For Esther, music is as much a given as the roof above her head and the ground beneath her feet. Raised in a musical household, her dad a professional musician active in the Swedish scene, it’s almost as if Esther was born from music itself. So natural and hypnotic is her sound. And now, she continues her steady and undeniably stunning journey into her own musical landscape with the release of her second EP – Wander.

Born at the cusp of the new millennium in the melodically alive streets of Stockholm, Esther Lennstrand first found her way to the piano at a young age. Moving onto the drums, she met the perfect balance of rhythm and melody in the vibraphone during her teens. When the time came to apply for music school, she did so with the vibraphone as her first instrument, and studied to be a classical percussionist. Her final year of school, she reached for the microphone and uncovered a fantastic talent. The magnetic lullaby of her own voice.

A demo of hers made its way into the ears of Jesper Kouthoofd (Teenage Engineering), who invited her to play at a festival in Denmark. Joining the likes of Pontus Winnberg (Miike Snow, Amason) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) on stage to accompany them with her vibraphone, a magical turn sparked her musical career. As their set was reaching its end, Jesper called out, “Esther, play and sing!” And so she did, the first time she ever sang and played the vibraphone simultaneously and all on her own. The experience was surreal, both for the audience and Esther herself. To discover, in a live on-stage moment, the future of her musical output, a result both beautiful and uncomplicated. The obvious spelled out in sound. And the rest is a history in the making. 

Finding her way to Pontus’ Skolhaus Studio, a dreamy musical hub in the Swedish countryside, Esther went on to spend hours and hours, weeks and weeks, exploring and writing and digging deep into her own sound – cowriting with a whole host of acclaimed musicians and songwriters. Throughout the process, Esther discovered that by placing lyrics and the vibraphone together, she could process her emotional experience and share it with others. 2019 saw her release a slew of singles, followed by the 6-song Better Off Sleeping With A Parachute EP in 2020. In no time at all, she found her way straight into the ears and hearts of an ever-expanding public. And went on to perform live – both with her own songs and as a guest musician with a wide variety of bands. This act of being out there, making and playing and writing and recording music, continuously informs her own sound. A sound that – with its vintage synthesizers, steady beat, and otherworldly voice spilling forth rich, expansive lyrics – could be coined dream pop. Best not, however, to limit Esther and her genre-shifting sound. For hers is a journey with a strong long wind in its sails. Her most recent release – the 4-song Wander EP  – is sonic proof of this. That in little time, Esther is evolving into a sound all her own, and one that is here to stay.

As for her live performances, Esther emanates a boyish ease and mystical nymph-like presence on stage. And what comes out of her lungs when she sings is pure elixir. A straight line to the feeling world, a beautiful invitation to process all those thoughts and emotions stirred up by the sheer act of living. And as for the living, although Esther is wise beyond her youthful years, she still has a great deal left of the living in her. And with it, music. Thanks be for that.