Jenny Wilson

Jenny Wilson, the idiosyncratic pop songstress born in Sweden in 1975, initially drew notice from listeners through her role in First Floor Power. The ensemble formed in 1997 and issued its opening 7" single twelve months afterward, circulating through rock venues and festivals until delivering its debut full-length, There Is Hope, in 2001. Although a leading Swedish rock magazine branded There Is Hope the poorest album of that year, the ensuing controversy generated substantial press coverage for the group, prompting Time Out New York to rank the record among the ten best releases of 2001. First Floor Power followed with a second album, Nerves, in 2003, yet Wilson soon departed to work independently after receiving a commission to compose the score for Nattfjärilen, Sofia Fredén’s new play staged at Stockholm’s Stadsteater Theater. Inspired by the project, she resolved to craft a solo record that would accommodate her wide-ranging influences, among them Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, and Nina Simone. Employing spare yet groovy electronic backings, Wilson issued her first solo effort, Love & Youth, in summer 2006. The album received enthusiastic notices and captured the P3 Gold Prize Award, after which she mounted a thriving solo tour supported by former First Floor Power colleagues Sara Wilson on guitar and backing vocals plus Andreas Söderström on bass and backing vocals, together with Lina Selleby, who supplied keyboards and backing vocals while also collaborating with Doktor Kosmos.