Rilo Kiley performed their first concert at
Spaceland in Los Angeles in January 1998. Their debut EP,
Rilo Kiley (later reissued as
The Initial Friend EP), was released in 1999. In 2000, Sennett and Lewis played fictionalized versions of themselves on ABC's drama
Once & Again, with the band also performing "The Frug" on the episode. The band signed with independent label
Barsuk Records for its first full-length album,
Take-Offs and Landings, in 2001. The band later signed with Omaha's
Saddle Creek Records and released
The Execution of All Things in 2002. In 2004, they released
More Adventurous on its imprint, Brute/Beaute Records, which was distributed by major label
Warner Bros. Records. The band later signed directly with Warner Bros. in London in 2004 2004 saw a great increase in recognition for the band, as Sennett and Boesel released an album with their band
The Elected and Lewis sang backup on
The Postal Service's
Give Up. Lewis toured with The Postal Service before heading out on two tours supporting Rilo Kiley's
More Adventurous in the summer and fall of 2004. The album spent late 2004 high on
Billboard's Heatseekers Chart and was promoted with appearances on ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live!''. The band opened for
Bright Eyes on the international leg of
Conor Oberst's tour for 2005's ''
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning'' and was the opening act for the North American dates of
Coldplay's Twisted Logic Tour in Fall 2005. "I Never" and "Ripchord" (from
More Adventurous) have been featured in several feature films, including
Must Love Dogs,
Conversations with Other Women, and
John Tucker Must Die. "The Execution of All Things" and "With Arms Outstretched" (from
The Execution of All Things) have been featured in various TV shows, including
Six Feet Under and
Weeds. The band's fourth album
Under the Blacklight was released August 20, 2007 in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States. Its first single is "The Moneymaker". For the video, the band cast "real-life porn stars," which Lewis says were told they were auditioning for "softcore porn." The second single is "Silver Lining." On September 6, 2007, the band began a North American tour in support of
Under the Blacklight. On this tour, it was joined by
Orenda Fink (of
Azure Ray) and
Kristin Gundred (of
Grand Ole Party and
Dum Dum Girls). The group was also known for its charitable contributions, particularly to the
Elliott Smith Memorial Fund, in honor of the late singer and friend of the band. Sennett and Lewis participated in a memorial concert for the singer shortly after he died in 2003. In 2007, the band contributed a t-shirt, which was designed by de Reeder for the
Yellow Bird Project to benefit the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund.
Hiatus and breakup In a 2010 interview with
Paste, Jason Boesel said the band was taking a break but working on a compilation of unreleased songs. He also said there were no plans to release a new album in the near future. In an April 2011 interview, Blake Sennett said, "I would say that if Rilo Kiley were ... hmmm ... a human being ... hmmm ... he's probably laying on his back in a morgue with a tag on his toe. Now, I see movies where the dead get up and walk. And when they do that, rarely do good things happen." In June 2011, when asked about his "corpse" comment and whether Rilo Kiley was indeed dead, Sennett said, "I never say never. I loved Rilo Kiley—I loved writing with Jenny. I think she's a great artist and great to write with. I think we're not there yet. Maybe one day we'll dust it off and give it a go; I'd be open to it. I think it was fun—for all of the pitfalls, it was great. I had a great time in Rilo Kiley. I always did." A month later, Sennett told AOL Spinner: "I said, 'Fuck that, I can't do this anymore.' That being said, it was probably immature and came from a place of ego. I think that stuff will rear its head in anything you do, depending on the personnel you surround yourself with; things change over time , and people change, and relationships change." In February 2013, the band announced a collection of previously released rarities and unreleased material, titled
Rkives, to be released in April 2013 on DeReeder's label, the Little Record Company. In a 2014 interview with the National Post, Jenny Lewis confirmed the band had officially broken up. In April 2015, Blake Sennett joined Jenny Lewis and her band on stage at Coachella for a performance of the Rilo Kiley song "
Portions for Foxes." Since embarking on a solo career, Jenny Lewis has enlisted the help of drummer Jason Boesel for percussion on studio recordings. He was also part of Lewis' live band for her 2019 tour. The band reunited in 2025, embarking on a North American tour and playing at the Just Like Heaven Festival on May 10, 2025 at the Rose Bowl. On May 9, 2025, the band appeared on
Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing "Silver Lining." Speaking about the reunion, Lewis said “It couldn't have happened any sooner. It feels like now is the time to share that joy and love with each other and with everyone else.” Describing the band's coming-together again, de Reeder said “Planning this reunion over these past months has been like reconnecting with family. We haven’t missed a beat. The stakes are only to have a good time, to revel in this nostalgia." The band earned praise for their performances at the outset of the reunion. == Origin of the band's name ==