Katy Tessman is releasing her third album, Turnbuckles, and it like community in a song. Take a listen and put May 17 on your calendar to check her out at the Icehouse in Minneapolis.
Q: Please tell us about Turnbuckles—your latest album and your band. There’s such a huge community feel behind both.
I’ve discovered that a lot of people don’t know what a turnbuckle is. They may have heard it referenced in a wrestling ring or seen it used on a suspension bridge. It’s an important piece of hardware—it connects two cables and can be tightened or loosened by twisting the center. It’s a small part that plays a big role in holding things together—just like the themes in my new album.
Turnbuckles, my new 5-song EP, explores themes of resilience, strength, and human connection—and those themes extend beyond the songs themselves. They’re meant to create a space where people feel seen, heard, and part of something bigger.
Katy Tessman and The Turnbuckles, my band, is built around that same spirit. Our shows have an inviting energy, and I often welcome fellow musician friends to sit in with us. Community is very important to me, and creating a space where people feel connected—onstage and off—is what makes it all meaningful. I truly believe we can be a turnbuckle for each other—a small but strong force that helps hold things together.
Q: I love the song “Seven Sisters,” I loved when you sang at the Caboose with Jillian Rae, Laura Hugo, and Sammie Jean last March. It’s such a powerful song about sisterhood. What spurred you to write the song?
“Seven Sisters” is really close to my heart. I wrote it as a love song for my girlfriends—the women who’ve shown up for me again and again through the hardest and most beautiful chapters of my life. We don’t often hear songs that celebrate the deep, non-romantic bonds we share as women, and I wanted to honor that kind of connection. One of my best friends, who’s a poet, suggested the nod to the Pleiades constellation—often called the Seven Sisters—which felt like the perfect symbol: guiding lights that are always there, even if you can’t always see them.
Q: “Write My Own Story” is an uplifting and helpful song for times when we all forget that we can be our own author. How far in advance do you write the chapters? Do you have a goal for five or ten years from now?
“Write My Own Story” came from a place of reclaiming my voice—after cancer, heartbreak, and single motherhood, I realized no one else was going to write the life I wanted. So I started doing it myself. I’ve always been a planner (Fun Fact: the second Mama Hellcats show is already set for this coming November), but I do try to stay open to what’s unfolding and trust my instincts. Five or ten years from now, I hope I’m still creating, still performing, and still connecting with people through music and story—and maybe helping others find the courage to write their own chapters too.
Q: Please tell us about the upcoming album release.
I’m so excited to release “Turnbuckles” on May 17! We’ll be celebrating with a full band show at Icehouse in Minneapolis, with an early start at 5 PM. I’m honored to have support from Glass (the new duo project from Annie and the Bang Bang) and Katy Vernon’s Favourite Girl on the bill. I’m such a fan of these women and thrilled to share a night of music with them.
May 2 is Bandcamp Friday, and “Turnbuckles” will be available for preorder that day—it’s a great way to support me directly. On May 17, the album will be released exclusively on Bandcamp, and “Seven Sisters” will be available to stream everywhere. I’ll be releasing singles throughout the summer—and I can’t wait to keep sharing these songs.
Q: And tell us about the tour coming up in June. How excited are you?
I can’t wait to hit the road in June for my solo Write My Own Story tour! I’ll be performing in libraries and vibrant community spaces in South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nebraska—places I’ve never played before. I do all my own booking, so every stop has been handpicked with intention. I’m excited to meet new people and explore even more of this beautiful country of ours.
Mostly Minnesota 