About

Estyr weaves stories and feelings about femininity, heartbreak, and the suburbs. Her songs layer lush vocals with guitar, moving between ambient indie rock and alt-R&B styles. Whether performing solo, with a band, or her experimental band Tiger Balme, she’s noted for her heart-warming stage presence, engaging audiences to laugh, reflect and heal. Her songs play countrywide on CBC and campus radio, including The Strombo Show and Fresh Air programs. 2021 saw the release of her debut EP and inclusion in the TD SOCAN Foundation Incubator, Spotify’s New Music Friday and Exclaim’s ‘8 Emerging Artists You Need to Hear’.

Estyr’s second EP, All Tied Up, was released in November 2021. The four-track album, produced by Rob McLay in Toronto, is a nostalgic reflection on her coming-of-age as a second-generation immigrant, featuring modulated vocal harmonies and electric drums. Drawing on influences such as Weyes Blood and Alex G, the EP will be released as a soundtrack accompaniment to indie feature-length film, Altar Boy, directed by Toronto-based emerging director Serville Poblete, which premiered at the Whistler Film Festival (December 2021). She says, “I’ve long felt like I was writing a soundtrack I never had as a teenager--one that resonated with my reality as a multiracial kid in a suburban town.”

In January 2021, Estyr released her third single, “Slow Drip”, produced by LE-VI. The summer-y track describes the anticipation of waiting for a lover at home in morning sun. The single followed another LE-VI collaboration, “Mad Woman”, a restrained reflection on anger released in May 2020 which received CBC radio play regionally (Fresh Air, Ontario; In the Key of C, Ontario) and locally (Big City, Small World; CBC Radio One, Toronto).

In 2017, Estyr co-founded Tiger Balme, an alt indie band that has shared the stage with Madison McFerrin (Drake Underground, 2019), Emily Soon (Toronto, 2019), and Cutsleeve (Monarch Tavern, 2019). They are currently working on their debut full-length album with producer Paul Chin (Full Spectrum, 2020) in Toronto (to be released late summer 2022). Estyr says, “Tiger Balme is the embodiment of everything I love as an artist: a collective space for gender minorities and people of colour to write and share their stories.”

Since the release of Estyr’s debut single, “Human Alchemy” (September 2019), she has performed at music festivals and intimate venues across Southern Ontario and the Baltics, including: Tallinn Music Week (May 2022), Estonian Music Week (October 2021), What’s in the Box Festival X UNMASKED (December 2020), The Drake Underground (January 2020), and Holy Smokes Music Festival (Guelph, 2019).

Press Quotes

"Estyr buries pop melodies beneath layers of electronic and folk textures as if they were a treasure hidden within vast, lush landscapes, and the journey's totally worth it. Her All Tied Up EP is rich with compelling details, like relatable musings on suburban alienation in "Suck It Up," the title track's acoustic guitar accents or the captivating vocals of "High on a Feeling."" - Matt Bobkin, Exclaim! (Canada), November 2021

"Toronto-based artist Estyr makes slow-burning songs about heartbreak. Her latest single “High on a Feeling” floats with a sustained euphoria of iridescent synths and an affecting vocal performance. The song is off an upcoming EP that promises to be one of the year’s best." - Nuvo Magazine (Vancouver, Canada), July 2021

“Carried by a shuffling beat and shimmering guitar, “Slow Drip” is upbeat yet relaxed, riding its airy groove with seeming effortlessness. As the song moves from sections of sparkling anticipation to quiet contemplation, Estyr’s sweet voice glides over the instruments with impressive versatility…” - LeAnn Nguyen, From the Intercom (Los Angeles, USA), January 2021

“‘Slow Drip’ is a fun lo-fi bop that fits perfectly on your rise-and-shine weekend morning playlist. The song is fundamentally casual with a funky pop-induced bass line that will leave you swaying on your feet. Be sure to pair this song with your favourite warm morning beverage. - Sami Huda, Serious Betty (Toronto, Canada), January 2021

“Thanks to its honey-like pacing, echoing instrumentation, and Estyr’s beautifully crystalline vocals, “Human Alchemy” is the type of song that turns the messiest of breakups into an exercise in artful contemplation.” - Li-Wei Chu, From The Intercom (Los Angeles, USA), January 2019

Contact

music.estyr@gmail.com

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