Tess Becket Might Start
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking again with singer-songwriter and audio engineer Tess Becket who just released their sophomore single "Drink" out now on all platforms!
Mustard had the pleasure of originally speaking with Tess Becket in April 2023. Check out our initial conversation here.
In their interview with Sarah Katherine Lawless Mustard remarked that all of the world is a stage. As a condiment whose only role has been as a prop they have had the pleasure of seeing how wonderful theatre can be. Human actors meticulously transition into characters who like them have an objective. Each with their own unique approach for tackling a scene. They pause. They take a beat. In this beat you play the scene in your head (or bottle cap) over and over and over just like it was rehearshed a hundred times before. What comes next is a scene that moves both the actor and audience.
For Tess Becket, singer songwriter and audio engineer, the stage was a place of refuge. Theatre helped bring Tess Becket out of a dark place. Tess had previously swam competively but had to stop due to chronic illness. Theatre for Tess Becket became like a second home. Since then Becket has gone on to shadow tours for the likes of Joan Jett, help with sound in a feature film, and travel.
Becket is a producer, songwriter, and audio engineer who is ready to share their songs with the world. They have over one hundred unreleased tracks. In our first interview Tess shared that they plan to release the latest songs they’ve written which explore heavy real life experiences. Tess has released: Toxic and Drink. Both heavy subject matter wise but will keep the listener engaged. Mustard is looking forward to what else Becket has planned.
In our conversation below you have an opportunity to learn more about Tess Becket. Together we discuss their favorite artists growing up, theatre, newest single Drink, and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful and appreciative to have you join them again at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?
I’m delighted to be back at Music Shelf with Mustard. I had a great time during our last interview, so I’m excited!
2. When we spoke last you shared you spent all your downtime listening to music. Who were some of your favorite artists growing up? Is there an album or song that made an impact on you?
Yes, I still have music playing all the time! As a young kid, I loved Lady Gaga and The Beatles. The first album I ever intentionally listened to was The Beatles' "1.” One of my brothers bought that and a CD player for me before he went to college. As for Lady Gaga, I would rip MP3s online, load them onto my MP3 player, and lip-sync to The Fame in the backseat. I remember singing "I Like It Rough" and my mom asking, "Do you know what this song is about?" I didn’t.
The first band I really got into as a teenager was Death Cab for Cutie. Their album Transatlanticism is probably the most impactful album for me to this day (along with After Laughter by Paramore). Ben Gibbard has incredible songwriting skills that resonated deeply with me. A lot of lyrics on that album are really beautifully sung-through poems. "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" is still my favorite song of all time. That song really comforted me when I experienced grief for the first time.
3. Musical theatre sparked your love of performance. How did the world of theatre help inspire you creatively and personally?
I would say theatre basically saved my life. I briefly mentioned this when we last spoke, but I swam competitively for a decade until I had a severe flare-up of a chronic illness. I had devoted my entire life to swimming, so when I lost that, I lost nearly all of my friends and a big part of my identity. I was homeschooled because the practice schedule was so rigorous, so I really had nothing to fall back on. On top of that, I was a very sick, lonely, and closeted teenager. I felt like I was going a little insane.
I used to sing in my bedroom and write songs by myself, but I never shared them with anyone. I had never sung in front of anybody before, and certainly never danced. But then I saw a posting for Beauty and the Beast at a community theatre near me, and I thought, "All right, I’ll try." So I did, and I really found my home—playing a plate in Beauty and the Beast. I met some of my best friends there, and it brought me out of a dark place.
4. Mustard has observed that humans find musical theatre polarizing. If you had to select three musicals for a human to check out which would they be and why?
Theatre culture can be cringey from the outside looking in (and from the inside, honestly). However, the sense of community felt in theatre is unmatched. My three favorite musicals are Hadestown, Singin’ in the Rain, and Fun Home. Hadestown is a beautiful interpretation of the Orpheus and Eurydice story, with lively instrumentals and unique vocal performances. Singin’ in the Rain is a classic movie-musical with pure entertainment. Fun Home tells the heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting true story of a lesbian cartoonist who grew up in rural Pennsylvania. I find a lot of myself in that musical, and “Medium Alison” is one of my dream roles.
5. Mustard has also observed you've had the pleasure of shadowing tour managing for Joan Jett, helping with sound on a feature film, and traveling. How do each of these experiences help shape Tess Becket?
Before mid-2023, I felt like I spent most of my life taking care of other people. I resolved to live for myself more, and the resulting adventures made me a more complete, kind person—mostly thanks to the countless people who shared their wisdom, time, and knowledge with me. All of the experience I have is because someone agreed to let me pester them, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
6. They are curious if the feature film you helped on has been released? Can readers spot your names in the credits?
It has not been released just yet! It is a Christmas movie called Christmas Telethon. I’m hoping it will release in an upcoming Christmastime—and my name should be in the credits!
7. You won first place at the York State Fair. Could you share more about this experience? What was the competition you won?
Haha, I did! I won first place at the York State Fair this year in crochet for a goldfish named Budgie. My mom and I always enter something and attend the fair together. I’ve crocheted for 15 years and have taken home the victory crown from elderly women many of those years. When I was 12, I spent all summer crocheting my magnum opus (a horse named Gary), which won Best in Show, meaning I beat out all the old ladies in every needlework category!
8. King Princess, Hayley Williams, and Julien Baker are some of your influences. Which album from each would you consider essential listening?
Listen to King Princess’s Hold on Baby, Hayley Williams' Flowers for Vases (and Paramore’s After Laughter), and Julien Baker’s Little Oblivions. They are queer staples.
9. When we spoke last you were about to release your debut single Toxic into the world. The song has amassed over 50k streams. How does it feel to have your music reach so many people? Have listeners reached out to you relating to it?
Releasing "Toxic" is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’m so proud of it, and even more proud that other people found it moving. Multiple people have reached out to share their experiences and how that song helped them, which is the craziest, most important thing that could come from releasing a song. One person told me that it made them see the world differently. I can’t express how scared I was to share that song and how rewarding it is to hear that it resonated with people enough for them to listen to it even twice—let alone 50,000 times.
10. During our last conversation you mentioned how some humans are unable to walk away from a toxic situation. Why do you think this is?
People stay in toxic situations for many reasons. Often, people don’t realize how bad it is while they’re in it, or they think they deserve to be treated that way. Other times, people are financially or emotionally dependent on the person. Sometimes, it’s just not safe to walk away.
11. Mustard would like to congratulate you on your sophomore release Drink. Could you tell us more about your newest release?
Thank you, Mustard! It took time for me to finally call this song “done,” so I’m eager to share it. I wrote a version of it about a year ago after breaking up with my first long-term girlfriend. It’s about navigating leaving a difficult relationship while being sober. I've never had a sip of alcohol due to having a chronic illness and family history of dependency, and the lyrics explore that feeling of "God, I've never done this, but it feels so bad, I might start." It's an indie rock song that starts out really intimate and becomes heavier in the choruses.
12. Listening to the track Mustard noticed that it builds up and becomes more angry over time. Was this intentional?
“Drink” started out as a slow, acoustic, and meditative ballad from beginning to end. When I first reflected on the relationship, I mulled over a t-shirt and other remnants of our love and didn’t want to let go. I felt terrible and upset. As I revisited the song over time, it got increasingly angrier, fuzzier, and more intense. That shift in the song’s mood reflects how my view of the relationship changed. I began to see some troubling behavior more clearly, and I got angry about it.
13. How does songwriting (and music) help you approach troubling situations or behavior?
I don’t know if there’s ever been a time when I didn't find comfort in listening to music. It’s such a universal human experience to put on a song and feel understood by someone who doesn’t even know you. I’m not an incredibly emotional person. My role is usually to be a source of stability in my relationships. Music helps me feel my emotions, and songwriting helps me process them.
14. You have never drank alcohol but the situation made you feel like you wanted to. In situations like these how do you clear your mind?
I usually walk away or take a minute to collect myself. I compartmentalize. In a crisis, I’ll be completely calm and collected in the moment, and then later—weeks, months, or even years—I’ll realize how it affected me and then deal with it. Songwriting helps me face the emotions I haven’t faced.
15. What is on the horizon for Tess Becket?
I have a few more singles to release, and I’m planning on compiling some for an EP next year. I am going out on tour in the States and Canada as a videographer for a couple of months this fall, but I want to book a show with my band in the winter. I’m trying to be less guarded overall with sharing my work.
16. Can readers still find your music on all streaming platforms?
Absolutely. Visit my website tessbecket.com, follow me on everything @tessbecket, or look up my name on any platform (Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, and more) to find my music!
Link to your preferred streaming service : https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/tessbecket/drink-2
Talking in the aisle
Have you listened to Tess Becket?
Were you involved in theatre?
How do you handle troubling situations?
Music Shelf with Mustard is a publication that interviews independent musicians from all across the globe. It is read in 34 states and 19 countries. Check out previous interviews here.
Music Shelf with Mustard originally began in early 2021. Inspired by independent musicians on social media application TikTok Mustard knew they had to do something to help share their music. Shortly after Music Shelf with Mustard was born. Its goal is to highlight independent artists from all across the globe. Mustard appreciates you taking the time out to read this interview.