2007–2012: Beginnings Castilla and Aoki Tuttle met while performing in the band Paper Thin Walls, who rose to notoriety after being chosen to play the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London. The name "The Colourist" was borne out of a conversation with a friend of the band—a film student working with a film colorist at the time. Because the name was not already used, the ensemble decided to use the British/Canadian spelling for aesthetic and availability reasons. After years of performing concerts in their hometown, the ensemble captured the eyes of major record labels during their residency at
Los Angeles' Bootleg Theater. In July 2012, the band signed a record contract with
Universal Republic Records. In 2013, the band's debut single "Little Games" became the No.1 song on Hype Machine.
2012–2014: Debut EP and studio albums In late 2012 and early 2013, the ensemble spent five months in
Eagle Rock, California recording fourteen songs with producer Carlos De La Garza, twelve of which went on the full-length
studio album. Weeks after the recording was complete, the quartet performed at
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in
Indio, California. On August 20, 2013, the band released their debut
EP Lido. On March 25, 2014, The Colourist also released their debut studio album,
The Colourist. On March 5, 2015,
radio station KSRY FM in Los Angeles published the single "When I'm Away." Laura Neumayer of The Eagle Online describes the song as "complete with a groovy guitar riff reminiscent of
The Lighthouse and the Whaler's "Venice." On May 25, 2015, "When I'm Away" was featured as the theme song on a television commercial for
Hulu. At that time, it was announced that the tune will be featured on
Will You Wait for Me, the third EP from the ensemble. as the 2nd single from the EP. On November 9, 2015, the group announced via their Facebook page that they are working on new music, with a subsequent post early the next year that Johannsen and the ensemble would be parting ways. Following it, the band went on a hiatus from 2016 through 2021.
2021–present: Reunion and recent developments On November 2, 2021, the band announced on their Twitter page they've reunited, and in December 2021, they revealed they are in the studio working on new music. On June 3, 2022, Aoki Tuttle confirmed on Twitter that her departure was so that she could pursue voice acting and still maintains a closeness with the band. She further hinted at "surprises" with the group in the future, implying a possible future collaboration. The tweet has since been deleted. == Appearances ==