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| Interview: Tess Wiley |
| inthefall- Tess, your new record "Rainy Day Assembly" was released independently in September 2001 (available at http://wileyrock.de). Have you decided on a label yet or are you still looking for the right one? Tess- We're definitly looking for a label. It's so hard! I know everyone has their problems, especially artists, since their music doesn't tend to fit into formulas or "radio format". Labels only want hits. Or at least one. Naturally, i think at |
| least half of my record is hits, but try telling that to some A&R guy at Sony! In the meantime we're looking into distribution. inthefall- Your website mentioned that on your new album you worked with some of the musicians that have worked with Aimee Mann and Beth Orton, what was that like for you? Tess- It was really great to work with so many differant awsome players. Matt Johnson, the drummer for Jeff Buckley back in the day, played on a couple songs. He's awsome ive been wanting to play with for a while. Gerry Leonard, a guitarist on the record, plays with a ton of people. Hes on the newest Suzanne Vega CD. I always have to smile when i hear recordings featuring him. He has such a defined style. The Vega record starts out with a faint "tinkly" guitar loop sound, which is probably as good as his signature. I love that about him! Then theres drummer Shawn Pelton, who plays on just about everyone's record. Its a cool feeling to look at the latest endeavor by, say, Sheryl Crow and see names of people who played on my record. inthefall- Also, how has your experience with other bands (Sixpence None the Richer, Nothing in Return, Velour 100, Phantasmic) effected your career and performance as a musician? How has that experience effected "Rainy Day Assembly"? Tess- In sixpence i definitely got a taste of the industry and also of professionalism in the studio. Of course, i myself was always a little sloppy or raucous on my own in the studio, but there are definitly technics and styles that one picks up from others. Especially i do- Im very easily influenced! I would say that the main thing that influenced my approach to Rainy Day Assembly was the fact that i usually dont take my time in the studio or my tendency to divert to a more rock edge. I really wanted to hear what i would sound life if i were a little more fanicly produced, and definitly in a good studio. I have recorded in some good oness before, some crappy ones too, but Effanel is basically the cream of the crop although its not really advertised as a recording studio. They do more post-production work there for live recordings. inthefall- I know often times it seems like the radio is dominated by male voices/ male bands, thats a major reason why i developed a radio show for women in music at Ohio University. Do you find it hard to be a woman musician in a field dominated by men? Tess- Ive never experienced a problem being a woman in this male- dominated field. But i still only have a limited amount of experience, and that only on the "lower rungs". Im sure as one gets higher up, people are less willing to take a risk on a woman, if its perceived as a risk. But i have to say, I really think that way of thinking is changing. Maybe im naive and dont see behind the scenes- maybe the women being played on radio and MTV and being interviewed in magazines had to work much harder than their male counterparts. But it is clear to me that there are just as many music fans out there who love music by women as well as men. At least in my circle of |
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| friends, the sex of the singer/players isnt a factor as long as theyre good. inthefall- I know one of the first things i like to learn about people is what kind of music they listen to. Who are some of your favorite artists, what are you listening to now? What bands have inspired you musically? Tess- Some sleepers in my stereo are Crowded House, Bjork, Alison Krauss, Jeff Buckley and Shawn Colvin. |
| At the moment im listening to Norah Jones, Suzanne Vega and even Alanis Morrisette! As long as i dont pay attention to her lyrics, which drive me batty because theyre so underdeveloped and dont fit with the melody, i really quite like the music. Im also saturating my brain with the CD of the musical "I Love You, Youre Perfec, Now Change", but thats because i agreed to accompany the production on a piano at a local community theatre. inthefall- I noticed you have a skateboarding link on your website (www.hessenmob.de). I thought that was really interesting since ive always wanted to learn how to skateboard. Do you skate? Tess- I dont skate, although my husband (Christian Roth) wants to have a longboard make for me so i can cruise around town. Christian and his partner Michael started Hessenmob skateboards about two years ago. Theyre slowly dominating the German skate scene and are getting a lot of interest from America. Its a very art- oriented company, with the graphics playing as big a part as the quality of the board. Some design contributers are Mark Gonzales, Shepard Fairey and artists from Alien Workshop, Girl, Four Star and Chocolate. There's a new company called Seek (founded by people from Alien Workshop, et al.) which has a series of boards featuring photos by Christian. He a photographer by trade. inthefall- One of your record reviews (www.cornerstonefestival.com) mention that you have relocated to Germany. How do you think the German recording industry or music scene differs from Americas? Tess- So far, the feeling i get from German labels, management and publishing is that if theres not a hit single that comes up and smacks you in the face, they dont want to have anything to do with you. I can only imagine its the same way in America, but i think theres also more of an alternative scene/infrastructure in America. Germany is not a very artistic country- people who want to have a go in a creative field are often looked at as if they just want to get out of working hard. Germany does have a lot of other great qualities, but they dont help me much in my musical pursuit! But im in the process of putting together a really good band, and im meeting more people in music everyday, so well see what happens. |
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