Tessa Rose Jackson – Fear Bangs The Drum

Visionary Dutch-British singer songwriter and composer Tessa Rose Jackson returns in January 2026 with her third studio album, The Lighthouse; a haunting yet life-affirming reflection on ancestry and belonging. Ahead of that Tessa releases another taste of the record, in the shape of new single ‘Fear Bangs The Drum’ out October 24th.

Set to the sound of spectral atmospherics and a playful addictive brass hook, ‘Fear Bangs the Drum’ is 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 paralyzing. 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.”

And don’t miss the accompanying music video, 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 Jackson stepping out from behind her acclaimed decade-long moniker Someone to embrace her own name once more. Rich with ghostly folklore, spectral folk, and cinematic alt-pop textures, the record explores themes of mortality, memory, and gratitude, ultimately shining a light on life’s most fragile and beautiful details.

“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.”

#tessarosejackson