Tess Henley is a 25-year-old kid from Seattle — not that you’d know it from listening to her new album High Heels & Sneakers, which blends Henley’s confident brand of old-school soul with colorfully empathetic (and blessedly live instrument-based) production courtesy of Roots crew associate Dice Raw.

http://youtu.be/mWDx6wzzjLU

The latest in a series of well-received independent releases, High Heels & Sneakers is one of the more intriguing records of 2013, and it left us wanting to speak with Tess — to find out more about her artistic development, hear about how she manages her career while honing her craft, and learn how she managed to soak up so much soul way out in the Pacific Northwest. We think you’ll be as pleased to make Ms. Henley’s acquaintance as we were, and you can get the party started right here with Episode 26 of the Matt ‘N’ Jeff Radio Hour:

The Matt ‘N’ Jeff Radio Hour, Episode 26: Tess Henley