interjects, “Yeah, a lot of ABBA.” Abby continues, “Yeah. It was just like Wallows and Dayglow, or even Billie Eilish, who were on the younger side and actually doing it, and it was self-made.” For Abby, the inspiration came largely from musicians that she could identify with and who made her feel like it was possible to be making music successfully at such a young age. 

Their first album, entitled “Dude, That’s Retro!”*, embodies the band as a whole, whether they meant it to or not. The album features 10 songs, all of which were the first songs Abby and Tyler had ever written. “I think New Year’s Party… I think that might be the third track on that record. I think that might be the second song I ever wrote,” Tyler says. Both Abby and Tyler said that their first songs were not really inspired by anything and that they focused more on rhyme schemes. The production of the album was very basic and actually done on an iPhone SE; Tyler used a $20 interface: “I just turned the compression all the way up on everything, it was real bad.” Despite the ‘bad’ production, they were very proud of the songs and thought they’d become more popular than they did. Since then, they’ve realized that there is much more to production and sound than they thought.

*Tyler’s story behind the name of the album: “In eighth grade, I had this windbreaker, and me and our friend Isabella who plays bass for us did a promotional video on the windbreaker for our language arts class, and it was very like “Dude, that’s retro!” and like “Dude, that’s so cool!” and just kinda very ironic. So me and Isabella just had this inside joke of saying “Dude, that’s retro” all the time. We were kinda like, what if we made this the album name, like what if this is what we call it? And we all were just like, sure, and that’s how it came.”

Tyler cites his influences as mainly classic rock and indie. “I listen to this ‘Midwest Emo’ genre, that’s like these bands like Modern Baseball, the Front Bottoms, and Mom Jeans. Those are my favorite bands. I kinda channel this midwest emo energy with my writing, and I think it’s starting to show through.” He channels this energy especially with his solo music, which he calls his “emo music: It’s more folk punk and just more indie kind of stuff.” It definitely is starting to show through; the clips he posts on TikTok from his hey, nothing solo project*, especially his newest and favorite song “Party Brain,”  have the same sort of ‘Midwest Emo’ energy that he strives for: expressive singing, personal narratives, and central guitar-playing that form together to create an genuine and unique alternative sound. 

*Abby is the drummer when they perform Tyler’s solo music live. As Tyler said, they do “pretty much everything” together.

Abby’s music taste differs slightly. “What’s deeper in my writing is that there are definite influences of folk and even sometimes in the way I use rhyming patterns. There are some punk influences.” She speaks for both of them when she adds that they “definitely take everything they listen to into consideration when making music.” Even though their tastes are very different, it makes their music more dynamic and authentic. Their process of making music is largely inspired by the indie bands they listen to as well: “It’s just super DIY; make the best sounds you can make and pray for the best,” said Tyler. 

Tyler’s “hey, n0thing” account on Tiktok is quite popular, as he has nearly 20,000 followers and almost 250,000 likes. The account features mostly short excerpts of Tyler’s songs as well as some promotional clips for It’s Only Tuesday. Though Tyler says he sometimes feels pressured to make new music by occasionally aggressive fans, he and the band are going to take their time and make their next releases good. They’re currently working on a new album, with one song in particular that they are very excited about called “Grandma Had Secrets,” which is Tyler’s favorite that Abby has written. “Ah, it’s beautiful, it’s so good, I’m so excited to show it to people.”  

On my first listen of “Dude, That’s Retro!”, I couldn’t help but notice how many of the songs referenced the past and the desire to go back in time, like “Take Me Back to Woodstock.” I was reminded of the concept of “Golden Age Thinking” from the 2011 fantasy romance film Midnight in Paris, which is defined in the film as  “the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one one’s currently living in” and further described as “a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.” 

Abby responded first, seemingly having given considerable thought to the question beforehand. “So, obviously I’m gonna say my piece about homophobia and misogyny and racism back in the day, and obviously I don’t want to be a part of that. But, all of those issues aside, I just adore the 70s (well, ‘68 to the rest of the ‘70s). It was a very transformative time for how people looked at like… everything. Like, how people saw the world. People were discovering new ways to live their life. Not as many people were as dependent on religion. And I always find myself looking to that time for inspiration for writing, and how the lifestyle choices that they made, to not conform, how that’s just a great, great way to live your life.” 

Tyler responded next, adding that he’d have loved to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s and be a part of the “jam band scene,” or tour with the Grateful Dead, or attend Woodstock. However, he agreed with Abby that society was not completely acceptant of all races and sexualities. However, he added that “there was a lot of progression and a lot of movement to get rid of those issues. And even though it didn’t work, we’re still moving today, in that kind of direction.”  

As Abby put it, It’s Only Tuesday “certainly tries” to make their own pathway for themselves and not conform to certain societal or music industry standards. “There’s lots of artists these days. They’re setting a good example for nonconformity, that way it is hopefully more normalized that, you know, gender is a social construct, sexuality is a spectrum, like… do what you want and do not take anything from anybody else. It’s a good time to be in the music scene, when there are so many influential artists challenging everything around them, and I would love to be a part of that.” 

However transformatory the music industry may be in the modern age, there are also new problems concerning the overwhelming expanse of the music scene. Tyler is a big believer in the fact that the music industry is oversaturated, which he thinks makes it harder to actually find success in the music industry. “It is overwhelming to actually put ourselves into that scene,” he says, “but at the same time, we don’t actually care; as long as we’re making music and putting it out and keeping it our own, that’s really what matters to us.” 

Social media has been a great transformative force in producing, advertising, and sharing music. “TikTok is great for getting us out there,” Tyler remarks. “It definitely helps get the word out there… and get the idea that there’s a kid playing music from Atlanta and he’s actually kinda good, out into the world, and other people are hearing it.  And it’s super cool. It’s super, super cool.” He thinks that TikTok also helps in that more people who truly like the vibe and feel of certain music are exposed to that type of music, and he cares more about that than about numbers of followers or listeners he has. “We’re in high school, do we expect it to blow up? No. It’s awesome if it does, but I’m not going to beat up if it doesn’t.” 

“Red Velvet,” their newest single, was written by Tyler about a year ago and released in March of this year.

“I was having writer’s block, like very severe writer’s block. So I was like, maybe I should just write a song about having writer’s block. And it cured my writer’s block actually. And it’s one of my favorite things I have written to this day and we finally got to produce it, we put a music video out, so yeah. That was pretty much all me, with that one. I’m on the production too. We got Abby on background vocals though. It sounded beautiful as always.”

Abby added that although she wasn’t involved in the creative process on the song, she “definitely influenced the drums.” 

“Red Velvet” is the band’s first single and the first song that they released a music video for. Their “way too cool” friend from film class, Josh, helped them film the music video, and another friend named Hattie helped with makeup and directing. “One day we spent seven or eight hours… we went out and bought two halves of a red velvet cake, put it together and iced it. And then we just spent that entire day filming and after we watched Dazed and Confused with him,” remarks Tyler. Abby fondly recalls the experience, and they both explained that the cleaning process involved “cake on the wall” and cake in Tyler’s hair. 

Cover for It’s Only Tuesday’s single “Red Velvet” released in 2021 

When asked about the future, Tyler had one word in response: Philadelphia. “That’s where we are gonna go in a few years. We’ve already started saving. The music scene in Philadelphia is just really insane and there’s a lot of projects in Philadelphia that you can get your hands on, and it makes it really accessible for musicians. And then, if we want to make more indie-rock and punk-style music, that’s the right scene for us. And that’s our goal and our dream right now, is just to move to Philly and not have to stay in Georgia anymore. I think that’s the biggest goal.” 

Though they’d both love to play at the Shaky Knees festival in Atlanta*, they’re more focused on making it to Philadelphia. No matter where they are playing, they are constantly in search for the perfect vibe and connection that comes with playing music for other people.“I think the house shows, like the small shows in some dude’s basement, are better than some arena show or some bar show. The more intimate it is, and the more we can make a safe and fun environment to play music in, that’s what it’s all about to us. And also showcasing our music to people. It’s cool to see other people singing our music, and when it’s that many people and they’re all kinda yelling, that’s the… I think that’s the dream.” 

* “That festival really kinda like shot us into this like, music-writing spiral. Like, after that festival, we really sat down and thought about what we were doing and what we wanted.”

They aren’t just music-lovers. The two also love watching movies and TV, going on Omegle, eating tacos* and… did Tyler say water polo? “ No, I’ve never played water polo. I don’t even know what it is.”* Their favorite tv shows include Jeopardy (“we watch Jeopardy together… like old people”) and American Horror Story*. Their favorite movies include Dazed and Confused*, Almost Famous,  Call Me By Your Name, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which they cite as influences in their lifestyles as well as their music. 

*Yet another display of their stellar senses of humor. 

* They recommend El Porton for tacos. Abby hasn’t gone to Taco Bell, but does claim that since she “has the same energy as as a Taco Bell,” she might “combust if [she] enters one.”  

*They enjoy watching AHS for Lady Gaga as well as the great directing and acting. 

* Tyler recently attained the DVD for Dazed and Confused, “just to have it, in case we need it. In case we have a DVD player on us.” 

Abby and Tyler are genuine, creative minds who are truly excited about music and the future and want to make a positive impact. They’re embracing their adolescence by dodging unrealistic expectations and harmful stereotypes and approaching their teenage years with curiosity, excitement, passion, moxie, kindness, and empathy.  It is a rare occurrence to find someone that is on your same wavelength, and Abby and Tyler have found that in each other at a very young age. Abby and Tyler are a shining example of a new era of ambitious musicians who want to have fun and create music that resonates. The essence of It’s Only Tuesday and their message to the world was explained best by Tyler: “Keep being you. Keep doing what you love. Just be yourself.” 

Give them a listen! Check out the music video for “Red Velvet” here!!

→ → → It's Only Tuesday - Red Velvet | Unofficial Music Video 

Behind a few of the songs of “Dude, That’s Retro!”: Tyler and Abby 

BEACH BOYS is the first song on the album; it starts off with a beachy and funky riff and sets the tone for the retro vibe of the album.

T: That came out exactly the way we wanted. I don’t remember writing that riff, but that’s one of my favorite riffs that I’ve ever written… That’s a great riff. And I’m probably gonna use that later in my life, once “Beach Boys” is permanently erased and burned. I’ll probably reuse that, just because it’s so good.

PHIL COLLINS WAS WRONG, LOVE ISN’T IN THE AIR TONIGHT is the first song Tyler led vocals on: it possesses an incredibly clever name and a deeper, sorrowful meaning. 

T: I did write that one. Um. It’s a very sad song, or it was a very sad song.

A: Yeah. That is my favorite song. I still listen to that song everyday.

T: It’s weird actually. I don’t remember writing any of that record at all. Like, I remember some of the recording, but not actually writing.

YOUR JACKET is one of the sadder songs on the album that features Abby singing in a beautiful bluesy tone. At the end of the track, there is the unmistakable sound of dogs barking. 

A: There’s a dog and a vacuum, yeah. So that is actually a voice memo that I sent to Tyler of… it was probably like the second time that I ever recorded it. And it was just like, a voice memo on my phone of that song… and there just happened to be my dog barking at the vacuum because they go after it each time, apparently the vacuum is a threat… 

T: If you listen closely, you can hear Abby’s mom go, “Speckles!”

A: Yes, at the end of the song, there is very distinct mom voice yelling at my dog. It’s great.

 T: I still listen to “Your Jacket” all the time, ‘cause those are the two that we [Abby and I] just kinda did on our own.

SWEATING BULLETS is the last song on the album, one that reverberates the feeling of anxiouness in its use of drums and rhythm overall. 

T: That song is pretty much just like a depiction of what it’s like to be nervous. And I guess in that context, it’s like being nervous with a girl. That was another one of the first songs I had written so it didn’t really have meaning. I’m really proud of the sound of that one though. It has a really floaty, kinda reverberated ring to it. But yeah, it’s just about being nervous and shaky and sweating because you’re scared of confrontation.