Role Model on His Breakout Year: Viral ‘Sally’ Moments, Sold-Out Shows, and a Lena Dunham Rom-Com
Role Model Is Rising Faster Than Ever - And He Says His Best Music Is Still Ahead
For Role Model, there wasn’t just one defining moment on his climb up the pop ladder — there were several. Opening for Gracie Abrams on “The Secret of Us” tour was a milestone; performing for massive crowds at Madison Square Garden in New York and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles were others. Then came the viral clips of him performing his breakout hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” where he invited a different “Sally” onstage each night — a list that has included Charli XCX, Natalie Portman, and Niall Horan.
But for the 28-year-old Maine native, born Tucker Pillsbury, another breakthrough came from proving himself as a live musician. He learned guitar from YouTube tutorials, and on his “No Place Like Tour,” he brought songs from his two albums to life with a new level of confidence.
“I have a guitar in my hands for 80% of the show now. That was my goal because it just makes it so much more fun,” Pillsbury says from Berlin, speaking near the end of the tour. “I think it helped people see me as a musician and understand how involved I am in the music and the studio. It helped solidify me as a proper musician.”
Offstage, that validation was already taking shape. His fanbase expanded after the release of his 2024 sophomore album, Kansas Anymore, and its deluxe edition, released this Valentine’s Day. The project marked a tonal shift for Pillsbury, who once rapped under the name Dillis before pivoting to breezy electro-pop as Role Model. His 2022 debut Rx was steeped in romance, inspired by his relationship with Emma Chamberlain. But the breakup that followed pushed him toward Kansas Anymore — a blend of upbeat, Americana-inspired production and deeply melancholy lyrics.
“I think it all started with me finding a sound that finally felt authentic,” he says. “I felt like I’d settled into the kind of music I wanted to make.”
His social media presence grew alongside the music, helped by viral memes and collaborations with Renee Rapp and Laufey. The rising buzz caught the attention of Lena Dunham, who cast him in her upcoming Netflix rom-com Good Sex, starring Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo. Dunham brought Pillsbury to New York this summer for his acting debut.
“She is truly one of a kind,” he says of Dunham, who assigned him a rom-com watchlist for research. (He watched only one: When Harry Met Sally.) “They made me feel like part of the family. It felt like summer camp, and that helps with any nerves.”
Despite the whirlwind, Pillsbury has already begun work on his third album with songwriter-producers Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall. He keeps a visual mood board on his phone and a playlist of 1970s music as inspiration.
“I had the world of the album mapped out, and once we got into the studio, we made more progress in the first two weeks than I made in a year and a half on the last album,” he says. “I’m very happy. There’s no pressure. It already feels better than the last album — so I’m feeling good.”
