We recently connected with Tessa and have shared our conversation below.

Tessa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I wished I started back when I was in High School. But… Could I?
I don’t think so, I that’s why I probably didn’t. To be fair, I didn’t have the tools and knowledge to start. But I am hard on myself everyday about this.
All along, I have been put into situations that could have made it work, but then I didn’t grab the opportunity. For example, a famous singer’s vocal teacher wanted me to be their pupil, but “it wasn’t the moment”, so I had to decline. I was “too young”.
And now, reflecting back on those moments, I still wonder, why didn’t I start releasing music sooner?
There was a moment where I had the time, and I just… didn’t write MY OWN songs. I never finished any song. I didn’t have anything that I really wanted to write about.

But then, in 2021 I moved to Bilbao. I was 22 years old at the time, but I felt that’s when my life actually started! I released my first EP about my life in Bilbao: the surf, the ocean, love, and photography.

Turns out maybe life was waiting for me to ACTUALLY feel something, and write about something that really made me feel passionate about. Not just random high school situations, which, to be honest, I just know I would hate those (thank God) never-written songs!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I remember the first time I really learned how to record myself and produce songs, it was at an online course, just after the pandemic, when EVERYONE and EVERYTHING was going on online. Turns out it was a life-changing moment in my career and I didn’t even know.

When I moved to Bilbao, the north of Spain, I didn’t know I was going to feel that much. I thought, “Damn, it feels like I was half dead all these years, and I just started living here”. Deciding to move was life-changing.

You don’t really know how important a moment or a decision is in your life until enough time has passed. And how everything is connected.
I like to think that everything is connected. And you cannot reach X point in your life without going through X steps. So steps, big or small are important.

Now I have been studying and making music for over 3 years, but I still remember the first tips and tricks I learned at that very first music online course I did in 2020. Forever grateful for those first lessons.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want more people to wish me happy birthday. Let me explain; this is not the goal, but the meaning behind that sentence is.

This year was the first time ever that STRANGERS texted me on Instagram happy birthday; usually it’s my friends and family, but this year, I had “fans”, I guess, that listen to my music, that texted me! And I couldn’t believe it.
And my first thought when I saw that was, I want more people to know about my music, about me, to “wish me happy birthday”, because that means they know about me, and then so, my music!
Having people who know me (because of my music) is the most rewarding feeling because I feel less alone. And this is the reason I make music. To feel less alone, and for people to feel less alone too.

How did you build your audience on social media?

For me, my social media presence took off when I understood the difference between POSTING on Social Media versus BEING on Social Media.
How much context do you need to give your audience when you talk about something? How much do they know (about you, your music, your projects…). That makes the difference.

There are different types of artists, in my case, I want fans to feel almost like friends.
Friends know about you! And so I am sharing content on my socials with this perspective.

Yes, consistency is key, but making it easy to understand as much as you can is paramount. Everyone’s brain is a bit “on standby” when they’re scrolling. So, a tip: make sure you post “simple” content. People will then want to stay! And make it relatable, because people like to feel part of something bigger.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtessatide
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tessatide
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1zKgAbXsEzAPnBlyaMPCUw
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tessatide

Image Credits

Self portraits
Aśya
A.S.
Gianspeaking