Born and bred in New York City, it wasn’t until artist Tess Elena returned from living abroad in Thailand that she recognized her true love for the big apple and how it has molded her into the person she is today. Her latest EP, Fire Escape, is an ode to her life there and everything she has experienced thus far, from dating and finding love, to awakening sexual desires and everything else that comes with journeying through young adulthood.
Sonically, the EP dances between indie pop and folk, with Elena’s soulful vocals adding a warmth and depth to the music. Her lyrics are raw, personal and relatable, with the songwriter sharing, “I have always used songwriting as a form of therapy for me to get through life. So each one of these songs was therapeutic in writing them.”
Elena’s music highlights very real and important themes, such as “Subway DMs” which speaks of how women can often be shamed for confidently showing their sexual side. Then there is “Emotion Mommy” which looks into how women are frequently the laborers when it comes to carrying the emotion in relationships. Despite highlighting some serious topics, the New Yorker manages to do it in a playful way, capturing the listeners attention with her fun, upbeat music and making sure they hear every word she says.
