Role Model’s Next Move? He’ll Figure It Out Onstage

Role Model, whose real name is Tucker Harrington Pillsbury, is taking an improvised approach to a busy new phase: touring behind his third album while preparing for his acting debut in Lena Dunham’s *Good Sex*. He says he prefers shows without planned moments, allowing his onstage persona and performance to develop spontaneously.

His album *Chuck Timely & the Hourglass*, released in August, grew from an imagined character and band name he and his producers used to spark ideas in the studio. Pillsbury first studied film at Point Park University, then began making music after meeting fellow students recording songs in their dorms; his 2017 track “Cocaine Babe” drew attention on SoundCloud, and Mac Miller helped open a path to a music career. He says the new record builds on the Americana influences of his previous album, with inspiration from yacht rock keyboards.