HERstory by Tess Hirst

Since releasing her joint LP ‘These Days’ with long-time friend and collaborator Daniel Casimir on the jazz re:freshed imprint in 2019, Hirst has been working on her first solo album scheduled for release in early-2024. Funded by PRS Foundation’s Women Make Music and the MOBO Help Musicians Fund, Hirst’s new music is set to be a jazz re:freshed family affair. ‘Magic’ features Richard Spaven on drums, Sarah Tandy on piano and Tomorrow’s Warriors StringTing. It is produced and arranged by Casimir who also plays electric, upright and synth bass on the recording.

A celebration of inspiring stories of the women around her, both through their personal experiences and drawing upon the musical heritage of West London as a tribute to Hirst’s upbringing and friends. The first single released called ‘Magic’, pays homage to their robust capacity to rise to any challenge, urging listeners to invoke their own sense of magic. Whilst ‘A Seed’ is an ode to transforming unexpected circumstances into something beautiful. Drawing on elements of the notorious UK musical heritage of Drum’n’Bass, Spaven is fully in his element, piercing through pensive string melodies and euphoric harmonies overarching Hirst’s ethereal tone. Produced by Daniel Casimir, an accomplished bassist plus the sprinkling of Hip Hop influences underpinned by Spaven, both stalwarts of the London jazz scene, honours club culture and contemporary musical traditions, which helped shape Hirst’s artistry.