Biography
Jess Abbott, previously a member of the indie rock outfit Now, Now, leads Tancred as her solo vehicle steeped in '90s alt-rock influences. The 2011 debut Capes carried an emo-tinged lo-fi character, while the third album Out of the Garden in 2016 adopted a sharper edge laced with melodic hooks in the vein of the Breeders and Weezer. Nightstand arrived in 2018 as a more exposed and detailed effort. Tancred's initial solo outing in four years, the 2022 single "Mirepoix," adopted a softer blend of acoustic guitar and faint electronics.
Abbott left Maine for Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2009 intent on joining Cacie Dalager and Bradley Hale after Now, Now Every Children's 2008 debut Cars. The pair added her to the roster, and the band shortened its name to Now, Now starting with the 2010 EP Neighbors. Abbott simultaneously shaped her own fragile, partly acoustic songs captured in solo recordings. She assembled them for the self-released Tancred debut Capes in 2011, which No Sleep Records later issued in 2014. Now, Now's Threads LP followed in 2012.
Abbott next created a more vigorous, electric-guitar-driven Tancred album in 2013 on Top Shelf Records with input limited to Hale. Bassist Terrence Vitali and drummer Kevin Medina joined for demo sessions on the following LP and remained for the finished tracks plus live dates. Polyvinyl released the still fiercer Out of the Garden in 2016, which mixed alt-rock and power pop elements and was produced by Anna Waronker of that dog. and Steven McDonald of Redd Kross/OFF!. Abbott relocated again to Maine around this time and exited Now, Now to concentrate on Tancred. Lewis Pesacov, whose credits include Best Coast and Valley Queen, recorded the more restrained fourth album Nightstand at his Los Angeles home studio, softening the overall tone while keeping the core of memorable guitar lines intact.
After pausing Tancred tours and sessions to write and sing for others including Chris Farren, Alex Lahey, and Jenny Owen Youngs, Abbott returned in late 2021 with the holiday single "Fireside," a joint effort among Tancred, Youngs, and John Mark Nelson. She collaborated once more with Nelson and Youngs on the gentle Tancred ballad "Mirepoix," which surfaced in late 2022.
Abbott left Maine for Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2009 intent on joining Cacie Dalager and Bradley Hale after Now, Now Every Children's 2008 debut Cars. The pair added her to the roster, and the band shortened its name to Now, Now starting with the 2010 EP Neighbors. Abbott simultaneously shaped her own fragile, partly acoustic songs captured in solo recordings. She assembled them for the self-released Tancred debut Capes in 2011, which No Sleep Records later issued in 2014. Now, Now's Threads LP followed in 2012.
Abbott next created a more vigorous, electric-guitar-driven Tancred album in 2013 on Top Shelf Records with input limited to Hale. Bassist Terrence Vitali and drummer Kevin Medina joined for demo sessions on the following LP and remained for the finished tracks plus live dates. Polyvinyl released the still fiercer Out of the Garden in 2016, which mixed alt-rock and power pop elements and was produced by Anna Waronker of that dog. and Steven McDonald of Redd Kross/OFF!. Abbott relocated again to Maine around this time and exited Now, Now to concentrate on Tancred. Lewis Pesacov, whose credits include Best Coast and Valley Queen, recorded the more restrained fourth album Nightstand at his Los Angeles home studio, softening the overall tone while keeping the core of memorable guitar lines intact.
After pausing Tancred tours and sessions to write and sing for others including Chris Farren, Alex Lahey, and Jenny Owen Youngs, Abbott returned in late 2021 with the holiday single "Fireside," a joint effort among Tancred, Youngs, and John Mark Nelson. She collaborated once more with Nelson and Youngs on the gentle Tancred ballad "Mirepoix," which surfaced in late 2022.
Albums
Singles
