I found out about Essie Watts because she was opening for a couple other artists I follow. She’s an indie-pop-rock artist from Toronto.

Her sound is so well-developed and lived-in, I fully expected a whole catalog of music. Not the case! Shadow Box is her debut EP, and there doesn’t seem to be anything else to find.

She’s a sharp songwriter, and there’s a hint of low-key 60’s-style psychedelia to some of her music. The production is very polished and her vocal stands front-and-centre. Hurt is the centrepiece of the EP, and it’s got some musical theatrics to go with the 70’s radio vibe:

Closing song ‘At Odds’ feels like a song I heard a long time ago – I actually thought that the algorithm was playing something from the early 1970s. It’s beautiful:

She’s also a pretty energetic live performer — from the looks of her Instagram Highlights, her music takes on another level of intensity and theatricality when she’s on stage.