Tessa Violet is the yellow-haired, quirky darling of the indie music scene. She got her start on YouTube, uploading original songs along with covers, accompanied with acoustic instruments and her sweet soft voice. Tessa’s sound can appeal to almost any crowd: her songs like “Not Over You’ have a catchy pop sound, where songs like her single “Games” uses breathy synth sounds and tight harmonies that evokes a more alternative vibe.
Violet’s new full-length album “Bad Ideas” was released on October 25th of this year. The album encapsulates a feeling we all know all too well, the idea of going after what you want knowing that you might not like the consequences. The titular song “Bad Ideas” along with “I Like (The Idea of) You” talk about the danger of romanticizing someone for the sake of not being alone, hyping someone up in your head to justify bad decisions you make. Violet’s biggest song to date, “Crush”, talks about how we deny our feelings for someone else and playing it cool, that it’s just a crush! Nothing more! I haven’t stalked all your social media, even your tagged photos! No way!!!
Other tracks on the album are more serious in nature, talking about unhealthy coping mechanisms for mental health or loneliness. “Wishful Drinking” addresses using alcohol to distract from one’s problems, Violet singing “This is not a problem if I don’t want it to stop…Don’t call it a problem, it’s the only thing that I’ve still got”. She also addresses the somewhat newer problem of becoming so obsessed with social media that everything now seems bland in her song “Bored”.
Something I admire about Tessa Violet’s music is she addresses mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, without romanticizing them. She walks the fine line between making her issues fuel for her art and still recognizing them as serious problems, things not to be taken lightly. That’s part of what makes her music so relatable, we all identify with the themes of isolation and longing for meaningful connections with others.
Violet does too, and she treats these feelings with the gravity and respect they deserve.
Tessa Violet is carving her own path in the music industry and, most interestingly, she is doing so without being signed to a label. The fact that Violet is an independent, or “indie” artist, means that people engaging with her work and showing interest is integral for her success, and her ability to make more incredible albums like “Bad Ideas” in the future. You can check out Tessa Violet on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube! You might have just found your new crush.