Daughter

In the early 2010s the London trio Daughter surfaced with an alluring strain of pop that wove introspective folk textures and restrained electronic hues, echoing the atmospheres of Cat Power alongside the xx. Led by singer and guitarist Elena Tonra, the group’s first full-length for 4AD, If You Leave, earned gold status in the U.K.; two years later they returned with the still more introspective and richly layered Not to Disappear. Following the largely instrumental 2017 video-game score Music from Before the Storm, Tonra turned her attention to the solo guise Ex:Re, which yielded a pair of albums before Daughter resurfaced after a six-year absence with the 2023 studio set Stereo Mind Game, recorded with assistance from the London string ensemble 12 Ensemble.

North London native Tonra first crossed paths with guitarist Igor Haefeli while both studied at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. Drummer Remi Aguilella soon completed the lineup, and the newly formed Daughter circulated an early demo that led to their 2011 debut EP, His Young Heart. Just half a year afterward The Wild Youth appeared on Mumford & Sons’ Communion imprint; the more refined and wide-ranging collection drew favorable notice and paved the way for a deal with the esteemed 4AD label the following year. Anchored by the ethereal single “Smother,” the 2013 debut album If You Leave achieved both critical acclaim and commercial traction, peaking at number 16 on the U.K. Albums chart while also entering the upper reaches of the Billboard 200.

Extensive touring followed before the band retreated to prepare a sophomore release. After largely self-recording the material, they enlisted Nicolas Vernhes—known for work with Deerhunter, the War on Drugs, and Animal Collective—to finalize the mixes at his Rare Book Room studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Issued in early 2016 on 4AD, Not to Disappear retained the group’s hallmark fusion of candid lyricism with shoegaze, indie-pop, and folk timbres, again performing strongly on both sides of the Atlantic. Daughter then moved to the Glassnote roster for the predominantly instrumental 2017 soundtrack Music from Before the Storm; twelve months later Tonra issued the self-titled Ex:Re album, placing the band on hiatus.

Tonra maintained her focus on Ex:Re into the following decade, joining composer Josephine Stephenson for the 2021 release Ex:Re with 12 Ensemble. While she stayed in London, Haefeli relocated to Bristol and Aguilella to Portland, Oregon. Despite the geographic separation, the three members began shaping fresh songs, with the two U.K.-based musicians convening at Devon’s Middle Farm Studio and Aguilella contributing remotely from Vancouver, Washington. Self-produced by the trio and again featuring 12 Ensemble, April 2023’s Stereo Mind Game adopted a brighter outlook and a broader orchestral palette than prior work.