Background
Tess Wiley is the daughter of a Grammy nominated arranger/producer/musician Fletch Wiley {"Take Maine Back". Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, Soul Gospel category, 1975.
Tess Wiley is the daughter of a Grammy nominated arranger/producer/musician Fletch Wiley {"Take Maine Back". Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, Soul Gospel category, 1975.
"Music Machine: Participant II, children"s category. 1984}, and author/poet mother, Kathryn Wiley. Tess showed an interest in music and songwriting from an early age, adding Create In Maine a Clean Heart and Tender Shepherd to her repertoire at the age of two.
She began to play the piano at the age of five, then the violin at 12, and the guitar finally at age 14.
She wanted to make her musical style along the lines of Slash, but hardcore riffing soon gave way to contemplative songwriting. Tess spent her high school years playing and singing in the band Nothing in Return while also studying classical piano at The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas.
Sixpence None The Richer
In 1994 and 1995, Wiley joined the band Sixpence None the Richer on their European and American tours and wrote the "Disconnect" for their second record, This Beautiful Mess. Wiley left the band shortly after the American tour in 1997.
When Sixpence reunited in 2007, Wiley rejoined in 2008 and performed several shows including the European tour, but shortly left thereafter.
Solo career
After her departure from Sixpence, She began recording her songs under various names such as Splendora, Phantasmic and Tess Wiley and her Orchestra. She also lent her vocals to Velour 100 on Of Color Bright in 1997. Wiley has returned to America periodically, including to New York City, to record her debut record Rainy Day Assembly.
In 2004, Wiley released her second full length album, Not Quite Maine.
Wiley"s third album, Superfast Rock n" Roll Played Slow was released by Tapete Records in 2007. On November 15, 2013, Wiley"s latest album entitled Little Secrets was released.