ES:MO is Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti, two imaginative and

acclaimed musicians who push against the boundaries of genres to seek out

the new. ES:MO incorporate the musical ideas that move them regardless of

style, and both have been restless explorers for years.

ES:MO’s love of contemporary harmony and rhythm gets paired up with a

love of great songwriters, explorations in electronics and modern guitar

soundscapes, r&b and funk, poetry, folk and orchestral traditions, and great

musicianship.

Michael Occhipinti’s huge colour palette of guitar work combined with

Elizabeth Shepherd’s soulful and ethereal voice and keyboard work is a

special pairing, as evidenced by their debut album, 'The Weight of Hope',

which received a 2022 JUNO Award nomination (individually Michael and

Elizabeth have a combined 17 JUNO nominations and 2 Polaris Prize nominations). The album was built

around the duo’s ability to interpret the great songs of Stevie Wonder, Bruce

Cockburn, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and others, and the duo have just

done a new video for their cover of Jason Isbell's "If We Were Vampires."

Their follow-up album 'Sunshine In My Bones' is a genre-bending celebration of the duo’s own compositions, built on hours of

improvised jam sessions, samples of washing machines, voice and guitar

loops, and the vision of two great friends who recognize the magical

connection they have when they improvise music together. The lyrics explore

everything from modern warfare to love among tulips and the need for

human connection in a distant age, and several guest drummers including

Larnell Lewis, Jinu Isac, Tony Ferraro, and Marito Marques join Elizabeth

and Michael who play everything else.

Stay tuned for release details.