I have to admit, when I first discovered Tess Dunn on the MySpace Music charts, I didn't pay much attention to the details. I heard a few songs and liked what I was listening to. So, I contacted Tess and asked to feature her music. As I did my homework, I learned that Tess is 15 years old, and living with Cystic Fibrosis. Or, as she puts it, "I have cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and epilepsy. I'm different."
Tess has been battling cystic fibrosis since birth. CF, an incurable respiratory disease, causes thick mucus buildup in the lungs and one of its primary manifestation is a chronic cough. The night before, and the first day of, her "Darling Just Walk" recording sessions, Tess was dealing with one of those chronic coughs. As her Mother recently told the Santa Cruz Sentinel, "the coughing persisted through that first morning at the recording studio. But on the takes in which Tess was called on to sing, the cough, however temporarily, vanished. She just seemed to power right on through."
Dunn's album, "Darling Just Walk" was produced by acclaimed singer/songwriter Ari Shine, and features singer/songwriters Adrienne Pierce and Carina Round, plus drummer Adam Topol (drummer for Jack Johnson). The album was recorded in four days, a lot considering Tess is in the eighth grade and has a medical routine that includes two hours of respiratory therapy and up to 60 pills a day, seven days a week. In addition to her solo career, Tess sings for the band Too Close For Comfort.
Tess is gearing up to play the Vans Warped Tour on Saturday, June 26th, at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Check out her song "Marionette of Me" here, then go buy the album (iTunes link is below). I have a feeling Tess won't be "unsigned" for long, and if she does remain unsigned, it will be her choosing and not due to a lack of interest.
Links: iTunes | Facebook | Twitter | MySpace | ReverbNation
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