Inside "The Lighthouse With Strings" - A Conversation with Tessa Rose Jackson
Tessa Rose Jackson discusses reimagining The Lighthouse with a string quartet, embracing imperfection, returning to her own name, self-doubt, the strange world behind the album, and more.
Tessa Rose Jackson is a Dutch-British singer-songwriter and composer who returned to her own name for her deeply personal album, The Lighthouse. On September 4, she released The Lighthouse With Strings (Live at Metropolis), reimagining seven songs from the album with guitar, Wurlitzer and string quartet.
We spoke with Jackson about recording live, embracing human imperfection, self-doubt, the Martin 00018 that changed her songwriting, the strange world behind The Lighthouse, and more.
Eugenia Roditis, Musicngear: The Lighthouse With Strings revisits seven songs from The Lighthouse. How did you approach reworking them for a string quartet?
What I wanted was to strip the songs down to the absolute core. Just me, my guitar, Darius on Wurlitzer, and a string quartet, but without losing the rhythms or riffs of some of the songs. Automatically, the emotion and the lyrics become the biggest players, and Sam Rowe (my brilliant friend and string arranger) translated a lot of phrases from the lyrics and a lot of parts from the original songs into the string arrangements.
So in Wild Geese, you'll hear the strings mimic the squawking of birds, and in The Lighthouse the strings feel like a bit creaking boat tilting heavily on the waves. It brings the whole visual to life.
Musicngear: You recorded the EP live, all together, in a single day at Metropolis. What did that approach bring out in the performances?
The whole process of The Lighthouse has been about celebrating human imperfection, and I think that has taught me a great deal about honesty in performance, and the value of unedited, natural moments.
These recordings are just us, in one flow, reacting to each other and just greatly enjoying making music together. Not focused on honing little moments, it's all about the bigger picture, the whole story. And I think you can really feel that.
Musicngear: The Lighthouse explores mortality, memory, identity and the stories we inherit. How do these themes feel different to you now that you’re performing the songs live?
Well, I'm already three years older than when I wrote most of these songs. So naturally, things have happened; I feel slightly different about some of the topics. But then with other songs, they actually serve as a helpful reminder every time I perform them. From my past self to my current self - bringing me back on track if I've spiralled away.
It's always interesting how songs develop as you tour them. Having sung these words live, in front of many different people, certain sentences have a different colour than they did when they had not yet been brought out beyond the walls of the studio. Emphasis changes, perspective shifts.
Musicngear: After years of releasing music as Someone, you returned to your own name for The Lighthouse. What made that feel like the right time to do so?
The Lighthouse is such an incredibly personal record. And the human element is so at the core of the whole thing... it felt unnatural to release it under a pseudonym. Just didn't feel right. It was something I'd been toying with for a while, switching back to my own name, and this record just made it feel meant to be.
Musicngear: As a composer and songwriter, what piece of gear has played the biggest role in shaping the way you make music?
Well, my Martin 00018 would have to be the answer. It's boring, I know. But for years I had said I wouldn't allow myself to buy a 'good' guitar, because I wasn't a good enough guitar player. Really silly, roundabout way of thinking!
Because, of course, as soon as I bought myself that guitar, I couldn't stop playing it. And I got good. And so many more songs started rolling out.
Musicngear: What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome as an artist, and what would you tell someone facing the same obstacle now?
Self-doubt. It's a tough world out there, full of opinions and pre-conceptions and competition. And it's so hard not to let any of that affect you - but it's something I practice very consciously and manage a lot better than when I was younger.
Trusting in your own core musicianship, in your own vision, and trusting that if you love it, somebody else will too. You can't please everybody, and certainly art that pleases everyone is not the most interesting.
Enjoy and believe in what you do, challenge yourself, but don't lose sight of what makes you you.
Musicngear: With The Lighthouse With Strings and the tour ahead, what would make this release cycle feel like a success for you?
Honestly, just having a room full of people sharing the music with us is more than enough. I love every second of sharing the stage with these players and the room with kind people. I could do that every single day.
Musicngear: Let’s end somewhere a little strange: if The Lighthouse With Strings could open a door to any imaginary place- real, fictional, or somewhere you invent- where would the music take you?
Well, the original the Lighthouse album was obliquely about a story I wrote in my mind about the island of the dead. A foggy, misty village inhabited by people from all eras who have passed. Living together (in greyscale, somehow), sharing stories about life and welcoming the new arrivals as they wash up on the shore with a cup of tea and a song in the local tavern.
Oil lamps and wood and horse-drawn carriages and slightly out-of-tune pianos. A local forest, somehow always bathed in moonlight. A bell tower that chimes with every new arrival. Shared stories and memories and joy and togetherness and melancholy.
That's where.
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About Eugenia Roditis
Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.
Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com
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