Tessa McCoy is in the middle of a year that feels like a hinge moment. One week she is bowing into an Irish session at a pub on the southern coast, the next she is stepping into a stadium where the sound check alone feels like its own kind of weather system. She is out on the road with Fey Fili, opening for Zach Bryan, carrying her fiddle into rooms that swallow most artists whole. What makes her story compelling is not geography or mythology but the clarity of her musicianship and the way she moves through these spaces with a mix of curiosity, readiness, and a grounded sense of who she is. The spark she found playing with Fey has turned into a full‑tilt collaboration that now stretches across continents, and McCoy is learning in real time what it means to grow, to adapt, and to hold her artistic center while the stages get bigger and the crowds get louder. This tour is reshaping her year, but it is also revealing the kind of artist she is and is still becoming. We spoke to her about what this experience has been like and what’s next for her.
BB: You’ve been on the road playing with Fey Fili as she opens for Zach Bryan. Tell the story of how you and Fey ended up onstage together.
Tessa: Being two gals from Appalachia, we met in the most Appalachian way and the rest is history. The first time we met, my old-time stringband, The State Birds, was playing a show in rural Marlinton, WV. Fey came to the show and I didn’t know who she was at the time, but she was chatting with a mutual friend who made sure we met each other. Afterwards, my friend said, “do you know who that was?”. I looked her up and, like most people, was just absolutely enamoured with her voice and music. The stuff that comes out of Appalachia is special… am I right?! I followed along with her music for a couple of years thinking it would be fun to get together and play some of her stuff sometime and we’d see each other in passing at different music events in the region, but life in general kind of kept us from hitting the nail on the head and saying OK – let’s get together and play some music… until one day my friend and bass player in TSB, Joanna, orchestrated a fairly spontaneous hang on an evening we had off after a rehearsal. Fey came over and from the first few songs we played together, there was just an undeniable spark. When she asked me to join her on this tour, I took pride in the fact we’d be two gals from Appalachia out there doing the thing. From rural living room jams figuring songs out to the biggest stages you can play, it just felt right.
BB: Take us into that moment. What did it feel like stepping out on those mammoth stages with your fiddle and seeing those stadiums during sound checks? Did it hit you all at once or only after the lights went down?
Tessa: I have to admit – I’d never even really been to a stadium before these shows, much less been at the center of the magic in one. I had a lot of feelings walking out on stage in Liverpool for the first sound check of tour. It was both exhilarating and it made me quite introspective, which I wasn’t really expecting. I was looking out at this brand new view of the most massive venue for the very first time, taking it all in. I’ve played hundreds of shows over the years from house concerts to a living room full of people to getting to play my fiddle standing in the circle at the Grand Ole Opry, but stadiums just hit a little different. Without getting too mushy, I simply felt ready. I believed in the music I was playing and the people I was playing it with. I was proud to be an old-time gal from little ole’ Saint Albans, WV, playing my fiddle and singing out there on those huge stages. By the time it was time for us to hit the stage, I just felt locked in and ready to rock. We did just that, and oh boy did we have fun while we were doing it. I don’t think it happens all of the time, so there’s something to be said for playing good music with good people in good places.
BB: Every country listens differently. What surprised you about UK crowds?
Tessa: Man, the UK gets down! Every single one of the 8 stadiums we played in the UK completely sold out. Most of them came for Zach Bryan, but I think all of them left fans of Fey Fili. Even though Fey is a new artist, they were everything you’d want in a crowd. When Zach Bryan was on, wow, just wow. The entire crowd sang along for his entire set – every single verse too, not just the choruses! It was wild to witness every night.
BB: Between soundchecks and late nights, did you manage to sneak in any actual sightseeing? And if so what were your highlights?
Tessa: We had a few brilliant days off on this UK run to mix up the show and travel days (a true luxury). Spending three days on the southern coast of Ireland at the most picturesque little cottage in a place called Dunworley was easily the highlight of our off days. We spent the days swimming in the chilly Celtic Sea while the coastal and cliffy scenery put on a Microsoft screen saver level mix of misty, magical and clear blue skies with sunshine, we celebrated a bandmate’s birthday with a home cooked feast and even squeezed in a trip to Clonakilty where I sat in on an Irish session at a local pub with my fiddle. One for the books : )
BB: What are some moments from those shows that stood out to you?
Tessa: These were Fey’s very first shows – ever! I wasn’t shocked for a single second about her natural ability to work the crowd, but I was very proud to be on that stage with her and the rest of the band. Another funny coincidence is that there’s only one bandmate that doesn’t have red hair – I think some folks thought we were a local band at some of the shows! There really were incredible things and learning experiences about each show, but one really neat thing happened in Edinburgh where I really felt the size of the stadium and what we were doing. Fey did a cover of “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lommond”. I popped my in ear monitors out and no kidding, the entire crowd was singing along and swaying back and forth and erupted in the biggest cheer afterwards. Ah, the power of music.
BB: The next leg takes you out west with big skies, big crowds, and a whole different vibe. What are you looking forward to on those dates? Any locations you haven’t been that you’re excited to see?
Tessa: New from the UK to the US shows will be the size of the stadiums and the orientation of the stage! In the UK, the stage was at one end of the field. In the US, the stage will be right in the middle with a 360 degree audience in a bit bigger stadiums. Yeehaw! We’re playing Eugene, OR, San Diego, SLC, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix and Dover, DE on this next run. The neat thing about being an old-time musician is that it’s played literally everywhere and the community is all fairly connected (thanks Clifftop). I’ve got OT music pals in nearly every place we’re playing on this run. I’m staying out and visiting some friends in between some of the shows, but I haven’t been to Dallas before. Reach out if you have any recommendations! Insta – @tessawv Facebook – @tessamccoymusic
BB: After a full run overseas, how has the chemistry been playing with an artist that isn’t your usual band of musicians?
Tessa: I’ve got enough room in my heart for both, but even after our first run, it does feel like my usual band of musicians. We really lucked out with a stellar team of folks. The ones you see on the stage, the ones that are side stage, the ones that are backstage – everyone is great. We traveled well together, had so much fun (so much), and have a slew of inside jokes that will never tire. #feyfamili
BB: What is next for your band The State Birds? While you’re off the road you’ve been playing with them. Any new music in the works?
Tessa: Throwing down some hard-driving old-time music with Tessa McCoy and The State Birds is my type of therapy. We have soooo much fun playing together! We’re playing a couple of festivals in Carlisle, PA and Ronceverte, WV while I’m off the road and some more this fall including the Hammons Fiddle Banjo Gathering and the Waterford Fair. New music is in the works!!! We’ve already got a handful of things up that you can listen to however you choose to listen, but stay in the loop on our Facebook and Instagram pages where you will also be entertained with top-tier behind the scenes content of our old-time operations!
BB: When you look at the year so far, what is the biggest thing you are taking with you musically, personally, or spiritually as you head into the next stretch?
Tessa: Presence. Keeping yourself cracked open and really experiencing things while it’s happening. I’m a musician first, but I supplement that experience with things that keep me inspired, learning and interested. I’ve never been someone that can just do one thing… This past year, I’ve played some really fun gigs like the Montana Folk Festival and NPR’s Mountain Stage, I do some contract work for web design and video editing and I’ve also gotten to be a part of some neat film projects like shooting some music videos for my dear friend JP Harris’ upcoming album Shaving a Dead Man (peep the video I filmed for his first single Say Darling Say on YouTube). I like to swim when I can (creek, pool, anywhere!), I like to read a lot (currently rereading Tess of the d’Ubervilles) and I’ve gotten back into yoga. Moving forward, I want to record and release some old-time stuff, I’d like to spend some more time writing new music and maybe get back into embroidery – I used to love it! Here’s to staying centered, accepting the bad, celebrating the good, and playing good music with good people. Cheers, friends.
Photos by Owen Barrett, Summer Schantz, Isaac Tamburino and Tessa McCoy
