British/Dutch singer, songwriter and composer Tessa Rose Jackson returns in January 2026 with her third studio album, “The Lighthouse”; a reflection on ancestry and belonging.
Ahead of that Tessa has just released a taste of the record, in the shape of new single “Fear Bangs The Drum” – a song about acknowledging fear and allowing it to resonate, instead of trying to repress it.
“I am quite a fearful person myself – I worry about something happening to my loved ones, about the state of the world,” says Tessa. “Fear can be paralysing. Recently, instead of trying to push it down, I’ve been allowing myself to let it bubble to the surface and just let it be for a bit, not acting on it but also not fighting it. And then… breathe out. And let it go.
“It’s funny that this song is one of the most celebratory songs on the record. The bridge is possibly my favourite bit of the whole album – this joyful expelling of all worry: everything passes. As will I. As will this. Be here now.”
The accompanying music video was made with director David Spearing and production designer Joseph Bisat Marshall. Director David Spearing: “Fear Bangs the Drum continues my ongoing collaboration with Tess and our small group of creatives. The idea was to start in a place of innocence, a perfect little handmade town, and slowly let fear infect it.
“What begins as a comforting world becomes a mirror of unease, until Tess’s performance shifts from vulnerability to control. For me, the film is about the moment you stop trying to shut fear out, and instead learn to live with it, maybe even use it.”
Written during a secluded period in rural France, forthcoming album “The Lighthouse” sees 33-year-old Tessa stepping out from behind her acclaimed decade-long moniker “Someone”, to embrace her own name once more.
Her 2013 album “(Songs From) The Sandbox” was a success at the age of 19. Rejecting performative pop, for the next decade she retreated behind a kind of anti-pseudonym, recording simply as Someone – a project which pushed the boundaries of art and music with experimental visuals, augmented reality, and immersive live shows.
From 2017, Someone indulged influences from Air to Charlotte Gainsbourg, Carole King, Feist and Tame Impala to make “beautiful dream-pop music.” Releases included 2019’s “Orbit” EP, 2020’s EP “Orbit II”, and the albums; 2021’s “Shapeshifter” and 2023’s “Owls.”
With “The Lighthouse”, Tessa distils the spirit of innovation she explored as Someone, into something rawer and deeply personal. It marks a turning point not just in her career, but in her reckoning with memory, grief, and identity.
“The Lighthouse felt like a beacon,” Jackson reflects. “It’s an album that talks about death, but not in a purely dark sense. For me, it’s also about the celebration of life – embracing fears, identity, and the stories we inherit.”
Following the album’s release on 23rd January, Tessa embarks on an 11-date European tour, including six in the UK which kick off in Brighton on March 11th 2026. [She also has a show in Glasgow on 29th January 2026].
