Timbre Ghost, aka Dustin Tessier, is a deep thinker who has adopted the same ethos for his music as he does his life and we got to hear about how he has come to that. Spoiler alert: we covered everything in this chat from Willie Nelson to 10 years of sobriety, to an album nearly ready to go with a country vibe. Or as Dustin says, three chords and the truth.
While now in Montana, Dustin is a transplant from Duluth. You can hear it in his music, you can definitely see it in cast of characters that play with him, especially on his last release, Soothsayer. For Soothsayer, Dustin pared down the sound, choosing to go with a simple format and let that lift the story. The songs are slow and deep, they urge the listener to stop and listen. It’s perfect for the era we’re in – an excuse, an opportunity to stop multitasking and pay attention to the songs.
Sounds like Dustin has been trying to slow down his own life, to simplify and learn to tell and live his own story. He is 10 years sober and working with others on their journey with sobriety. His advice for folks dealing with their own devils right now, especially with what has been happening with abuse and harassment in the music industry and that is to find redemption through honesty and ownership.
Dustin’s day job is a balance for his second life as a musician. The day job literally buys him the time and the space to play the music that he likes. To play the music that connects with the right people. He mentioned that he doesn’t want to be famous, he just wants to be busy – to be seen. A tough ask during a pandemic but it sounds like he getting ready. Dustin has an album ready, he’s just planning his release. He promises that this will be entirely new – like a car bursting through an explosion.
Mostly Minnesota 