Biography

Daughter of a musician father and author/poet mother, Tess had music and songwriting laid in her cradle, as the Germans say. She decided to hold off with talking in favor of working on her singing voice at the age of two, adding "Create In Me a Clean Heart" and "Tender Shepherd" to her early repetoire. At the age of five she began playing the piano, violin at 12, and the guitar made its appearance at 14. The musical stylings of Slash were the goal at first, but hardcore riffing soon gave way to contemplative songwriting. Tess spent her high school years playing and singing in the band Nothing in Return as well as studying classical piano at a performing arts high school in Houston, Texas.

From 1994-1995 she supported the band Sixpence None the Richer on their European and American tours and even contributed a track ("Disconnect") to their second record This Beautiful Mess. Wanting to make a go of it on her own, Tess began recording her songs under various names such as Splendora, phantasmic and Tess Wiley and her Orchestra. She also served as one of the voices for Velour100 on Of Colour Bright in 1997. 

Eventually love came to town and, when it left, took her with it. Tess married photographer/music video director/journalist/Hessenmob Skateboards CEO Christian Roth and followed him to his hometown of Giessen, Germany. Tess returned to America periodically, more specifically New York City, to record her first official debut record Rainy Day Assembly. 

Tess is now happy to be working with the Hamburg label Tapete Records.