Tape and Tears is a two piece folk-punk band out of Appleton, Wisconsin. The two members of the project are Gilliana Hope and Quiver the Busker. Instead of specific instruments for each person, both of the members switch between a number of different instruments throughout their shows. Gilliana Hope does the lead vocals, cajon, guitar, and ukulele, while Quiver the Busker does co/backing vocals, banjo, guitar, and ukulele.
Tape and Tears currently has three singles and one album. Grace of Any Kind is their most recent release, and also their debut album having been released in February of 2026. Before the creation of Grace of Any Kind, both members were struggling with a separation as they had broken up after a few years of being together. Members were also having difficulties with living situations and dependency on substances. These situations led to the creation of tracks like “Run On Sentences”, “A Song For The Homesick” and “Misery’s Best Company”. “It was just a year of immense and painful changes that gave us an album and made us better friends than we ever were when we were dating” said Tape and Tears.
I find that most of their songs have a folky, relatable, and somewhat comforting vibe while frequently having powerful vocals. The band themselves would describe their music as “Diary entries put to string instruments”. Back to one of the songs mentioned earlier—”Misery’s Best Company” is a favorite of the groups to perform live. Other favorites include “The Stream”, and an unreleased single “Caterpillars” which seems to be a crowd favorite.
The duo shares their overall love of folk punk, loving bands from the genre like Friends in Real Life, Hey Nothing, Stick and Poke, and Mischief Brew. The band says they use those bands as “common ground when we start writing a new piece together”. Gilliana Hope finds interest in the book “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”, intrigued in how Ocean Vuong “writes their scenes in fragmented, snapshot-like illustrations of their life story as told.”
Now to the part you’re most likely waiting for, when can you catch Tape and Tears in show? This month, they are traveling to festivals in Michigan and Colorado. For Wisconsin, they have an upcoming show at the Vaundette Theatre in Kaukauna and a show on May 24th at Jambalaya (right in downtown Oshkosh!)
Some venues that stick out to Tape and Tears in Wisconsin include the Mousetrap in Madison, the duo describing it as “an incredible DIY venue out of a converted church.” Other local spots contain The Vaudette Theatre and the Train Station in Appleton. The band overall enjoys supporting DIY venues and small businesses, attempting to always seek them out while searching for spots to book for shows.
So, what does the future hold for Tape and Tears? “The Midwest has been a great home-base and touring circuit for us thus far, and we aim to utilize what we’ve learned to take our show to the coasts, Canada, and soon finally be able to play some European spots that have been asking us to make it out there.” -Tape and Tears.
Check out Grace of Any Kind here!
