Tara Jane O'Neil
Tara Jane O'Neil (born November 22, 1972) (surname sometimes written as "ONeil"; sometimes credited as TJO) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, audio recording engineer, and visual artist based out of Los Angeles, California, United States.
Tara Jane O'Neil

Masao Nakagami · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Tara Jane O'Neil
- Born
- 22 November 1972
- Occupation
- * Musician
- Nationality
- United States
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Tara Jane O'Neil (born November 22, 1972) (surname sometimes written as "ONeil"; sometimes credited as TJO) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, audio recording engineer, and visual artist based out of Los Angeles, California, United States.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Tara Jane O'Neil. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- unresolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q7685080 · wikipedia · Tara Jane O'Neil
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Tara Jane O'Neil • Alias — * Tara Jane ONeil • TJO • Born — 22 November 1972 • Origin — Chicago, Illinois, United States • Occupation — * Musician • visual artist • Instrument — * Vocals • guitar • bass guitar • drums • banjo • tambourine • keyboard • Years Active — 1992–present • Label — * Quarterstick Records • K Records • Kranky • Orindal Records • Past Member Of — * Rodan • The Sonora Pine • Retsin • The Naysayer • Website — http: tarajaneoneil.com/
Biography
Biography
O'Neil is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer and visual artist. She creates melodic and experimental music under her own name and in collaboration with friends. Her recordings and live performances range from solo singing to noise improvisations. O'Neil has composed and performed music and sound for films, theater, and dance performances, and written large and small ensemble experimental architectures. O'Neil began her music career as the bassist and vocalist for the influential Louisville, Kentucky post-rock group Rodan. After their breakup in 1994, she moved to New York, where she joined Retsin, Ida Retsin Family (a collaboration between Retsin and Ida), The Sonora Pine, and The Naysayer. She released her first solo record in 2000. O'Neil is also a notable visual artist. Her work has been exhibited in New York City, Barcelona, Tokyo, Kyoto, Louisville, and Portland, among other places. Her artwork has appeared on her own solo record covers, on the record covers of many other groups (Retsin, Ida, The Naysayer, Castanets, etc.), in poetry books by Cynthia Nelson (Raven Days and The Kentucky Rules) and Maggie Nelson (the cover of Something Bright, Then Holes), in the magazines Punk Planet, Magnet, The Wire, Venus Zine, Copper Press, and various international publications. Who Takes a Feather, a book of her drawings and paintings, was published in 2004 by Tokyo-based Map Press. In 2007, Wings. Strings. Meridians. A Blighted Bestiary was published by Yeti Publications, including an album of live recordings, four-track demos, and outtakes. O'Neil starred in the 1994 indie film Half-Cocked as herself, credited as "Rhonda" although her character has also been referred to as "Tara."
Albums
Albums
• Peregrine (2000, Quarterstick Records) • In the Sun Lines (2001, Quarterstick Records) • TJO TKO (2002, Mr. Lady Records) • You Sound, Reflect (2004, Quarterstick Records) • In Circles (2006, Quarterstick Records) • A Ways Away (2009, K Records) • Where Shine New Lights (2014, Kranky) • Tara Jane O'Neil (2017, Gnomonsong Records) • The Cool Cloud of Okayness (2024, Orindal Records)
EPs
EPs
• The Joy Of... (2002, Acuarela Discos [Spain]) • Who Takes a Feather companion release 3" CD-EP (2003, Map Press [Japan]) • Vanishing Point (2004, self-released digital download; original score for the Naomi Izuka play At the Vanishing Point) • Tracer (2005, Compass Tone [Japan]) • A Raveling (2005, Acuarela Discos [Spain]) • After a Dark Seven (2006, self-released CD-R) • Light Up Screen (2006, self-released digital download; collection of short film scores) • Live and Covered EP (2008, self-released CD-R; European tour EP)
Singles
Singles
• "Tie a Ribbon" / "Another Sunday Saint" / "If Your Youth Is Green" (aka Troubleman Solo Singles Series #6) 7" single (2000, Troubleman Unlimited Records) • "April 3, 2009" (2009, self-released digital download; live adaptation of the song "The Drowning Electric")
Compilation albums
Compilation albums
• Bones (2004, Preservation [Australia]) (compilation of demos, alternate versions, outtakes, and songs from singles) • Marrow (2004, self-released CD-R) (most songs also appear on Bones; features hand-painted and numbered covers) • To Trace a Raveling EP (2006, Mississippi Records) (12" vinyl release; combines the Tracer and A Raveling EPs) • Wings. Strings. Meridians. companion release CD (2007, Yeti Publications) (compilation of home recordings, live tracks, and film scores)
Collaborations
Collaborations
• Music for a Meteor Shower (with Daniel Littleton) (2002, Tiger Style Records) • Tara Jane O'Neil and Nikaido Kazumi (with Nikaido Kazumi) (2011, K Records) • Medusa Smack/100 Gongs for Arieto (with Eleh) (2015, Important Records)

Japanese musician Takashi Ueno (Tenniscoats), American singer-songwriter and guitarist Tara Jane O'Neil and American drummer John Herndon (of Tortoise) at Shibuya O-nest in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 2017.11.8
Masao Nakagami

American singer-songwriter and guitarist Tara Jane O'Neil at Shibuya O-nest in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 2017.11.8
Masao Nakagami
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1972
Tara Jane O'Neil born.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 01 September 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,438 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Tapio WilskaPerson
- Tapper ZukiePerson
- TAPPYPerson
- Tara JaffPerson
- Tara KamangarPerson
- Tara KempPerson
- Tara McLeanPerson
- Tara PriyaPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Tara Jane O'Neil?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.