Tess Dunn

Tess Dunn’s voice has been described as “gorgeously raspy,” and “passionate and real.” This teenaged singer-songwriter phenom from Santa Cruz, California writes songs that “…delve into deeper and darker spaces than the pop stars of her time.” Classifying her music is a challenge, but alternative rock to alternative pop will have to suffice. Whether rocking the keyboard and keytar, or singing a soulful ballad, Tess connects with her audiences at a deep level. Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

Tess Dunn’s voice has been described as “gorgeously raspy,” and “passionate and real.” This teenaged singer-songwriter phenom from Santa Cruz, California writes songs that “…delve into deeper and darker spaces than the pop stars of her time.” Classifying her music is a challenge, but alternative rock to alternative pop will have to suffice. Whether rocking the keyboard and keytar, or singing a soulful ballad, Tess connects with her audiences at a deep level. Tess started playing the piano at age 5, writing songs at 11 and performing on stage at 12. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), an incurable life-threatening disease which causes progressive lung damage, Tess faces issues of mortality that infuse her music and lyrics with radiant richness and haunting depth. Dubbed in the media as “the young and the fearless,” Tess says living with CF is “…like having a clock ticking over your head, but it has a way of putting things in perspective.” Rather than slowing her down, Tess’ health issues have spurred her to pursue her music at a dizzying pace. She performs regularly throughout Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area, performed at the 2009 Vans Warped Tour in San Francisco, and 2010 Warped Tour in Mountain View and has opened for artists including Karla Bonoff, Nina Storey, Ari Shine, and Adrienne Pierce. She is a regular on local radio stations, has contributed songs to two anthology albums and participated in a national CF film and music production, “The Breathe Project.” In addition to raising CF awareness, Tess is a strong supporter of “To Write Love On Her Arms,” and has used her talents to raise money for the cause. Tess’ first CD, “Darling Just Walk,” released in 2009, was recorded in North Hollywood with a host of internationally recognized musicians. Tess says she “finds a certain beauty in the randomness of life,” and her music explores issues of love, trust and relationships. An affecting advocate for anyone battling the challenges of chronic disease, Tess encourages others to shake off self-pity and apathy, to make the most of every day and live with no regrets. Tess is currently in the process of recording her second album. To listen to Tess, is to be inspired. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.

…shrink me down again