Nessa Barrett

With a hypnotic mix of rock, trip-hop textures, and mysterious vocals, Nessa gives shape to her fascination with unrequited love.

Nessa Barrett moved to Los Angeles when she was 17 and quickly found herself in a world of extremes. Now 23, she has spent her early adult years caught up in intense relationships, often built on illusion. Her new album, Tough Love, explores the highs and lows of romance in a city like Los Angeles.

"Tough Love is a sonic dark romantic experience, Each song represents a different form of tough love."

— Nessa Barrett

The album builds on the dark trip-hop sound she developed during her Aftercare tour and on the EP Jesus Loves a Primadonna. The cinematic, noir-inspired sound of her earlier work now makes room for more guitars. Her influences range from Massive Attack and Portishead to Alice in Chains and Fleetwood Mac, while still keeping her own dark style.

Tough Love grows directly from Jesus Loves a Primadonna, where she explored different witch-like characters. She created the EP while looking for the right sound for the album, using those experimental sessions as a way to explore new ideas before returning to the full album.