I seem to be on a pop music streak lately – maybe it’s the heat (and broken air conditioning, parts on back order, don’t get me started), or maybe it’s just the internet smiling on me. Whatever the case, I first heard Lena Hessels’ voice on the Dork website. She’s the vocal on the great new single from Personal Trainer, Cyan (watch this space!). Here’s the singer from Personal Trainer describing her contribution to the song:

I was happy with how it turned out and asked my friend Lena Hessels to sing some parts on it. Lena is a rising alternative pop star and she has a great voice. For Cyan she intuitively changed the rhythm of the chorus ever so slightly, which made it bounce a bit more I took away a lot of my own vocals and replaced them with hers, because I think the song works very well with her voice.

That’s high praise, so I went looking for more about her. I put on her most recent singles — she released three in 2023. They’re light, dance-y indie pop, and this song was the one that hooked me:

It’s a killer summer pop song. That chorus will follow you around all day, her voice sounds relaxed and casual. There are tiny imperfections in the vocal, which add to the charm.

Here’s The Car, which is her first-ever music video. Watch for the close-up of the spiked Nikes at 2:17:

It’s catchy stuff. There’s a strong DIY feel to it all, and I love that. And there’s more.

Hessel’s prior 3 EPs have been collected as an album, titled: ‘If Not Now’, ‘then When Will it’ and ‘Be All I Ever Wanted’. It was released at the beginning of 2023, though the songs date back to 2021 according to her Bandcamp. Whatever. This collection of songs is fantastic. Here’s her fist single ever, Mare:

So much of this collection has a Sneaker Pimps feel to it. The lyrics and arrangements are often unpredictable and unconventional. Check out 2021 single Lena:

According to her Instagram, she’s got a new project called Taxi that she’s kind of launching in September. It’s not really clear whether it’s a new LP or something different (she mentions working with a lighting designer and a dancer), but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

---