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Tess & The Details, major congratulations on your freshly-minted new album Runaway which just dropped on November 14! Tess, starting at the very tip-top, what inspired one of the very best LP releases of 2023?
We were inspired by everything going on around us as well as some of the classic punk rock themes that we’ve always enjoyed. There are songs on this record that tell stories and there are songs on this record that are very personal, but overall we just hope people enjoy listening to it.
Gideon, who was the producer for Runaway and what did the collaboration between band and producer look like in the studio while cutting the album?
The person who produced this album is essentially the guy who put this band together. Producer Jacob Light has been a close friend of mine for over a decade. Jacob called me up one day and introduced me to Tess who was looking for a drummer. Working with Jacob feels like home, we have a really natural click and an awesome working process. Jacob has an amazing studio called ModernTone and has a lot of tools there that made the record sound amazing. He is a talented and exceptional producer who knows how to get the best out of a musician. We all agree that ‘Runaway’ wouldn’t have been what it is without Jacob. He contributed a ton to the songs’ arrangement, production, and songwriting. Obviously, Jacob also tracked bass and lead guitar on the record and absolutely CRUSHED it.
Tess, we’re tremendous fans of the “Blondie’s Gonna Die” tune off of the new Runaway album! What’s the VH1-Behind the Music origin story on this rockin’ track?
While writing “Blondie’s Gonna Die” I was listening to a lot of old country songs that tell stories—like “Big Iron” by Marty Robbins, and I wanted to write a punkier version of that. It’s a western ghost town kind of song and ended up being one of the faster, more melodic tracks on the record.
Gideon, what differentiates the Runaway LP from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music scene?
We think this album blends a lot of things that could be missing in rock ‘n roll today. We want everything to feel very passionate and very truthful and very authentic, so if we were to stack it up against records that have come out in 2023, we hope that it is something that will eventually become a classic. Another thing that we made sure in the studio was to record an album that we can later execute live and our live shows will not fall short from the recording itself.
Tess, in the wake of the November 14 release of Runaway, can fans look forward to catching Tess & The Details on the touring/performing circuit in the coming weeks and months?
Of course! We’re very excited to get on the road and share this album with new people. We love playing in the Bay Area and California but are excited to expand our reach . We are looking forward to a West Coast tour sometime early in 2024 and are always looking for new opportunities and places to play.
Gideon, the new LP was released via the fine folks over at Double Helix Records. What makes Double Helix the perfect home for Tess & The Details and their brand of music?
Double Helix Records has a DIY heart and a major-label mindset. The owners, Jeff and Em, really invest in their artists and listen rather than dictate what an artist should do. A lot of labels could learn from them in that regard. They also were a big help in the vinyl process because they’re a vinyl-first record label. We’re very excited to be able to offer ‘Runaway’ on three really cool variants of vinyl and they brought that process to the finish line. We don’t consider Double Helix an “Amazon” kind of label. We consider them as an extension of our band, and they always come up with great suggestions and excellent ideas and input.
Tess, Tess & The Details hail from the beautiful city of San Francisco, California! How do those roots inform the sound and energy of the band?
Our band and our musical style draw significant inspiration from the notable players in our local music scene. Rather than intentionally imitating, it’s more about embracing the essence of our local musical environment. Numerous individuals across various generations have remarked that our sound has an early-record quality, a timeless blend of classic and punk rock that resonates with a broad audience.
A question for all of you: Who inspires you musically?
We have a deep appreciation for enduring bands, those with a distinct identity and albums that stand the test of time. Tess, being an avid bookworm, is constantly immersed in reading, drawing inspiration for lyrics from a diverse range of sources—spanning novels, horror movies, and even political themes. Our aim is to engage the listener’s intellect, encouraging them to ponder and interpret the songs in their own unique way.
Gideon, what does the creative process look like when the band gets together to work on new material? Does everyone contribute to the overall musical proceedings?
We have a pretty well streamlined process when it comes to songwriting. Either Tess or me comes up with the initial chord progression and a top line melody and then we send demos back and forth until we have a basic structure of verse, chorus, bridge, etc. with the top line and the lyrics. We later share those demos with the rest of the band at practice and we tweak and produce songs until we all feel comfortable and feel like they are “Details” songs.
Tess, at the end of the day what do you hope audiophiles and music lovers walk away with after giving the new Tess & The Details LP Runaway copious spins on their respective hi-fi systems?
We hope people have fun listening to this record. We’ve gotten feedback that this album is really fresh, but also nostalgic, and we hope that one day it can be classic like so many of the albums that we’ve grown to love. We tried to combine traditional “old school” playing and recording methods while still keeping everything clean, polished, and updated so it will meet today’s sonic standards.
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