Tess Of The Circle is a British independent rock band centred on the songs of male songwriter Tess Jones and a collective of participating musicians. The project begins as a solo, acoustic-based act before expanding into a full-band line-up for the album Thorns.

Style and development

The early material is built around upbeat acoustic guitar riffs and biographical lyrics. With Thorns, the sound shifts towards 1970s electric rock, while still keeping the acoustic guitar and personal songwriting at the core. Tess Jones describes this change as coming from touring and from a renewed interest in the rock music of youth, including Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Jeff Buckley.

Recognition and radio play

The first solo album receives repeat national radio play and is described by Mojo as “not to be ignored”. Acoustic Magazine calls the songs “intriguing” and notes that they “creep under the skin with each listen”.

The album Thorns leads to substantial BBC Radio 2 support, with seven tracks played on the station and a follow-up live session on Bob Harris. The band also completes its tenth BBC Radio session within the same year.

Album notes

Thorns marks a rename and a move to a broader, more collaborative rock format for the project. Bob Harris of BBC Radio 2 calls it “a wonderful record”.