Tessa Violet – My Body’s My Buddy

By starrymag | January 21, 2025

By: Alejandra Gil M.

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) For this new project it’s acoustic/healing vibes

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Olivia Barton, Brye, Monrovia, Lizzy McAlpine, India Arie

Q) Your latest single “My Body’s My Buddy” featuring Brye and corook is out. What’s the song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Definitely not. For me, it starts with the idea. What Am I trying to say? For this one I knew the title and the concept – I wanted to write a song called “My Body’s My Buddy” about how through the good and bad, my body and I, we do it together! I brought it to Brye and it came together super fast!

Q) The new remix of the song is a gender neutral version, amplifying the single’s message of inclusion, self-acceptance and body positivity. Have you received any feedback for the song that has stayed with you?

A) Dude, so much. I feel so so touched by the people who’ve reached out to me about this song changing their perspective. I did this version because I had so many people request it, and I just feel very touched and honored to be a part of people’s story toward love/healing/acceptance/forgiveness. And I feel very touched when people send me a direct message about it. Honestly, I’m so burned out on social media/looking at numbers, and it’s been very healing for me to have heard from people directly! I want everyone to feel free in their body and I know there is so much in the culture and structure of our society that works for the opposite, and a song is just a little thing. But little things add up, and I’m grateful to be a little part of people’s story.

Q) How did you come to work with corook on the track?

A) I DMed them! I’m a fan. I love their new project, especially “Crumbs” and “Emergency Contact”

Q) A music video directed by you and shot by Lily Nelson was also released a few months ago. And a new version a few weeks ago. What were the creative processes like for both videos?

A) Sometimes limitations make great art and, to be honest, money was a limiter for this one. I wanted a video but only had a very small budget for it. Luckily for me, in a former life I wanted to be a music video director/editor, so I worked with Lily to shoot it and invited some friends and fans to come be in it! then edited myself. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with it. I love getting to have the baby footage in it. I’ve thought about those home videos for a while wondering if there will ever be a moment to share them but trusting that when the time was right, I would know it. And when it came, I recognized it immediately. It’s strange though, even though it is ME in the baby footage I had this feeling of, is it right to put this little girl on the internet? But it felt brave and it felt like it was saying what I needed to say. Sometimes having some distance between ourselves and older versions of us, we see the love we deserve and my hope is when you hear this song you can reflect that someday now will be a memory, maybe we can offer ourselves that love now. As for the animated version, Bogan had made an animated video on TikTok when the first version came out and then when it was time for the gender-neutral version I asked if they could animate a full video! Love what they did so much. To be honest, both versions make me cry.

Q) Going back to 2019, your debut album Bad Ideas received Spotify’s NMF Times Square billboard, with the hit single “Crush” amassing 200M+ aggregate streams alone. What has it meant to you to gain more recognition for your music?

A) So proud of myself! It’s funny I haven’t had a success like that since the release of “Crush,” and I think sometimes people skirt around the question like…Oh, are you sad it was only one? Or something. [laughs] But to me and from my perspective and story, I’m just like, “Wow!! I can’t believe I wrote a hit song!” [laughs] I’m just amazed by it. I love when people say they love that song. It’s a celebratory one and I feel so honored to be a part of people’s celebrations. Anyway, I know that’s not what you were asking, but it’s been something I’m reflecting on a lot because when you are in the music industry there’s so much pressure to repeat that success, and if you’re unable to do it I think there can be a feeling of: am i failing? But, honestly, I just feel so blessed to have done it even one time. I hope my new music can reach more people, but even if it’s meaningful to just one person, I’m honored by that.

Q) Do you have a favorite song from your catalog or one that has been more emotional to perform for you?

A) There’s a song that isn’t out yet that I’ve played a few times at shows and on stream called “The Answer” that’s about my relationship to my voice. I have yet to get through it without crying. [laughs]

Q) Was there been a song that has challenged you the most creatively?

A) When I think of “challenging” I think of stuff I really had to work for – bridges that took a long time to materialize, etc. To be honest, most of my stuff takes forever to come together. [laughs]

Q) With “My Body’s My Buddy” out, will there be a full album or EP coming in the new year?

A) Yes, I’m working on an album now! It’s all aligned with “My Body’s My Buddy” – music as medicine, songs for healing, etc.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Dodie

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why?

A) Oliva Barton. If you like “My Body’s My Buddy,” you’re gonna like a lot of what she puts out.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I literally love you so much. You’ve changed my life. If you’ve liked anything I’ve made for a minute or for years just know I’m sending you love and I am so touched to be a small part of your life!