Prior to becoming a musician, Tessa was an accomplished journalist whose work appeared in Elle, Vogue, the Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, South China Morning Post, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Salon, and more. She specialized in identifying intriguing, off-beat social trends, including cuddle parties, embryo adoption and life coaches (she wrote the first article on coaches to appear in the British press, for the Times, in 1997), as well as covering a range of subjects from dating in New York to aliens in Nevada. Nowadays focused on her music career, she still writes occasionally, when invited – most recently a piece on French movie icon Isabelle Adjani and two cover stories on Canadian-American alt rock superstar Alanis Morissette and Irish playwright Conor McPherson. Her regular AllAboutJazz column, ‘Out and About: The Super Fans,’ which she co-writes with singer Andrea Wolper, is HERE. Read just a few of her feature articles below.
INTERVIEWS
Write a Musical Around Bob Dylan Songs? A “Really Weird” Idea Pays Off Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum Magaziney Irish playwright Conor McPherson on his Grammy-nominated and likely 2022 Tony contender, Girl from the North Country COVER STORY READ
You Oughta Know: Alanis Morissette on the guts of the musical Little Jagged Pill Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum Magazine Morissette insisted there be no holding back from the tough issues in the hit musical inspired by her iconic album COVER STORY READ
Isabelle Adjani on a radical reworking of cult movie Opening Night Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum Magazine In her latest role, Isabelle Adjani portrays an actor who is tormented by her lost youth – which couldn’t be further from her true self READ
Super Mario Elle Magazine Young, gifted and gorgeous, Mario Van Peebles is a cowboy with a cause. The actor/director gets on his high horse with Tessa Souter. READ
Manic Streak Preacher The Saturday Times Magazine Andy Behrman claims to have left behind the rollercoaster life of a manic depressive that he documents in his book. But when Tessa Souter met the former art dealer, forger and go-go boy, he still seemed electrically charged. READ
Have a Nice Death Australian HQ Magazine She brought ease to the terminally ill and aid to their grieving loved ones. But when Elisabeth Kubler-Ross started seeing “spooks” and weighing into the afterlife debate, some said the guru had gone plumb loco. So, had she? READ
Naked City HQ Magazine Crowds of New Yorkers gladly get up early to be photographed lying in the street in the nude. It’s art, explains shutterbug Spencer Tunick. But the NYPD begs to differ. READ
Girls Own Story HQ Magazine The amazing true tale of a woman who lived as a man (and died for it) was tailor-made for tough-cookie film producer Christine Vachon. READ
Anne and Katie Roiphe The Saturday Times Magazine Most mothers and daughters have their differences: but what happens when one is a radical 1970s feminist and the other writes about why men should pay for dinner? READ
FEATURES
A Word in Your Ear The Times She’s mother, friend, therapist all in one, and she charges by the hour. Tessa Souter on the rise of the life coach. READ
Klaatu barada nikto! HQ Magazine Greetings Earthlings! Way out in the Nevada desert, the top-secret military base known as Area 51 is proving an irresistible magnet to strange visitors from other planets (and to even stranger ones from planet Earth). READ
The Comfort of Strangers The Times Give me a hug: Can cuddle parties cure the loneliness epidemic? READ
Girls Will Be Boys Elle Magazine Even at the age of five Krissie didn’t feel happy in a tutu. Now she wears suits and ties, she’s called Kevin and she’s a man. READ
License to Kill Elle Magazine It’s legal and widely advertised … it’s one of the government’s biggest money-spinners. And it kills 300 people a day. Tessa Souter investigates the politics of smoking. READ
Growing Older Gracefully Good Housekeeping Magazine You can’t stop the clock, so find your look and just relax. READ
Health report: Youth Juice? Vogue Magazine In the United States melatonin has been hailed as an anti-aging miracle drug, and sales are soaring. In Britain it has been removed from over-the-counter sales. What’s all the fuss about? READ
Rules of the Hunt Metro Dating in NYC is an exercise in primitive psychology READ
Date Expectations Guardian newspaper Tessa Souter reflects on the tricky business of boy-meets-girl in the modern world READ
MISCELLANEOUS
Tribute to Trumpeter Lew Soloff London Jazz News READ
Tribute to Mark Murphy London Jazz News READ
Sheila Jordan at the London Jazz Festival London Jazz News READ
Billie Documentary Film London Jazz News READ
STYLE
The Jeweler to Know New York Observer Jacques Jarrige’s simple metallic shapes define spring’s hottest trend. READ
View from Nob Hill House Beautiful Magazine Tranquility, texture and treasured antiques treated with casual affection: These are the keys to Jeffrey Weisman’s new rooms. READ
Moss’ Landing House Beautiful Magazine When Murray Moss wanted to expand his SoHo store, annexing the upstairs space would have been the logical move – if it weren’t for the neighbors. So he added four virtual floors. READ
Numbers Game House Beautiful Magazine Cary Nowell’s playful ceramics add up to another success for the enterprising designer. READ
Shopping Shake-Up House Beautiful Magazine San Francisco’s Hayes Valley arose phoenix-like after the 1989 earthquake. Now it’s an enclave of hip design stores. READ
Talking Shop with Larry Maloney House Beautiful Magazine Part store, part shrine to California designer John Dickinson, a San Francisco gallery is as informative as it is stylish. READ
Playing Pool Elle Decoration Magazine For architect Josh Schweitzer and chef Mary Sue Milliken, home is a converted swimming school. It took ten years but now life is one long pool party. READ
TRAVEL
There’s This Quiet Little Place New York faux speakeasies Guardian READ
Major Sax Appeal New York Times On Mondays, the joint is jumping. Guess where. READ
New York’s Got its Mojo Back Guardian From Blue Note to Woody Allen, jazz was the soundtrack of New York. It went quiet for a while, but the joints are jumping again. READ
Six of the Best … Jazz clubs in New York South China Morning Post You might be forgiven for thinking Birdland and the Blue Note are the only jazz clubs in New York. A New York-based jazz musician bangs a drum for a set of equally authentic venues. READ
Hotel de Love HQ Magazine It once belonged to the world’s most celebrated couple. Now Casa Kimberley, the hideaway where Taylor and Burton fought and loved, is open to new romantics. READ