Sylvan Esso

Based in Durham, North Carolina, Sylvan Esso has brought together Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn since 2013 in a duo that blends electropop, indie pop, dream pop and folktronica. The project emerged after the two musicians’ parallel paths—Amelia Meath had sung in Mountain Man and toured with Feist, while Nick Sanborn came from Megafaun’s indie scene and from his solo work as Made of Oak. Sylvan Esso first drew attention with the single "Hey Mami", then refined a songwriting approach built on the meeting of a very mobile voice, flexible pop structures and electronic production that favors off-kilter rhythms, airy textures and a kind of fragility rather than frontal punch. Sylvan Esso released the album Sylvan Esso in 2014, followed by What Now in 2017—an album nominated for a Grammy in the dance/electronic category—then Free Love in 2020 and No Rules Sandy in 2022. The duo has also developed parallel formats such as the EP Echo Mountain Sessions in 2017 and the live project WITH in 2020, conceived with an expanded ensemble of musicians. Present on both indie stages and larger festivals from SXSW to Coachella, Sylvan Esso has evolved its repertoire without leaving that meeting ground between songcraft, pop experimentation and electronics.