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What kind of freaky baby would you have if you were a pregnant, struggling singer performing nightly next to a thumping rhythm section, until the very week you gave birth? What if you had that baby playing classical piano daily, before she could even string a formal sentence together? And what would that child sound like if she constantly listened to the great soul artists like Stevie, Donny and Marvin? Well, that child would sound like soulful singer/songwriter, Tess Henley.

Tess is definitely not your average retro-soul chanteuse. Though she’s been under the radar for just a year, she managed to get her first CD, Easy to Love, added to Play Network’s rotation (they represent Starbucks, GAP and other stores), became a new artist on the popular radio site Pandora.com, and won the Best Local Band Contest for the northwestern United States’ largest radio station.

On Easy to Love, Tess displays her emotional voice and piano prowess with a sultry vibe that refines the tapestry of R&B and neo-soul into her own smooth silk. Tess writes addictive, musically rich songs that soothe the soul of young and old alike.

Tess is soft-spoken, not one to openly share her innermost thoughts and feelings...yet she found music as a way to pour out these emotions. She confidently peels away her quiet side and lets the listener in, writing about her youthful look at relationships won (Fool With You, Easy to Love), relationships lost (Hitting Me Hard Now) and relationships somewhere in between (Complicated). Sharing a story to which many of us can relate, you can feel her heartache after a first love in Disguise, while Pompi's Song, complete with Seattle gospel singers, is a touching tribute to her late grandfather who “inspired her with humility and grace”.

Henley, an admitted perfectionist, says the CD was recorded at Soul Sound Studios with producer David Thomson, and adds with a humble smile: “Wow, that project was all about hard work and long hours, but when I see everyone having a good time at our live shows, it makes the process all worth while.”