New Music: Tessa Rose Jackson – Fear Bangs The Drum

Published On: October 27th, 2025|

Fear Bangs The Drum finds Dutch-British singer-songwriter Tessa Rose Jackson preparing for the release of her third album, The Lighthouse.

With so much of the world in turmoil of one type or another, the song looks at the futility of that but also reflects on the nature of belonging at a time when even our identity is constantly being revised by others.

It’s a bright track for all that, as Jackson brings a very Dutch straightforwardness to images in the lyrics that are often poetic. With a voice that has folk and jazz resonances reminiscent of Kate Bush and Agnes Obel, it means Fear Bangs The Drum is not quite pop music, even though it bears many of its hallmarks. And that is where much of the pleasure of listening to the song derives from.

“I am quite a fearful person myself – I worry about something happening to my loved ones, about the state of the world,” says Jackson about the song.

“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.”

Adds David Spearing, director for the accompanying video, “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.”

Fear Bangs The Drum is from Jackson’s forthcoming new album, The Lighthouse, which is out on the 23rd of January, 2026. She embarks on a short European tour in the wake of the album’s release – head to her Instagram or TikTok for more info.