“I think that your thick skull has a gravitational pull / NASA’s got it twisted ‘cause we all revolve around you,”
– “Narcissist” by Tessa Turner
On May 4, Tessa Stadnik – artistically known as Tessa Turner – will unveil not just a song but an era.
In stark contrast with her newest fury-laced track, Turner practically floated into the Parkland doors and delivered hugs before she sat down to talk with us. When she arrived, her infectious, positive attitude filled the room as she spilled on the details surrounding her upcoming music festival performance and the reality of balancing a passion for the arts with the bustle of family life.
Tessa Turner playing at the Rose Bowl Tavern in 2022
Provided by: Tessa Turner
“[I’m] letting people know that you can have a nine-to-five. You can have a family and do it, and you can still be an individual… You don’t have to do it perfectly.”
Turner will unleash her first-ever whole band arrangement of “Narcissist” on the audience of Perimeter Road’s annual music festival in Parkland’s B1 parking lot. After admitting to creating the song five years ago, Turner revealed that she has been plotting many other musical endeavors.
She announces the arrival of a new age with news of an EP in the works, delivering songs characterized as ‘fun and punchy’ unlike her older, more melancholic music. “I definitely know four or five songs [I] want on my debut EP, being ‘Narcissist,’ ‘Maniac,’ ‘The Accountant,’ ‘FM,’ and then if I had a fifth song… it would be ‘Urge.’”
Each of these songs showcases Turner’s love for looking through others’ eyes and empathizing with their perspective. “The Accountant,” in particular, is about her husband’s point of view when she is going through a depressive episode. This love of understanding others has been a part of her upbringing.
“I think without having been taught how to be a compassionate person, [and] without [my mom] modeling that, then I feel like I wouldn’t have the writing style that I do.”
After growing up in Champaign County with her adoptive parents, Tessa discovered two important things that led her to her milestone:
The first was her love for art and creation.
“My parents were pretty supportive of the ways I wanted to be musical or creative,” she said. Growing up with the influences of instrumentalists like Darwin Deez and JW Francis, Turner found an early love of composition and layers within music.
Likewise, a core part of her songwriting is experimenting and challenging herself to find new avenues to go down. In every single song, she weaponizes the love of self-discovery and crafting meaningful art that she hopes survives long after she does.
After facing hard times, Turner had to drop out of college and move back to her hometown of Urbana, where she found herself far from her dreams of France and international glamor. However, she shouldered the weight of this setback and used it to strengthen herself for future challenges.
This leads to the second lesson she learned – unshakable resilience and how to teach it to others.
Growing up, she felt starved of people who looked like her in the industry. Being a Filipino girl with a low voice, she felt there were very few things for her to look up to. She had to wait until adulthood for other Asian performers like Mitski to show up, but nowadays, she makes sure that everyone has someone to guide them and recognize their efforts.
Now, she serves as a beacon of hope for both the young children she teaches and any adult who may feel they are too bogged down by their responsibilities to pursue their dreams. Between her music, which dives into the human experience, and being certified to teach Spanish and French, Turner has quite the talent for helping others be seen and heard.
At 30 years old, she is hitting major milestones that she has always dreamed about. Turner cherishes sharing adventures with her husband, Jamie, and son, Turner. However, she also makes sure to take time for herself. She laughed while explaining her intricate Google Calendars and the complicated balance between teaching, parenting and creating.
At the heart of this story is an insatiable will to create and a drive to overcome anything that gets in your way, no matter how much careful planning and hard work goes into it. Part of the reason she has been able to persist so far into music is because she considers it a part of her health.
“Family is so important to me but I have to make sure I am functioning, so to me being able to do music is like part of my health. I actually think of it that way because it’s part of my mental health so I prioritize it.”
Turner is not only kickstarting an era of her own but is also spearheading the first of three songs in this year’s iteration of Perimeter Road’s Singles Series. Be sure to look out for our articles regarding Henri Turner’s “Whatever Happens” and the Spawns of Chaos’s “Devil Spawn” as they hit streaming services this summer.
Now that you have gotten a glimpse into who Tessa Turner is feel free to follow her on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. There, she posts covers and sneak peeks of her new music. Make sure to look out for her new releases on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music.
