Miss Tess, 'If You Don't Know How to Love Me' [Premiere]

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Miss Tess is premiering her twangy new tune "If You Don't Know How to Love Me" exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play below to hear the solemnly smoldering song.

Combining vintage-inspired instrumentation and Miss Tess' smoky, emotive vocals, "If You Don't Know How to Love Me" explores the pitfalls of a long-term relationship that's fizzling out. It's the kind of tune in which the hurt lingers quietly behind the lyrics.

"Sometimes I think about leavin', but then I decide to stay / Maybe one day I'll follow my feelin' when I'm not afraid of the change," she sings. "If you don't know how to love me, I can't tell you how / I know that you're tryin', but you should know by now."

Miss Tess describes "If You Don't Know How to Love Me" as "quietly devastating." It was inspired by both her friends' and her own experiences with love.

"This song speaks to the struggles we go through to compromise and make things work with a partner, while all along questioning the confidence of the relationship," she tells The Boot. "Are we trying to make it work because we truly believe it's right for us, or are we just stuck because we are comfortable enough, and too afraid of change to try something new?"

With a voice that recalls artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Patsy Cline and Lindi Ortega, Miss Tess is gearing up to release a brand-new record, on which "If You Don't Know How to Love Me" appears, in early 2020. Titled The Moon Is an Ashtray, the record was produced by Andrija Tokic, known for his work with Margo Price and Alabama Shakes (among other artists), at Tokic's renowned studio the Bomb Shelter.

The Moon Is an Ashtray is set for release on Feb. 7. Fans can keep up with Miss Tess at MissTessMusic.com.

Listen to Miss Tess' "If You Don't Know How to Love Me"

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