When most people think of defiant music, they think of punk rock or outlaw country. But defying genres while transcending eras and resisting clichés is hard to pin down when it comes to artistry—unless you’re talking about Miss Tess, who does all of that and more. Swinging for the fences and from the branches of jazz, country, blues and old school rock and roll, she employs all of her influences and talents while cleverly taking standard perspectives and ideas—like the definition of a love song—to task.
On the heels of her acclaimed 2020 LP The Moon Is An Ashtray (featured at Billboard, Rolling Stone Country, No Depression, Wide Open Country, and more), Miss Tess will unveil new single “Real Change” on July 2nd. Just in time for Independence Day, “Real Change” features guest vocalists Lindsay Lous and Rachael Davis, and was was written with Maya de Vitry, a month or two after the death of George Floyd. The goal was not to preach, but rather to spread a humble message of hope and unity. As we emerge from this dark period of time, Miss Tess hopes that we continue practicing the power of love and awareness toward our fellow humans.
“The world will never be perfect, but we have to keep trying, and insisting that real change is possible. Of all the sadness and loss already experienced through the onset of a global pandemic, I thought maybe it all happened for a reason. Most of our working systems came to a standstill for the first time in recent history, and the world had time to listen, watch, and react,” she explains.
While the conversations are not new, people of all shapes and colors were willing to fight for accountability. Even amidst the atrocity of such an event, the fact that Derek Chauvin was recently convicted seemed like a small, important miracle.
“A lot of us have had the luxury of not knowing for a very long time. It’s much harder not to notice now, but it seems like you still never really understand until it happens to you or someone you love,” she continues. “Our power and money-hungry machines are always waiting in the wings to push their agendas and keep us divided with their tools of racism, misogyny, and exploitation. ‘Divide and conquer’, as the old saying goes. The people must remember how much power they have.”
